Since the first group of Korean immigrants arrived in the U.S. — 102 of them disembarked in Hawaii on January 13, 1903 — the United States has been home to millions of people of Korean descent. As of 2022, the number living in America stood at more than 1.8 million, according to a Pew Research data snapshot.
That makes Korean American Day, recognized by Congress two decades ago, an occasion to honor the many contributions made by Americans of Korean ancestry: they include the development of the nectarine, the invention of a life-saving cardiac surgery procedure, and multiple Olympic gold medal wins in swimming and snowboarding. It’s also a time to appreciate reading books by Korean American authors, eating Korean food, or enjoying some K-entertainment.
The St. Louis region may not be among the nation’s top Korean American hubs. But first-generation Korean immigrants and their American-born and raised children have built families, businesses, and community-based groups in the area for decades. Learning the Korean language is a key part of maintaining (and, in some cases, establishing) a connection to their heritage. Across the U.S., that largely happens at one of hundreds of Korean schools part of a formal, national association.
But language alone is not enough, said Julia Sim, president of the Korea Academy of St. Louis (KASL). Focusing solely on reading, writing, and listening comprehension doesn’t go far enough to provide students with the cultural foundation that builds a strong sense of identity and belonging.
“I think in the early ‘90s most Korean people identified themselves as Korean, not so much as Korean Americans. So [there was] not so much learning about culture and the history of Korea,” Sim said. “I believe what was missing was just sort of realiz[ing] who we are as Korean Americans in the United States, what we can do in this St. Louis area or in America.”
Korea Academy of St. Louis teacher Hyung Kyu Choi moved to St. Louis by way of Kansas City in 2019. He shared memories of attending a Korean school and growing up in a very different place from Missouri or the Midwest: Bangkok, Thailand.
“I remember getting scolded a bit because I wasn't, like, super good at Korean back then,” Choi laughed. “But I got to hang out with my friends. We would hang out, talk about cartoons, comics, and then play basketball. But I think somewhere between, [Korean] language and culture really seeped in.”
Choi said sending his children to Korean school has linguistic purposes. He also sees it as serving a need they may have as Korean Americans.
“Once in a lifetime, everyone really thinks about who they are, their identity, like, ‘Where am I from?’” Choi said. “I thought if I had plenty of resources I could offer to my kids [to] really help them identify themselves more easily and better, and also just have a bigger pool from where I can get these resources [that] really encourages them… it [will] help them be more proud of their heritage.”
Providing St. Louis Korean Americans with a language school experience that integrates cultural components — which includes opportunities for students to share Korean customs, music and art at community events outside the classroom — is meant to strengthen its students’ sense of self and social confidence.
“I still interact with students who graduated from our school. When I talk to them, they [say they] still feel like they are outsiders sometimes. Even my son, who's in his third year in college, is still searching [for] who he is. So simply learning language [does] not really help them be Korean or Korean American,” Sim said.
She continued, “To me, language and culture and history, and understanding and interacting with family and community, is a big part of really learning who they are. And interacting and becoming involved with the community.”
To hear how COVID has changed families’ motivations for enrolling their children in Korean language classes; how pop culture from Korea and other countries can make teaching Korean to kids in non-Korean speaking households easier; and why adults like Korean adoptees and adoptive parents, biracial Koreans, and non-Korean spouses seek out Korea Academy of St. Louis, listen to the full St. Louis on the Air conversation on Apple Podcast, Spotify and YouTube, or click the play button below.
“St. Louis on the Air” brings you the stories of St. Louis and the people who live, work and create in our region. The show is produced by Miya Norfleet, Emily Woodbury, Danny Wicentowski, Elaine Cha and Alex Heuer. Jada Jones is our production assistant. The audio engineer is Aaron Doerr.
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