Asian Americans in the Workplace

An In-Depth Analysis of Korean Americans

11/19/2007

Table of Contents
Introduction 3
History of Korean Immigration to the United States 4
Values and Customs 10
Demographical Profile 16
The ‘Bamboo Ceiling’: Barriers in the Workplace 22
A Personal Interview: A Different Side to the Story 26
Conclusion 27
References 28

Introduction The term “Asian American” has a rich history in the United States. It refers to a person of Asian ancestry who also obtains American citizenship. The term was originally used by the Census Bureau to clarify and distinguish the government’s equal opportunity programs and measurements. Also, the term “Asian American” was used by anti-war activists
However, in his book, The Korean Frontier in America: Immigration to Hawaii, 1896-1910, Wayne Patterson (1994) suggests that the reason the majority of the Korean immigration population at this time were not farmers, was due to the fact that they had been driven off their farms through the force of armed conflicts as well as major drought and famine in the area. As a result of them being forced off their farms, they fled to the cities. “In a sense, then, many of the emigrants were rootless refugees in their own country and thus had fewer ties to hold them back.” This caused many of them to try to escape their hardships caused by political instability and economic adversity in Korea by immigrating to Hawaii. Between December of 1902 and May of 1905 over 7,000 Koreans came to the United States by way of Hawaii (Kim, 1974). These immigrants came for many reasons other than to be laborers. Some came to the United States as “picture brides.” Picture brides got their name because they married men who were already in Hawaii and their marriages were the result of sending pictures to one another. Another reason some Koreans came to Hawaii at this time was for more religious freedom. American missionaries in Korea promoted Hawaii as “a Christian paradise.” Nearly 40 percent of those who immigrated during this period were Protestants, while very few Korean citizens were at this time (“Korean American,” n.d., para. 1). However, many factors contributed to the