Korean Americans and Globalization

Response to "Korean American Youth and Transnational Flows of Popular Culture across the Pacific" (Week 8 Reading)
Post Date: May 18, 2014

Park describes the various negotiations of identity that Asian Americans, particularly Korean Americans in this article, must face when confronted with a different society. This is a particular challenge for the immigrant youth, considering how they live within a country that adheres to different cultural ideals than how the youth’s parents were raised by. This creates much of a conflict for the youths involved, but the youths also contribute back to popular culture within the United States. This media can actually unite various Korean Americans back to those in Korea by relating various cultural aspects between the otherwise separate groups of individuals. Korean television dramas and other works being spread throughout the world. Korean Americans, such as the ones in this article, are able to understand and obtain connections transnationally to their country, despite how they may have never lived in Korea before. These works help bridge the gap between cultural differences to a certain extent.

This spread of cultural media has also reached somewhat into the United States’ popular culture. Park describes the “periphery” and the “center” countries of culture, in which both areas communicate and share cultural ideas with one another, instead of how the “center” disseminates cultural ideals only. These works also reveal how much globalization helps influence those around the world. Park describes how works of Japanese artists were transmitted to Korea under a different name, then utilized in order to influence other Koreans in their future works. As a result, the identity of Asian popular culture is in a current state of flux, seeing as how new trends and ideas will probably be incorporated in this media. While I may not see eye to eye about Asian popular culture in general, it is interesting to note how interconnected we are within the world and how our actions can shape others.

Question: How often have you seen a mix of cultural influences within US society to for a new cohesive product? How do you think others perceive them within the world?

Posted by: Eric Yu
Section A01

This image of Tiffany from Girl’s Generation holding up an award from the Youtube Music Awards reveals how interconnected we are, despite how we may be separated by distant oceans. Original source: Billboard. (Original Caption “Girls' Generation's Tiffany at the YouTube Music Awards 2013: Girls' Generation/Facebook”)