Arirang : The Korean American dream by
Korean Americans are a long-time, widely dispersed presence in the United States. Yet for most Americans, they remain a people without a story. In honor of the centennial anniversary of Korean migration to America, PBS Hawai’i and the Center for Asian American Media present a two-part documentary by filmmaker Tom Coffman.
Seoul to Soul by
Born in Seoul, South Korea, but abandoned as an infant, Wade was adopted by Mormon missionaries and raised in Utah. Surrounded by white siblings and friends, Wade never developed an understanding of his cultural heritage, growing to dislike his Asian features. Simultaneously, his religious upbringing made him feel ashamed of his budding desires for other men. Wade's alienation from his history, from his sexuality and from his family eventually led to estrangement from those around him, substance abuse, and, finally, prison.
Koreans began immigrating to Hawaiʻi in the early 20th century, and many more came after U.S. immigration law changed in 1965. The military, diplomatic, and cultural interaction of the U.S. and Korea from the Korean War to the present has facilitated greater interactions, including cross-cultural marriages and adoption of Korean orphans in the United States (Chang, 2021).
In The Korean-American Dream, respected and distinguished business journalist James Flanigan uncovers the struggles and contributions of the people who have made Los Angeles the largest Korean city outside of Seoul. This intimate account illustrates how Korean immigrants have preserved their culture and history as well as adapted to the American culture of E Pluribus Unum, the radical promise of "out of many, one." Flanigan shows how Los Angeles emerged as a capital of the Asia Pacific region. At less than 2 million, Korean Americans are a relatively small group compared to new Americans from China, the Philippines, and India. But with energy and drive, they are building landmarks in New York as well as L.A., lobbying for causes in Washington, founding businesses, heading universities and hospitals, and holding public office in all parts of the U.S. Flanigan's compelling narrative told largely through personal interviews provides a front-row seat to the economic, business, and cultural developments of the Korean American Community. At a time of spirited debate about immigration, their energy and ambition serve as a ringing reminder of the promise of the American mosaic.
Read The Korean American Dream online via ProQuest Ebooks.
This is the only anthology that covers several different topics related to Koreans' experiences in the U.S. and Canada. The topics covered are Koreans' immigration and settlement patterns, changes in Korean immigrants' business patterns, Korean immigrant churches' social functions, differences between Korean immigrant intact families and geese families, transnational ties, second-generation Koreans' identity issues, and Korean international students' gender issues. This book focuses on Korean Americans' twenty-first century experiences. It provides basic statistics about Koreans' immigration, settlement and business patterns, while it also provides meaningful qualitative data on gender issues and ethnic identity. The annotated bibliography on Korean Americans in Chapter 10 will serve as important guides for beginning researchers studying Korean Americans.
Read Koreans in North America online via EBSCO ebooks.
Since the 1930s, Korean American writers have come to maintain an important place in our national literature, publishing some of the most exciting fiction of the twentieth century. The stories in this first anthology of Korean American fiction represent the very best work of these writers, including several pieces published for the first time. Contributors include Patti Kim, Chang-rae Lee, Susan Choi, Heinz Insu Fenkl, Leonard Chang, Nora Okja Keller, and Richard E. Kim.
Print book available in the library, call number: Main Collection PS647 .K67 K67 2001
Mary Paik Lee left her native country in 1905, traveling with her parents as a political refugee after Japan imposed control over Korea. Her father worked in the sugar plantations of Hawaii briefly before taking his family to California. They shared the poverty-stricken existence endured by thousands of Asian immigrants in the early twentieth century, working as farm laborers, cooks, janitors, and miners. Lee recounts racism on the playground and the ravages of mercury mining on her father's health, but also entrepreneurial successes and hardships surmounted with grace. With a new foreword by David K. Yoo, this edition reintroduces Quiet Odyssey to readers interested in Asian American history and immigration studies. The volume includes thirty illustrations and a comprehensive introduction and bibliographic essay by respected scholar Sucheng Chan, who collaborated closely with Lee to edit the biography and ensure the work was true to the author's intended vision. This award-winning book provides a compelling firsthand account of early Korean American history and continues to be an essential work in Asian American studies.
Read A Quiet Odyssey online via EBSCO ebooks.
Print book available in the library, call number: Main E184 .K6 L445 1990
A Person of Interest
A compelling story of a mad bomber, a suspect scientist, and paranoia in the age of terror. Professor Lee, an Asian-born mathematician near retirement age would seem the last person to attract the attention of FBI agents. Yet after a colleague becomes the latest victim of a serial bomber, Lee must endure the undermining power of suspicion and face the ghosts of his past. With its propulsive drive, vividly realized characters, and profound observations about soul and society, Pulitzer Prize-finalist Susan Choi's third novel is as thrilling as it is lyrical, and confirms her place as one of the most important novelists chronicling the American experience. Intricately plotted and psychologically acute, A Person of Interest exposes the fault lines of paranoia and dread that have fractured American life and asks how far one man must go to escape his regrets.
Native Speaker by
The stylish tale of adapting to American life, beautifully repackaged with a stunning L for Lee on the cover. It all begins with a letter. Fall in love with Penguin Drop Caps, a new series of twenty-six collectible and hardcover editions, each with a type cover showcasing a gorgeously illustrated letter of the alphabet for each author's surname. L is for Lee and his story of a Korean American, Henry Park, who having been left by his wife, finds himself forever uncertain of his place in the world, caught between two worlds, feeling he has betrayed his culture.