Koreans strongly stress harmony with order and prioritize the overall well being of the family and/or community over themselves. This is subtly exemplified in their common language usage of “our” rather than “my” (stone, 2005, p.118). Evidently, they value interdependence among family members over independence and help from others is commonly accepted. However, these values appear to not be as well portrayed relative to people with disabilities. Causes of disabilities are a result of supernatural agents, the mother doing something wrong, due to genetic defects of disease, etc. In short, there is an explicitly illustrated negative attitude toward people with disabilities, which often leaves people with disabilities to be isolated. This is reflective of Koreans homogenous and conservative nature in terms of values and customs. Deviating from the social norm is generally scorned and the individual as well as his/her family often “suffer from shame, helplessness, denial, withdrawal, and depression” (Stone, 2005, p. …show more content…
The first generation Koreans often holds traditional Korean values such as the parents being the main deciding factors in terms of “their children’s future, school major, career choice, and even a marriage partner” where as second-generation American-education Koreans reflect the views more similar to the American culture in terms of independence and empowerment of self (Stone, 2005, p. 125; Kwak & Lee, 1991). Stone (2005) clearly states “once children are educated within the culture of the American educational system, they may not accept the values and collectivism and filial piety that require personal needs and goals to be downplayed for the good of the parents or siblings (p.119). This is an inevitable concern of traditional first-generation parents, which touches on the importance of second-generation Koreans to make efforts in preserving their Korean culture within today’s quickly evolving modern day