Dreams, Hopes and Life Expectation of the Korean Immigrants: Past and Present Essay

At the beginning of the 21st century, America is filled with millions of immigrants coming from all over the world. Immigrants dream about good life and good education, prosperity and even good friends. Many Korean immigrants dream about social stability and prosperity, well-paid job and social security. Immigration to America allows Koreans to be better positioned in the world and give them a chance to survive and prosper in different environments. Thesis Half a century ago, Korean immigrants came to America dreaming about material success and job opportunities, while today they dream about good education and human rights protection. At the beginning of the 20th century, there was a great gap between economic and political development of Korea and the USA. Korean immigrants came to America dreaming about their own house and a car, good healthcare services and good food. During the middle of the century, new production in America became customer oriented, and tried to meet the needs of a particular groups of customers. Similar to The Rogarshevskys or the Confino’s, many Korean immigrants coming to America supposed that through persistence, hard work and determination they could achieve high social status in the foreign land. These dreams were caused by economic instability and low social position affected Korea. Poverty in Korea was one of the main problems faced by the population. In the USA, Koreans dreamt about good healthcare and dental care. In Korea, political instability and totalitarian regime limited freedoms and rights of the citizens. These factors influenced dreams and expectations of the immigrants hoping for better life and government protection. Also, high rates of unemployment in Korea were more likely to be seen as a social problem than was poverty. In America, Koreans dreamt about their own businesses protected by laws and regulations. For instance, â€Å"millions of start-ups began in the past 20 years during a record economic expansion. But the number of minority-owned companies is growing 17% a year — twice the rate of all companies† (Hopkins 2002). In Korea, the human capital assumed that the inadequate incomes of the working poor were the result of characteristics of the labor market rather than the inadequacy of the poor. In America, Korean immigrants dreamt that working hard for many years they could earn for living and could send some money to their relatives in Korea (Lower east Side Tournament Museum 2007). Today, Korean immigrants come to America dreaming about great opportunities for personal development, social security, government protection, social freedoms and high paid job. For many immigrants, the American dream coincides with humans’ rights, equal opportunities and freedom. Many foreign students suppose that education in the USA opens new opportunities for immigrants helping them to â€Å"become equal† to native citizens and obtain professional skills. â€Å"But the higher level of education clearly gives Asians a leg up in the United States† (Hopkins 2002). Even today, Korean immigrants are satisfied with low paid jobs looking for government protection and support. According to statistical results, â€Å"Korean students comprise 10.4 percent of all international students in the USA. Smith revealed that the Korean government has plans to implement various reforms, including revising the college admission system starting in 2008† (Ten Percent Increase in Korean Students Studying 2007). In this very case, the dream about ‘good education’ is therefore a key element of improved intellectual potential and future career success. Another dream of Korean immigrants is a desire to achieve high social position and fair compensation for their job. From the social point, knowledge and career opportunities give the feeling of personal freedom and mobility so desirable for Koreans. Korean immigrants dream about freedom of choice and freedom of speech. To some extent, knowledge and stable social position embodies personal democracy (Ten Percent Increase in Korean Students Studying 2007). For instance, democracy and absence of physical oppression has allowed creativity and entrepreneurship to flourish. Also, career opportunities mean that everything is possible if you are energetic person who is driven by success. This dream coincides with the slogan of Independence. Although, the main features of ‘the Korean dream’ is the great faith in personal courage that help to realize dreams. In sum, the dreams of Korean immigrants have changed over time influenced by economic and social changes n Korea and new opportunities opened in the USA. Thus, a dream about stable social posit6ion and fair compensation, equal and democratic rights, good education and professional development are still vital. In America, knowledge gives total freedom and guarantees complete control over life. For Korean immigrants, education means absence of restrictions and compulsions, and in correlation with the idea of will, it is the opportunity to act as would be desirable. The immigration to America gives Koreans a chance and hope to change their life. In contrast to the previous age, modern immigration deals with psychological and social factors rather than political or economic. Works Cited 1. Hopkins, J. Asian business owners gaining clout. USA TODAY. 2002. 25 October 2007. 2. Lower east Side Tenement Museum. 2007. 25 October 2007. 3. Ten Percent Increase in Korean Students Studying in the USA. 2007. 25 October 2007.