Korea has contributed an impressive immigrant population to the United States. But few Americans are aware of Korean history, which is affected by colonization and by a civil war that divided the country and deeply impacted both U.S.-Korean relations and the development of the Korean American population.
Korea is located just east of northern China, and the Sea of Japan separates it from Japan. For more than 2,000 years, the people of the Korean peninsula shared a language, culture and history.
But in 1910, Japan colonized Korea, beginning 35 years of repression, according to the history site “Still Present Pasts: Kore-an Americans and the Forgotten War.” “This oppression created an international Diaspora of Koreans comprised of migrants to China, Russia, Japan, and even Mexico and the United States, fleeing poverty and repression.”
In 1945, Korea was divided into two nations at the end of World War II: North Korea, under the influence of the Soviet Union and China; and South Korea, under the influence of the United States. Most Korean Home Care Aides in the United States emigrated from South Korea, and more than 95 percent of Korean Americans entered the U.S. in 1965 and after.
According to the Office of Immigration Statistics, between 1976 and 1990, due to low standards of living and educational opportunities in Korea, Korea was the third largest source country of immigrants to the United States, next to Mexico and the Philippines.
According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the Seattle metro area has one of the highest concentrations of Korean-American populations in Washington state, with 52,113 people checking the “Korean” origins box.
In Korea, the population is mostly Buddhist, Protestant Christian, and Catholic. American Protestant Christian missionaries first visited Korea during the 1800s, and Christianity became more popular with the Korean popu-lation, particularly in the post-war era. Many Korean-Americans identify as Christian.
The Korean written language is written through a unique alphabet called Hangul, and written from left to right. Korean words come from diverse sources, such as Chinese, English, Japanese, and Mongolian.
Grammar and honorifics (special nouns or verb endings, such as Most Honorable Judge in English) indicate the level of respect or superior status. It is very much appreciated to address an older adult with Mr., Mrs., Miss and the family name.
For Korean names, the family name comes first, followed by a two-part given name. So, Lee Jin Ha should be addressed as Mrs. Lee.
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