Race in Palette: Divergent Racial Perceptions among Grown Children of Korean Immigrants

• In Event: 598 - Section on Asia and Asian America Roundtable Session.
  In Refereed Roundtable: Table 03. Race and Assimilation

Abstract

Recent scholarship suggests that children of the post-1965 Asian immigrants have been segmented in incorporation into the American mainstream. However, little is known for how this heterogeneity shapes racial perceptions among them. This study use in-depth interviews with 69 adult children of Korean immigrants to examine how they perceive their racial position and what factors make contribution to their divergent racial perceptions. I utilize the critical discursive analysis to capture their racial perceptions in reporting their experiences of racism. My findings illustrate how the grown children of Korean immigrants are divided into three distinct sub-groups in perceived racial position and several factors, including occupational standing, immigrant generation, and gender, shape their perceptions. This study highlights racial heterogeneity among second-generation Asian Americans that is shaped by the intersections of race with other social factors.

Author

• In Seo Son, Korea University