Emplacing Parenting: Migration and Belonging Among Korean Gireogi Families
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EMPLACING PARENTING: MIGRATION AND BELONGING AMONG KOREAN GIREOGI FAMILIES by Young A Jung A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of George Mason University in Partial Fulfillment of The Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Cultural Studies Committee: ___________________________________________ Director ___________________________________________ ___________________________________________ ___________________________________________ Program Director ___________________________________________ Dean, College of Humanities and Social Sciences Date: _____________________________________ Fall Semester 2014 George Mason University Fairfax, VA Emplacing Parenting: Migration and Belonging among Korean Gireogi Families A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at George Mason University By Young A Jung Doctor of Philosophy Korea University, 2003 Director: Debra Lattanzi Shutika, Professor Department of English Fall Semester 2014 George Mason University Fairfax, VA Copyright 2014 Young A Jung All Rights Reserved ii DEDICATION This dissertation is dedicated to my husband, Ok Chae Kim, my little daughter, Jiwan, and my parents, Oon Hyung Chung and Kyungja Kim, who have always been supported me with all their hearts. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Reading an author’s acknowledgements has always made me imagine the orchestrated efforts and hidden supports systems that it takes to finish a work. Beginning with bearing a rough idea in the early phases, research is often a collaborative process. This dissertation was no exception. I received gread advice from colleagues and friends about the conceptualization of themes, selecting a research topic, and crafting research questions. My deepest appreciation goes to Dr. Debra Lattanzi Shutika, my adviser and a beautiful folklorist. She inspired me with insightful perspectives and methods as I was shaping the initial idea for this dissertation. Her courses on immigration and sense of place studies are the most memorable times in my doctoral study. Her multidisciplinary perspectives have helped me to approach migration studies with eclectic methods informed by folklore. I must also thank Dr. David Haines for showing me how to be a scholar. His comment, “Do not generalize!” on a final paper stays with me. I often return to this maxim as I collected and analyzed my narrative-based data. It was an honor to present a paper with him about Asian Diasporas at Korea University in 2009. I received first-hand experience interviewing and collecting data with Dr. Dae Young Kim from the Greater Washington Area Korean Community Research project. He showed me the importance of seeing the greater picture of a phenomenon while paying attention to the small details within the larger narrative. These great scholars have had a profound impact on my interdisciplinary approach to Cultural Studies. I would like to thank the many friends I made during my doctoral study at George Mason University. The first year that I spent with my Cultural Studies cohort- Tara, Fan, Rachel, Win, MP, and Robert- is one of my best memories of Mason. They are brilliant scholars and cheerful friends. The early conversations I had with Cultural Studies colleagues Lia, Tara, Sangmin, Gyutag and the director of Korean Studies Center, Dr. Ro, Young-chan helped me to begin forming ideas for my research. My dear colleague, Hye-Young served as a valuable gatekeeper to the communities I studied by introducing me to many of the people I interviewed. M. Liz Andrews read and edited the final drafts at the end of my process. Since I have finished my dissertation writing, I hope my husband, Ok Chae who has been so important in helping to make this happen, can resume his career as a writer. I received tremendous love and support from my family, especially my mother and father, Kyungja Chung and Oon Hyung Chung, who have trusted in my potential all the time. My loving daughter, Jiwan, who was born during my course-work, has assisted me with her laughter and sense of humor. Finally, I would like to thank all of my anonymous interviewees with all my heart. I could not finish this dissertation without their willingness to open their homes and lives. Most Korean gireogi mothers are diligent organizers. They put in endless efforts to offer excellent educational environments to iv their kids, oftentimes while also studying English themselves. I hope this dissertation helps to illuminate the lives and experiences of Korean gireogi families so that the stereotypical images of these families can be replaced with more realistic representations. Doing a second doctoral study was not always a smooth process. Through my doctoral work, I have expanded my conception of what counts as text into broader one of social context. My introduction to a folkloric approach to migration studies was an invaluable asset while I was doing ethnographic research. I appreciate the innovative efforts and accomplishments of previous migration studies scholars. I offer this dissertation as a contribution to scholarly discourse in migration studies. v TABLE OF CONTENTS Note on Romanization of Korean…………………………………………………….. ix List of Tables……….…………………………………………………………………. x List of Figures……………..………………………………………………………….. xi Abstract................................................................................................................……. xii Introduction: Gireogi, A New Transnational Family………............................................1 At the Airport ..............................................................................................................1 Education Fever ..........................................................................................................4 Why Study Gireogi Mothers’ Transnational Practices and Sense of Belonging ......11 Research Design........................................................................................................13 Evidence and Method ...............................................................................................13 Field Sites..................................................................................................................15 Observations .............................................................................................................19 Interviews ..................................................................................................................20 Organizations of Dissertation ...................................................................................21 1. Emplacement and Belonging of Korean Gireogi Families……………………….. 27 Literature Review......................................................................................................28 Transnational Social Field ..................................................................................28 Sense of Place .....................................................................................................39 Sense of Belonging .............................................................................................41 Social Capital ......................................................................................................47 Korean Gireogi Families ....................................................................................48 Interactive Constructions of Belonging ....................................................................50 2. A History of Korean Education Immigration ..........................................................55 A Deep-rooted History of Yuhak until the Late Joseon Dynasty ............................55 Early Contacts with Western Imperialism and the Korean-American Treaty ..........57 The First Korean Students in America......................................................................61 Independence Movement and ‘Refugee Students’ ...................................................67 Elite Yuhaksaeng under the Strict Yuhajsaeng Policy ..............................................73 Diversified Oversea Yuhaksaeng Groups and a Path to Immigration.......................75 Early Study Abroadt .................................................................................................78 3. Everyday Practice of Place Making: Organizations of Gireogi Mother’s Lives ......82 vi 3-1. A Week in the Life of McLean Mothers ...........................................................83 McLean CEO Mom ............................................................................................84 Educational Consultant, Hagwon .......................................................................89 Multiple forms of Competitions .........................................................................92 Student Mother, Role Model Mother, Professional Mother ...............................95 Exclusive Sharing of Educational Information under the Guise of Religious Meeting ...............................................................................................................98 3-2. A Week of Centreville Mothers.......................................................................105 Daily Lives in Centreville ................................................................................105 Invisible Neighbors, Working and Studying Mothers to Maintain VisaStatues107 Making and Imagining Home among Gireogi Families………………………112 4. Feedback of Local Community and Renegotiating Parenting ................................117 Feedback and Reconstructing a Sense of