Korean American
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Korean American |
|---|
   |
| Total population |
|
1,406,687 |
| Regions with significant populations |
| West Coast, Alaska, Northeast, Hawaii, California |
| Languages |
| American English, Korean |
| Religions |
| Christian (chiefly Protestant); Buddhist |
| Related ethnic groups |
| Asians, East Asian American, Asian American |
A Korean American (Korean: 한국계 미국인, Hanja: 韓國系美國人, hangukgye migugin) is an American of Korean descent.
Although there were earlier immigrants to the United States, the beginning of significant Korean immigration is widely accepted as having occurred on January 13, 1903, when laborers arrived in Hawaii to work on sugar plantations. More began arriving after the passage of the Immigration Act of 1965.
As of 2000, ethnic Koreans living in the United States numbered some 1.3 million, with large concentrations in California, New York, Texas, Washington, Illinois, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, Virginia and Alaska. Los Angeles, with its Koreatown district, is home to the largest concentration of Koreans outside of Asia.
The 2000 Census recorded an additional 151,555 Americans of part-Korean ancestry. There are 56,825 adopted children of Korean nativity and place of birth. (2000 US Census) 99,061 Koreans were adopted into the U.S. from 1953-2001. (Korean Ministry of Health and Welfare, 2002)
The South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade counted 2,157,498 ethnic Koreans living in the United States in 2003; a large number of these are students or temporary workers and hence do not have permanent residence status.
A number of US states have declared January 13 as Korean-American Day due to their impact and contributions.
Contents |
[edit] Religion
Many Korean-Americans are affiliated with evangelical Christian and Protestant churches, outnumbering Korean-American Buddhists by about a 10-to-1 margin.[2] There is a significant presence of Korean-American leaders in university Christian groups, such as the Campus Crusade for Christ. One Christian author claimed that a typical university gathering of Korean students will have 100 percent of the group members having attended a Christian church in their youth.[3]
[edit] Prominent Korean Americans
- Margaret Cho, Korean American Comedian
- Jay Kim, first Korean American to be elected to the U.S. Congress
- Chang-Rae Lee, Korean American writer, 1995 recipient of the PEN/Hemingway Award in 1995.
- Michelle Park Steel, member of the California State Board of Equalization
- John Cho, actor, appeared on American Pie and Harold and Kumar go to White Castle.
- SuChin Pak, MTV veejay.
- Sandra Oh, actress, appears on Grey's Anatomy.
- Yunjin Kim, actress, appears on Lost.
- Rex Lee, actor, appears on Entourage.
- Bobby Lee, comedian, appears on MadTV.
- Amerie, R&B/ Hip-hop Artist, Actress, half African-American, half Korean.
- Jung-Hoon Chun, MIT professor of mechanical engineering.
- Hines Ward, Steelers receiver, Super Bowl MVP, half African-American, half Korean.
- Michelle Wie, professional golfer.
- Jeanette Lee, professional pool player, world-champion
- Linda Sue Park, author of the 2002 Newberry Award for The Single Shard
- Daniel Chun, writer and co-producer of The Simpsons
- Daniel Dae Kim, actor, now in Korea working on Korean-produced dramas.
- Danny Chun, Justice, New York State Supreme Court.
- Yul Kwon, Member of Lambda Phi Epsilon, Winner of Survivor: Cook's Island, appears on 2006 Survivor.
- James Sun, Candidate on Donald Trump's The Apprentice, appears on 2007 The Apprentice.
[edit] See also
- List of Korea-related topics
- List of Korean Americans
- Koreans
- Korean adoptees
- Korean American writers
- Koreatown
- Koreatown, Chicago
- Koreatown, Manhattan
- Koreatown, Los Angeles
- Asian American
- Demographics of the United States
[edit] References
[edit] Notes
- ^ US Census Bureau, Korean alone or in combination in 2005. Retrieved on 2006-12-16.
- ^ The American Enterprise 07-08/2004
- ^ H.C. Kim 2004: 22
[edit] Sources
- Huntington, Samuel. "Are We a Nation "Under God"?", The American Enterprise, July-August 2006. Retrieved on 2007-02-20.
- Kim, Heerak Christian (2004). Korean-American Experience in the United States: Initial Thoughts. The Hermit Kingdom Press.
[edit] External links
- Kollaboration - Internation Korean Talent show
- Arirang - Interactive History of Korean Americans
- The Korean American Museum
- Korean American Historical Society
- Statistics
- KoreAm Journal
- AsianWeek: Korean American Timeline
- Sign Language (article on anti-Korean zoning ordinances)
- Korean American Heritage Foundation
- East Rock Institute, New Haven, Connecticut - home page of East Rock Institute, located near Yale University
- Korean American Christian Heritage Institute of Silver Spring, Maryland
- iChoson Networks2.0 Entertainment | Lifestyle | Culture----
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