"Don't Look Down on Us": Analyzing Perceptions Toward Korean American Kyopos and Their Speech

• In Event: Sheraton Roundtable Session Nine
  In Roundtable Session: Identity Development and Formation Experiences in School (Table 14)

Abstract

This study examines the perceptions toward “Kyopos”—a Korean word for overseas ethnic immigrants (e.g., Korean-Americans; M. Song, 2005) and their speech, “Kyopomal.” Through the lens of raciolinguistics (Flores & Rosa, 2015), we analyzed approximately 140 hours of publicly recorded media clips of Korean American and native Korean speaker interactions. The data show how Kyopomal (i.e., the Korean word for Kyopos’ speech) are positioned as deficient and “clumsy” and a language in “limbo” by native Korean speakers. While such positionings are still prevalent in the media, our findings also show that in recent years, Kyopos are resisting such positionings, leading to a shifting stance in the ways that Kyopomal is positioned in Korean society.

Authors

• Hala Sun, Michigan State University
  Presenting Author

• Jin-Sook Lee, University of California - Santa Barbara
  Non-Presenting Author

• Ye Yuan, University of California - Santa Barbara
  Non-Presenting Author