Korean American Women: Stories of Acculturation and Changing Selves (Studies in Asian Americans)

Current models of acculturation in multicultural counseling literature are severely limited in describing how individuals deal with the complexity of culture change. The reasons for immigration, the historical period during which the immigration occurred, educational and socioeconomic levels, ethnic community and religious involvements, family functioning, and social support, to name a few, all have an impact in the process of cultural adaptation. This book examines Korean American women's dual-cultural identity. By utilizing multiple case studies, the book highlights: (1) the complexity of issues involved as individuals go through different levels of culture change, and (2) the multiplicity of people negotiating their lives in the dual-cultural context and creating meaning out of many ambiguous and even contradictory life situations.