The Language Use of a Bilingual Korean Teacher and Bilingual Korean Students in a Korean Heritage Classroom

Many Korean parents in the U.S. send their children to heritage Korean language schools so that they maintain and further develop Korean as they acquire English. It is, thus, worthwhile to investigate how a Korean teacher and Korean students (as emergent bilinguals) used Korean and English in a Korean heritage classroom. The chapter addresses two research questions: (1) How did the teacher use Korean and English to make her instruction comprehensible during discussions about multicultural children's literature? (2) To what extent were there differences in the two groups of students' (Korean-American and Korean immigrant) use of translanguaging in their oral responses? The findings show that the teacher uses both Korean and English to make her instruction comprehensible and to facilitate her students' participation in class discussions. The findings further reveal differences in the two groups of students' use of language in their oral responses to multicultural texts.

Perceived Experiences of Korean Immigrant Mothers Raising Children With Disabilities in the United States

Introduction: The challenges of acculturation that immigrant families experience could intensify if they have a child with a disability. This qualitative descriptive study aimed to describe the experiences of Korean mothers raising children with a disability in the United States. Methodology: Semi-structured interviews were conducted based on the Resilience Model of Family Stress, Adjustment, and Adaptation. Directed content analysis was used. Results: Six Korean mothers participated in the interview and 16 codes were identified in relation to the five concepts of the Resilience Model, namely family demands, family resources, family appraisal, family problem-solving and coping, and family adaptation. Overall, mothers thought their families were well-functioning and viewed their quality of life positively within the context of immigration despite experiencing various family demands. Discussion: Findings of this study showed the resilience of Korean immigrant mothers and revealed the importance of understanding and considering unique cultural differences when providing care to this population.

Korean Immigrant Fathers’ Perceptions and Attitudes Toward Their Parenting Involvement

This paper examines Korean immigrant fathers’ lived experiences of their parenting involvement by using interpretative phenomenological analysis of seven participants who were recruited through Korean ethnic churches in a Midwestern city. In semi-structured interviews, we explored five main areas affecting Korean immigrant fathers’ perceptions and attitudes toward parenting involvement and found the following issues to be especially salient for participants: limited acculturation progress, economic difficulties, low self-esteem, experiences of intergenerational conflict, and involvement in religious faith and church activities. This study contributes to the field’s understanding of Korean immigrant fathers’ perceptions of intergenerational and intercultural conflicts when raising their Americanized children and underlines for mental health providers the importance of providing culturally competent parenting education on the topic of positive fathering.

"Can you HEAR my FEAR?" A Korean immigrant with hearing loss reflects on surviving the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States

This paper presents the perception and associated experiences of a Korean hard-of-hearing immigrant special education researcher as the COVID-19 pandemic unfolded. These experiences include the rise of hate crimes against Asian Americans; increasing evidence that face coverings are a vital public health tool; the knowledge that face coverings can increase the risk of racist violence; and difficulty communicating with people who are wearing most face coverings due to being hard-of-hearing. It provides supportive resources, strategies, and hope for educators, disability rights advocates, and families of individuals who are Deaf or hard-of-hearing, promoting public awareness and embrace of difference.

Transition to Adulthood: Perspectives of Korean Immigrant Parents of Individuals With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

As the United States grows more racially and ethnically diverse, Koreans have become one of the largest ethnic minority populations. We conducted this qualitative study to explore the perspectives of Korean immigrant parents about their child’s future and the factors that shape those perspectives. We used modified grounded theory methods. Twenty Korean immigrant parents of children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities participated in the study. Four themes emerged: navigating complicated and limited service systems, maintaining safety and relationships through work and higher education, ongoing parental care at home, and the need for culturally relevant adult services. We discuss implications for culturally responsive practice and inclusive research.

The influence of family culture on the development of corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiative of immigrant enterprise: a case of Korean businessin Vietnam

PurposeThis paper aims to explore how family culture can contribute to support the development of corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives in a Korean immigrant enterprise in Vietnam. Design/methodology/approachThis research highlighted a critical case, in which entrepreneurs and most of the organisational members share a common family culture and the culture support management capability of an entrepreneur, during the introduction of a new organisation initiative. In addition, Bourdieu’s tripartite analytical framework of field, capitals and habitus was adopted to facilitate the case analysis. FindingsFirstly, the motivation behind the development of CSR came from the intention to gain access to the local capital market. Secondly, family culture plays an important role in maintaining the support of organisational actors to support the decision of the entrepreneur. Research limitations/implicationsThis research contributes to the emerging literature about CSR and immigrant entrepreneurship. This study sheds light on how family culture can aid the leadership of CSR initiatives and CSR practices in the context of the immigrant organisation. Practical implicationsThis study identifies processes that immigrant entrepreneurs can use to inspire organisational members to engage in a new initiative in which organisational culture and norms can help to overcome challenges to enable engagement with a novel initiative. Originality/valueThis paper explains how family culture supports the leading role of an entrepreneur, in which the absolute pressures inherited from family values and traditions in the place of origin help an organisation to overcome existing barriers such as lack of time and financial support towards a new initiative.