Living in Two Worlds
A Brief Survey of Korean-Australian Youth
I myself can be categorised as a 2nd generation Korean living in
As one who has been called into pastoral ministry, my long-term commitment is to youth ministry work, both amongst Korean teens and in equipping the up-and-coming generation of youth pastors. As such, the sub-culture of current 2nd generation Korean teens is of great interest to me. What I write here are the impressions I have received and insights gained in speaking with literally hundreds of Korean teenagers in the course of serving in youth ministry over a number of years. As such, the values, outlooks, ideals, and experiences described here are not necessarily the values, outlook, ideals, and experiences of specific individual teenagers, but rather what seems to be typical of the current batch of 2nd generation Korean teenagers as a whole.
While the casual observer may think that not much has changed in the time that I was a teen to the present, this is very far from the truth. While there are some points of similarity, the values, ideals, and dynamics of current 2nd generation Korean teens are, for the most part, vastly different to those I myself held.
Some Things Stay the Same…
One thing that has remained the same, however, is the parental expectation of success. In the long-term, this invariably takes on the shape of a desire to see their child in a highly respected, well-paying career. In the short-term, this expectation is expressed through pressure to excel academically at school. Academic excellence is taken very seriously. If something can be an educational advantage, then most parents seem willing to make the sacrifice in their own lives to provide such an edge for their children. As a result, a high percentage of ethnically Korean students are accepted into selective schools.
Once in the selective school system, however, a radical change seems to come about in the lives of some of these students. With the onset of puberty, many students seem to rebel against their parents by turning their backs on academic excellence. While to say that they have rejected the values of their parents may be a bit extreme, in certain respects, it is an unconscious rejection of the pressure from parents to excel academically that they may have endured for several years. As a result, their grades start to plummet.
The Racial Divide?
At the same time, there is a growing association with students from the same 2nd generation Korean pool. Students, who once happily played and formed close friendships with ethnically non-Korean children, seem to withdraw into an us-against-them, siege mentality driven isolation where they segregate themselves into a Korean, or at best, Asian group. As they do this, they start looking towards what they perceive to be Korean culture in order to form their own identity. Rather than listening to rock and pop music on the radio, they prefer to listen to Korean pop music. Rather than reading local teen magazines, they prefer to buy imported Korean magazines. Rather than following local fashion trends, they follow the fashion trends from
It is irrational in the sense that their language of preference still remains English, and their values and outlook, in the initial stages, are similar to any given teenager from any cultural background. Thus, this racial division is their own construct. To add to the irrational nature of this situation, within the framework of their own racial segregation, they make themselves feel as though they are the victims.
However, when viewed within the context of developing adolescents who are, possibly for the first time, noticing very obvious physical differences between themselves and their “Aussie” friends, it can be understandable. Puberty can be a time of great turmoil for teenagers, and many struggle to find their own identity. When one includes the added burden of having to cope within two culturally different worlds, where the ideals and values of parents and family may possibly clash with those society in general seem to be promoting, this irrational behaviour, while inexcusable, can be understood.
When this growing move towards racial segregation occurs in a school due to sufficient numbers of 2nd generation Korean teens attending a given school, another problem arises. Often, the downturn in academic performance is accompanied by behavioural problems at school. Not doing homework, inattention in class, disrupting class, skipping class, “wagging” school, and even forging reports are some of these problems. As such, these groups of Korean students are often identified and targeted by some teachers as being problem-makers. This further fuels the “us-against-them/we’re being racially discriminated against” mentality of the students.
This is the general situation at schools among 2nd generation Korean teens until sometime in year 10. At this point, most seem to knuckle down and start studying hard, or at least much harder than they have done for many years. This is a welcome turn-around, and the often icy relations between teachers and ethnically Korean students thaw, especially in years 11 and 12. As a result, most 2nd generation Korean students perform admirably in the HSC.
New Languages for a New Century
These teenagers are very tech-savvy and readily converse with each other through 21st century forms of communication. In fact, this can almost be seen as a totally new language, as it remains a mystery for many adults. Most students have their own computer with internet access. The vast majority of students also have their own mobile phones. This means that current 2nd generation Korean teens are very easy to contact, be it via email, instant messenger programs, SMS, or mobile phone. Furthermore, it has been my own personal experience that students who are too shy or unwilling to open up in a face-to-face discussion will be more willing to discuss issues in their lives more honestly online. Thus, this “connected” state of many 2nd generation Korean teens can be a productive tool in targeting and ministering to them on an individual basis.
Image Conscious
2nd generation Korean teens are also highly conscious of their image. While this may be true of all teens everywhere, it is more so within the 2nd generation context. Korean culture and society has traditionally placed great importance on outward appearance and presentation. Although I am not certain, I suspect this stems from the value placed on the maintenance of individual and family face. If these were the original reasons, they no longer exist in the minds of Korean teens. However, the residual importance placed on image still remains. These teenagers are often very sensitive to the appearance of their leaders as well. A new shirt, or a haircut often draws a comment from some of the students. Thus, while image is not really the high priority in the context of preaching the Gospel, it is an issue which must be considered when ministering to 2nd generation Korean youth.
Earned, Not Automatic
Respect is another issue amongst Korean teens. In terms of respect, 2nd generation Korean teens usually have to view that respect must be earned. However, for many of their parents, respect to them from their children is considered a given. When the parents are not proficient in English and require the help of the children to translate and interpret for them, the problem can often be magnified. To avoid conflict, an uneasy truce can result, where the students just avoid their parents altogether. As a consequence, these young people are often highly cautious of new people, and may remain closed to the approaches of new leader. It must be remembered that the respect of these students must be earned, not only in the knowledge and understanding of the Gospel that the leader has, but also in terms of truly reflecting and living that Gospel out with their lives.
Rejection of Values
Previously, I mentioned that one possible reason for the general deterioration in academic performance in the initial high school years might have something to do with an unconscious rejection of parental values thrust upon them in earlier years. In a sense, it may be the student baulking at the thought that their parent is planning out “their life”.
This unconscious rejection of values held by their parents, if it is that, may also be related to the hypocrisy, perceived or real, that teens see in their parents. Many teenagers have often approached me with highly critical complaints about their parents’ hypocrisy. One of these relate directly to Christianity. For many immigrant Korean families,
Us vs Us?
Another issue facing 2nd generation Korean teens is the increasing number of international students arriving from
In Summary…
This is the framework in which most of the 2nd generation Korean youths that I have come across in the last few years find themselves. The incidence and severity of rebellion against authority figures, be they parents or school teachers, has gradually declined over the past few years. While these issues were sometimes directly addressed, this turn-around seems to have more to do with the personal commitment to Christ, and the change in their lives such a commitment has brought about.
The struggle and search for identity these Korean teens go through does not have to be a depressing and tumultuous experience. In encouraging them to accept Christ and to be Christians first and foremost before any socio-ethnic group, some of the angst and helplessness in finding their identity can be avoided.
To this end, while academic excellence is important, parents must be encouraged to view their children not in comparison to other children, but as individuals with specific God-given talents. As such, rather than blindly pushing every child to excel academically, then to go on to a high paying job, individual teens should be encouraged to actively seek out and identify their God-given talents and gifts and seek ways in which those abilities can be used to not only enrich their own lives, but to bring glory to God.
posted by Steve @ 9:31 pm
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