Korean American youth ministry

Kim, J.K.f. (1992). Korean American youth ministry. S. Hamilton, MA: Center for Youth Studies.

OVERVIEW

In American pluralism, those of diverse races, nationalities, religions, denominations, and sexual preferences sometimes find their identities categorized. One's identity is shaped by the community to which one belongs. Group titles are often used to handle the immensity of people and ideas. They help us cope with variety as well as complexity. The title Asian American is one example. It covers a spectrum of people native to Asia and Pacific Islands. There is an array of races, cultures, customs, nationalities, societies, communities, philosophies, theologies, and stories comprising that term.

The Asian American title may be tapered to multiple, more definable subcultures. In this discussion, the Korean American group of Asian Americans will be defined. There are common immigrating histories and experiences of Asian Americans. Yet, to effectively reach Asian people, the broad Asian American culture must be specified into more common grounds of race, homeland, customs, and mindset-in this case, the distinguishing characteristics of Korean Americans.

All people have a sense of belonging or being part of a nation, culture, or region. Korean Americans feel the same (unless they have chosen to reject their homeland parentage) about their heritage and culture. Through better understanding of the Korean American identity, youth workers can help young Korean Americans to be whole in their spiritual and Imagio Dei identities.

STATISTICS AND TRENDS

Demographic information and immigration statistics show that in 1975 just under 30,000 Koreans were admitted to America. Over the next decade, approximately 30,000 émigrés left for the U.S. annually. By 1986 the total number of Koreans in America was 750,000. U.S. Census Bureau projections estimate the Korean American population to surpass 1.5 million by the year 2000.

In unison with the growth of Korean American population is the growth of the Christianity in Korea. A little over a hundred years ago, Christian missionaries from the U.S. made their first missions to Korea. Today, the largest denominational churches stand in Seoul, South Korea. One quote from an unknown speaker indicates the remarkable success of the Christian mission to Korea: "Long time ago, a Scottish man founded the Presbyterian church. Today, the largest Presbyterian church is in Seoul."

Wherever Koreans settle, a church is top priority. The church is the spiritual, social, and community center. Conservative in theology and based in Scripture, the Korean Church is the focal point of most Korean American communities. As Koreans continue to settle in America, the Church is a loyal companion. With increasing numbers of Korean Americans, the burden and need for understanding youth are great. Korean American youth face dissonance with their identity formation and family relationships as they become socialized into Western ideologies. Greater understanding of the cultural situation will prepare the youth worker for serving Korean American kids.

CHALLENGES

Korean American kids encounter dilemmas of identity. At some point in one's childhood or adolescence, the Korean American youth is caught in an identity trap illustrated through one of two pictorial analogies: an egg or a banana. First, the egg-"yellow," or Korean, on the inside; "white," or American, on the outside. These young people seek to be like popular American youth with little or incomplete socialization into American culture. Second, the banana-"white" on the inside; "yellow" on the outside. Most of these Korean-America kids grew up with "Mister Rogers," "M*A*S*H" reruns, Michael Jackson, "Star Wars," and the Smurfs, but their appearance and last name reveal their national (or at least Asian) background. The "bananas" are caught in the cultural trap. They cannot speak Korean so they cannot communicate with adults or Korean-speaking peers, which is unacceptable to Korean society. They do not look like Americans (no matter how hard they try), and are not fully accepted by the American society. To borrow the words of David Elkind, these kids are "all grown up with no culture to call home."

IMPLICATIONS

1. To work with Korean American youth, one needs to understand the Korean heritage and culture, its immigration history, and the American culture. With this knowledge, youth workers may help and support Korean American youth in forming a cultural identity of their own.
2. Understanding one's own and another's background and culture can only enhance one's ability to serve.

Jun Kyung fuji Kim cCYS