Ethnography Fieldnote
--Subculture: Utah-Korean Society in Salt Lake City--
Wolran Kim
June 2011
#1.
Observation of place, artifacts, and nonverbal communication
I visited the office of Korean Times of Utah which is the only Korean newspaper in Utah last Saturday, slightly chilly as spring weather. This is also a grateful media to me because it publishes my poetry for three years already. Meanwhile, the place had been changed a lot since my last visit half year ago for several events. Red-brick two-story building seated a short distance from downtown, and the office is located first room on first floor from west entrance of building.
This place looks like a typical office atmosphere, and has simple kitchen facilities equipped on one side of a central area. There are three separate rooms for library, the space for senior citizens and the publisher. The central area has several desks, chairs and three computers. I can see the newspaper articles from the record of a memorable story or event that has been exhibited along with photographs on the wall. They are Korean community occasions and the history of interaction with mainstream society. There are ten chairs and one big table for a meeting in the middle, and Korean books are filled on the shelves all around in the library. All books listed numbers to borrow. There is a computer desk and filled with pictures and ornaments which are the evidence of community services or various commemorative plaques. There are couches for congregation and karaoke system for enjoying leisure time in senior citizen's room.
Pastor Samuel Roh has private business and he serves the Korean community in Salt Lake City including newspapers and Korean School. Also he is member of an Advisory Committee of
Peaceful Unification from Korean government and Council of Utah-Korean. He is proud person about newspaper that shows us history of Korean immigration who live in Utah, and
comfort nostalgia for them. He said that teaching mother language is the first step of transferring native culture and traditions as emigrants.
The Korean Times of Utah publishes all Korean. It covers local news of SLC and Korean news, and helps to easy access to the news media to Korean people who don't speak English good enough. This media also reminds the sense of community to people who are living as marginal people in foreign country and divert their mind from homesickness. Pastor No is editor and publisher. The journalists of this newspaper consist of mostly volunteers of students studying abroad who are attending the University of Utah. They are supported by Utah-Korean Society and Consulate in San Francisco. He said that sometimes private expense needs when financial support will not be covered properly.
These days, there are some problems with Utah-Korean Committee because of the leadership issues in community and political issues from Korea. The aftermath of political activities of the Korean government, from legalization of dual citizenship and enfranchise to overseas residents, are also causing problems for small communities like Utah-Korean as the big cities.
#2
Air pollution and gifts/beliefs
Different angles of view about exchanging gifts among people reflect their culture and values. Gifts are always pleasurable. But pastor Roh said that sometimes the gift can be a burden which gives wondering the behind intention depending on the object. The gift from the family gives only happiness because it is just expressing the bond of love without any pressure. But the gift from a friend or colleague makes him consider whether it will be a negative intention. So he thinks whether it is just an expression of gratitude or an excuse for any favors for the future depending on the price and type of gift. Therefore, he doesn't want to receive an expensive one as a gift because it is a bribe not a gift.
He said that it is his fault if someone keeps showing unmerited favor, because he responded ambiguously. It is asking for being a mental slave if we are used to receiving. But sponsorship is a hearty welcome anytime because his job is local community service including the issuance of the newspaper. Nowadays he also operates a photography team and computer class. Recently he took a scroll of portraits for senior citizens. He must be the person who is so valuable for God-given talents to the ministry. He has many professional skills and knowledge such as photography, computer, newspaper, and also leadership dealing with people.
Exchanges and services are at the heart of his values as living together in society rather than personal greed and wealth. Some people speak ill of him behind his back about his greediness of the honor. But, how could he handle so much service work constantly for a long time if only because of fame? He enjoys boating for recreation and mental discipline, and he learns sublimity and purity of nature from that.
As a glimpse into his work, he thinks that the good is pursuing happiness to live together. The evil is people who are doing harmful behavior to others due to their greed and envy. His values are really religious and biblical thought. He refers to Apostle Paul as the most dramatic and phenomenal incident. Apostle Paul, a persecutor of Christians was reborn a spearhead Apostle on the road to Damascus. Paul was a Jew with Roman citizenship, and grew up receiving rigorous education under the commandments and peculiar world of higher learning. He had Jewish temperament internally, and was familiar with Rome and Hellas dissimilarity from ordinary Jewish people. Saul had been chosen the greatest apostle and became Paul as recognized right person who could preach the gospel to the Gentiles, kings, and the people of Israel. Paul who was named from Pastor Roh, speaking by proxy for fatalism that afford to only a prepared person.
As guessing, Pastor Roh's hero is Apostle Paul. Paul wrote thirteen books out of twenty-seven of the New Testament, and his extensive study became the doctrine of the norms of theology and the foundation of the Christian Church. He dedicated his life being a missionary to all countries in Asia, and he established Christian Churches first as a pioneer. His character is a combination of rationality and psychic abilities which matched with strength and power of the logic. Paul is a biblical hero who had entrepreneurial leadership and promoted fundless projects internationally in the era without any mass media such as radio, television, or computers. Without his vision and passion, the history of Christianity would have been completely different now. Anyway, God's plan was never like that.
#3
Language and Beliefs
A large majority of Korean immigrants are living on the border between English and Korean language in America. The language of the first generation is Korean at home, and most people are living only with simple everyday conversation of English in the English society for the rest of their lives except people who are well versed in English (not proven report says about 60~70%). 1.5th and 2nd generations could be fluent or bad in Korean depending on the efforts of their parents. There are many unstable families suffering with the conversation because of imperfect English and Korean of parents and children. The conflict between parents and adolescence children are even worse during the process of cultural experiences. Children's values, beliefs, and rules of conduct are Americanized much faster than their parents.
The United States is made of immigrants. Until now, European White was the central force of social order, but it is changing by increasing of colored people. The largest portion of U.S. immigration policy is learning the culture and language. In other words, this is calling in question whether they can acquire American values. Minority immigrant culture could gradually become extinct, keep a loose coalition, or more active in nostalgia and alienation. People migrate with an ‘American Dream’ to the United States from all around the world even now. Many economists have evaluated that these early immigrants contributed a large part in economic development. One of the greatest concerns is how to solve social problems of minorities. American society expressed as a ‘melting pot’ because many people from various cultures mixed together under the name of American. Despite the short history, the United States is the most powerful living country on Earth.
Korean-American is estimated to be about 2 million people in the U.S. (Population census statistics was 1.4 million in 2010.) Immigration was started from sugar plantation workers in 1903, and has been active in earnest since 1960. The first two groups were students and women who married American soldiers, and have increased by employment-based immigration since 1970. There were a lot of emigration with family sponsored in 70~80's, and the new ways of immigration were developed as changing visas from commercial or tourist and small investors. Koreans in Utah is estimated to 5000~6000, and it will be much higher including the floating population. ‘Goose Families’ means the families who sacrifice normal married lives for children's education in the U.S. These parents are separated for 5~10 years, and this peculiar trend shows unusual enthusiasm of Koreans about education.
The ability of adaptation depends on the type of immigration. Immigrant life and the level of job depend on language skills. The basic requirement for foreign culture is language, and this ability is divided into two groups whether who can or not.
That is why so many immigrants are engaged in small businesses such as markets, restaurants, laundry, alteration, and shoe repair. Many of them were highly qualified in professions in Korea. They enjoy Korean dramas on cable TV rather than go to the theater for watching Hollywood movies, and they get rid of stress in Korean churches rather than participate in various events of the mainstream of society. 80% of Korean-Americans are Christians, and this is an exorbitant percentage compared to 25% in the home country.
Language barrier is the biggest cause which keeps potential of immigrants in dead storage. Language barrier not only reduces the percentage of employment and income, but also has a big impact to assimilate with mainstream society. Birds of a feather flock together. There are some reports that ill immigrants have worsened their disease due to language barriers. The immigrant community often is represented as harshness. I think the reason is a social and cultural space from people who do not try to access to mainstream society with the language barrier. The interesting state is that many immigrants who do not have a language barrier seek and enjoy the rewards of lives in Korean community rather than mainstream society. This can explain that the needs of sensitivity as national origin which could not solve only with the communication of language. Typically, immigrant families have a deep faith and desire to preserve the mother country's culture, values, and language, just like Kayapo-Indians from the class video. They fell into a dilemma between modern conveniences and jungle nativism.