Social Integration Challenges Faced by Dual Migration Groups: Case Study of Russian Koreans

Abstract

Russian Korean immigrants within the United States consist of ethnically Korean people who have lived in Russia or the Soviet Union before immigrating to the United States. Most Russian Koreans came to the United States in search of better economic, health, or social opportunities. Many of them only speak Russian and have a predominantly Russian culture and upbringing despite their Korean ancestry. Because of this variation in ethnicity and culture, it can be very difficult for Russian Koreans to assimilate and find comfort within the United States. In order to determine what Russian Koreans specifically struggle with, a survey was sent out to 21 participants with a variety of questions about their general background as well as their current mental and physical struggles. It was found that because of specific differences in culture and ethnicity, the majority of Russian Koreans reported that they struggled with a sense of belonging and personal identity, on top of typical immigration adversities such as the language barrier, economic struggles, and lack of information. In fact, 42.9% of the participants felt that Russian Koreans face struggles that are unique to other types of immigration due to how specific their ethnic and cultural mix is after dually migrating. The majority of participants felt that it was difficult to connect with those who were not Russian Koreans similar to themselves, making it difficult for the already limited population to find connections.