Reconstructing Mothering among Korean Immigrant Working Class Women in the United States

Abstract

Based upon in-depth interviews with 22 working Korean immigrant mothers of adolescent children in Philadelphia, we examined their mothering practices in the contexts of working outside of the home to meet the economic demands of their families. We used Strauss and Corbin’s grounded theory approach in order to guide our data collection and analysis. We found that mothering practices are negotiated and reconstructed in the process of their acculturation, and further are modified depending upon the length of residence in the United States. Mothering practices of recent immigrant women in this study are centered around the economic survival of their families. They are no longer practicing staying-at-home-motherhood since immigration but have become poor working mothers, who must prioritize work for themselves and their families. Mothers delegate their housework to their children, especially to their daughters. On the other hand, mothering practices of long-term immigrant women are centered around providing maximum support for their children, a minority in the United States to enable them; to become socially competent for the present and for the future. They fully utilize their time and relationships within their families and communities to achieve this end. This study shows that mothering practices are constructed and continually negotiated in the immigration contexts where Korean immigrant mothers and their families are located. The significance of the study lies in its capturing the complexity of mothering and working experiences in the acculturation process of Korean immigrant working class women and their families.