Besides, the influence of cultural and social environment on both narratives’ disparate manners of identity construction can be illustrated on how both narratives distinguish themselves from others in terms of being a foreigner. Roberts summarizes Hyun’s ambiguous position in both Korean and German societies, “ In Korea, he is a foreigner legally, In Germany, he is a foreigner emotionally.” (Roberts, 29) And Roberts also adds another fact to explain why the second generation of Korean-Germans are forceful to identify themselves as Koreans, “The sort of hyphenated identity that Asians in the United States have, as in “Korean-American” with the focus being on ‘American,’ does not seem to be a possibility for the second-generation Koreans
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Cho argues, “ Korean-American male English teachers-as linguistic migrants-experience contradictory feelings of privilege and anxiety in South Korean, mediated through their linguistic capital of English.” (Cho, 2) The sense of privilege that Korean-American male English teachers feel can be explained in three different aspects. Firstly, as Cho puts, “With English that is highly valued in South Korea considered ordinary and commonplace in the United States, the Korean-American male English teachers become afraid to start over in the competitive American job market-thus further deferring their return.”(Cho, 3) Korean-American male English teachers are proficient in English; accordingly, their natural linguistic source brings them the feeling of privilege in a non-English speaking nation. Secondly, Cho adds, “Further enhancing their social status was their position as teachers who have traditionally commanded high respect within South Korea’s neo-Confucian culture.” In Asian culture, teachers generally receive higher respect in the society. As being a Korean-American with natural linguistic gift in English, the narrative, Howard states his social status is highly valued, “like the ‘King of the Land’ in South Korea.” (Cho, 8) Howard’s statement involves the emotional element of his life experience in South Korea, which makes him …show more content…
Even if she uses different manners to adopt her Korean culture via her individual interest in K-Pop or family activity of watching Korean TV drama, she still sees herself as a foreigner and outsider to the Korean society. Because she is Americanized by American culture and society, she seems to despise how Koreans focus more on purity of blood. So she presents an extreme attitude upon how Korean government wants to claim her as Korean citizen because of her Korean blood. Her reaction towards Korean and American immigration laws implies the influence of cultural and social environment on a Korean-American identity formation. It is undeniable that this cultural and social factor is enormous and
Cho argues, “ Korean-American male English teachers-as linguistic migrants-experience contradictory feelings of privilege and anxiety in South Korean, mediated through their linguistic capital of English.” (Cho, 2) The sense of privilege that Korean-American male English teachers feel can be explained in three different aspects. Firstly, as Cho puts, “With English that is highly valued in South Korea considered ordinary and commonplace in the United States, the Korean-American male English teachers become afraid to start over in the competitive American job market-thus further deferring their return.”(Cho, 3) Korean-American male English teachers are proficient in English; accordingly, their natural linguistic source brings them the feeling of privilege in a non-English speaking nation. Secondly, Cho adds, “Further enhancing their social status was their position as teachers who have traditionally commanded high respect within South Korea’s neo-Confucian culture.” In Asian culture, teachers generally receive higher respect in the society. As being a Korean-American with natural linguistic gift in English, the narrative, Howard states his social status is highly valued, “like the ‘King of the Land’ in South Korea.” (Cho, 8) Howard’s statement involves the emotional element of his life experience in South Korea, which makes him …show more content…
Even if she uses different manners to adopt her Korean culture via her individual interest in K-Pop or family activity of watching Korean TV drama, she still sees herself as a foreigner and outsider to the Korean society. Because she is Americanized by American culture and society, she seems to despise how Koreans focus more on purity of blood. So she presents an extreme attitude upon how Korean government wants to claim her as Korean citizen because of her Korean blood. Her reaction towards Korean and American immigration laws implies the influence of cultural and social environment on a Korean-American identity formation. It is undeniable that this cultural and social factor is enormous and