ly leave their heritage, culture, religion and history behind in order to be assimilated into mainstream American culture. Even if that is their wish, however, the discrimination Korean-Americans continue to experience results in a renewal of their appreciation for their own culture, if not for Korea as a whole. In short, the situation for Korean-Americans is an ambivalent one. There are parts of both cultures and societies which they appreciate, but in few cases do they ever completely lose their attachment to their homeland.
Part of the discrimination against Korean immigrants, which leads to increased attachment to their homeland, has to do with language:
most came with a severe English-language handicap. . . Many new immigrant groups suffered from this handicap, but Koreans were among the worst off. . . . The newness of Korean immigration and the absence of links between Korean and local languages added to the difficulty of adaptation (Light and Bonacich 361).
In addition, outright discrimination in hiring and housing was a part of the Korean immigrant experience, which also helped maintain the attachment with the homeland. Not only were non-English-speaking Asians the victims of discrimination, even Koreans who were professionals and educated in th
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