Cultural Inclusion and Identity of Immigrant Students: A Study of Lived Experience of Korean Immigrants

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Wednesday 4:20 pm Four Seasons Ballroom 2-3
  In Roundtable Session: Cultural Inclusion and Identity With Asian and Asian American Communities (Table 2)

Abstract

This research explores the recollections of Korean immigrant college music majors, focusing on lived experiences in music classes in the U.S. through a conceptual framework that combines cultural identity theories and culturally responsive education. Through hermeneutic analysis, 7 Korean Americans shared their lived experiences of inclusion, exclusion, with teachers, intricacies of their culture, and difficulties in identity formation. One result showed that Korean immigrants understand the current limitations of cultural inclusion and regard it as a positive initiative rather than cultural appropriation. The findings of this study contribute to a broader conversation on cultural inclusion in education for immigrants, as well as scholarship on how educators and policymakers can embrace the cultural values that immigrant students, possess in their educational journey.

Author

• Sori Kim, Teachers College, Columbia University