ID :
185704
Wed, 06/01/2011 - 05:40
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/185704
The shortlink copeid
Overseas Koreans' reverse immigration challenges cultural differences
SEOUL, June 1 (Yonhap) -- Two years ago, Korean-American Jeff Peterson returned to Korea more than two decades after he was adopted by an American Caucasian couple.
Although the English teacher and artist grew up as only one of two ethnic Asians in his small Midwest American town, Peterson, now 27, says he never felt like he was treated differently than his Caucasian peers there, but he always felt like an outsider.
"I moved to Korea to learn the language and culture of where I came from," he said. "For me, Korea is special. It's the birthplace, but at the same time I have interest in it as a foreign country."
Peterson recognizes that just being of Korean ethnicity does not automatically make him fit into Korean society.
But this fact is not deterring the growing number of gyopos, or overseas Koreans, that grew up as citizens in other countries who are now returning to the land of their ethnic origins.
New Korean immigration laws that allow ethnic Koreans dual citizenship are making it much easier for overseas Korean-hyphenates to live and work in Korea with many of the same rights and privileges as Korean nationals.
Experts cite South Korea's low birthrate, growing retiree population and rising rates of immigrants as reasons for the change in the Korean immigration laws.
This reverse migration is countering the trend of the past century where high rates of Koreans emigrated to the United States or other overseas countries.
According to 2010 U.S. State Department figures, some 7 million Koreans live abroad, of whom over 2 million reside both in the U.S. and China, and more than 500,000 in both Japan and the former Soviet Union states.
Meanwhile, the foreign population in South Korea is projected to quadruple to 4 million by 2050, according to the state-funded Korea Research Institute of Human Settlements.
Now this influx of people into Korea who look Korean, yet speak and act in non-Korean ways, is challenging the cultural boundaries of both Koreans as well as gyopos themselves.
John Park is one of them. The 34-year-old entrepreneur moved to the U.S. when he was five because his father married an American.
"I was the only Asian in my elementary school and I had zero English ability. On the first day of school, I got into a fight with three boys," Park said, recalling his early childhood as an ethnic minority in California.
Three years ago, Park decided to renew his Korean citizenship and move back to Korea to fulfill his military service and start a business. But as a self-described outgoing American, he soon felt like he was struggling with a different language and culture all over again.
"I was surprised by the Koreans' intimidation and shyness," Park said. "I was truly lost for words regarding the entertainment culture and public behavior. It's a bit ironic that I get reverse discrimination at times. Especially, when it comes to employment."
But he added, "Just as in the States, I take it in stride and never care to blame anyone else for their views and behaviors."
But some Koreans could see their overseas compatriots as competition in the increasingly tight job market here.
Kang Joo-young, 29, a Korean citizen who recently returned to Seoul after studying for an MBA and working as a broadcast journalist in New York for four years, did admit that she would be "a little upset" if an overseas Korean got a job over her if their qualifications were the same. Kang is currently between jobs.
"But nowadays both Korean and gyopo MBAs are struggling to find work," she added.
Emma Park, 30, a Korean citizen who works as an office administrator of Global Overseas Adoptees' Link (GOA'L), an organization that assists adopted ethnic Koreans with living and working in Korea, says she does not feel animosity toward overseas Koreans who are working in Korea.
"Usually, gyopos work at English-language teaching institutes and not in corporations," she said, adding that her organization campaigned very hard to get the Korean citizenship laws changed.
Although the English teacher and artist grew up as only one of two ethnic Asians in his small Midwest American town, Peterson, now 27, says he never felt like he was treated differently than his Caucasian peers there, but he always felt like an outsider.
"I moved to Korea to learn the language and culture of where I came from," he said. "For me, Korea is special. It's the birthplace, but at the same time I have interest in it as a foreign country."
Peterson recognizes that just being of Korean ethnicity does not automatically make him fit into Korean society.
But this fact is not deterring the growing number of gyopos, or overseas Koreans, that grew up as citizens in other countries who are now returning to the land of their ethnic origins.
New Korean immigration laws that allow ethnic Koreans dual citizenship are making it much easier for overseas Korean-hyphenates to live and work in Korea with many of the same rights and privileges as Korean nationals.
Experts cite South Korea's low birthrate, growing retiree population and rising rates of immigrants as reasons for the change in the Korean immigration laws.
This reverse migration is countering the trend of the past century where high rates of Koreans emigrated to the United States or other overseas countries.
According to 2010 U.S. State Department figures, some 7 million Koreans live abroad, of whom over 2 million reside both in the U.S. and China, and more than 500,000 in both Japan and the former Soviet Union states.
Meanwhile, the foreign population in South Korea is projected to quadruple to 4 million by 2050, according to the state-funded Korea Research Institute of Human Settlements.
Now this influx of people into Korea who look Korean, yet speak and act in non-Korean ways, is challenging the cultural boundaries of both Koreans as well as gyopos themselves.
John Park is one of them. The 34-year-old entrepreneur moved to the U.S. when he was five because his father married an American.
"I was the only Asian in my elementary school and I had zero English ability. On the first day of school, I got into a fight with three boys," Park said, recalling his early childhood as an ethnic minority in California.
Three years ago, Park decided to renew his Korean citizenship and move back to Korea to fulfill his military service and start a business. But as a self-described outgoing American, he soon felt like he was struggling with a different language and culture all over again.
"I was surprised by the Koreans' intimidation and shyness," Park said. "I was truly lost for words regarding the entertainment culture and public behavior. It's a bit ironic that I get reverse discrimination at times. Especially, when it comes to employment."
But he added, "Just as in the States, I take it in stride and never care to blame anyone else for their views and behaviors."
But some Koreans could see their overseas compatriots as competition in the increasingly tight job market here.
Kang Joo-young, 29, a Korean citizen who recently returned to Seoul after studying for an MBA and working as a broadcast journalist in New York for four years, did admit that she would be "a little upset" if an overseas Korean got a job over her if their qualifications were the same. Kang is currently between jobs.
"But nowadays both Korean and gyopo MBAs are struggling to find work," she added.
Emma Park, 30, a Korean citizen who works as an office administrator of Global Overseas Adoptees' Link (GOA'L), an organization that assists adopted ethnic Koreans with living and working in Korea, says she does not feel animosity toward overseas Koreans who are working in Korea.
"Usually, gyopos work at English-language teaching institutes and not in corporations," she said, adding that her organization campaigned very hard to get the Korean citizenship laws changed.
