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kiwiduncan
Joined: 18 Jun 2007
Location: New Zealand
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 Posted: Sat Jul 18, 2009 8:29 pm Post subject: Are Koreans in your country active in community groups? |
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It would be interesting to hear how active Korean immigrants and kyopos are the various community, sports, environmental and social organizations in your own country.
I'm in contact with a number of Korean New Zealanders who are interested in encouraging other Koreans in New Zealand get involved with environmental organizations there, but I'm curious to see how active Koreans are outside their own Korean-centred activities (eg, church, Korean Societies etc).
Do you know of any Korean friends, family members or others who are involved in volunteer work and activism back in Canada, the States, Oz, NZ etc? |
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kiwiduncan
Joined: 18 Jun 2007
Location: New Zealand
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| Posted: Sun Jul 19, 2009 3:54 am Post subject: |
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| Nothing? No one? |
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Rex Jacobs
Joined: 17 Jul 2009
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| Posted: Sun Jul 19, 2009 7:20 am Post subject: |
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| Koreans are pretty active in the "Koreatown" group. |
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Emeliu
Joined: 31 Mar 2009
Location: Korea, i'm OMW
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| Posted: Sun Jul 19, 2009 9:04 am Post subject: |
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| I used to visit a Korean church that my gf went to, but as I don't speak above a 4 year old competency in Korean, I have no idea how active they were. I'm pretty sure most of the Koreans were too busy with their businesses, as most of them owned and operated restaurants and shops. |
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Forward Observer
Joined: 13 Jan 2009
Location: FOB Gloria
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| Posted: Sun Jul 19, 2009 1:27 pm Post subject: |
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| The vast majority of Koreans stick to their own community. Even the ones that grew up in our home countries. I only know of one guy that breaks that mold, and he's an outcast at work (Korean company) because of his attitude. |
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Drew345
Joined: 24 May 2005
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| Posted: Sun Jul 19, 2009 1:53 pm Post subject: |
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| They are active in Seattle. The mayor of the suburb of Federal Way is a Korean American. |
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kiwiduncan
Joined: 18 Jun 2007
Location: New Zealand
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| Posted: Sun Jul 19, 2009 3:17 pm Post subject: |
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| Forward Observer wrote: |
| The vast majority of Koreans stick to their own community. Even the ones that grew up in our home countries. I only know of one guy that breaks that mold, and he's an outcast at work (Korean company) because of his attitude. |
With very few exceptions that's the impression I'm getting so far in New Zealand. I've met people who spend the whole of Sunday at the Korean church and the rest of their time studying. |
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nosmallplans
Joined: 10 Oct 2008
Location: noksapyeong
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| Posted: Sun Jul 19, 2009 5:50 pm Post subject: |
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My family and I were pretty active in Chicago. We took part in a park softball league (yes, our team was all Korean [give or take a few wandering non-Korean Asians] but we played against all sorts of other teams) as well as PADS, a sort of homeless shelter + soup kitchen run in the Chicago area.
It's not a Korean thing really... it's a generation thing. Honestly I doubt many 1st generation anythings do a lot of extra-community activities. It's only when said ethnic group starts to seriously "American-ize" that they start to take part in non-ethnic community groups. |
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madoka
Joined: 27 Mar 2008
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| Posted: Sun Jul 19, 2009 7:01 pm Post subject: |
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| Really I think it depends on what circles you hang around in. In my youth, I worked with homeless people and was generally more involved in my community. During that time I met Koreans who worked with the poor, in immigration clinics, domestic violence centers, women's rights, political groups, child advocacy groups, and elder abuse centers. But the only reason I had this level of familarity was because I was on the board of directors for a community organization and we networked with many other community groups. |
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mssinmymind
Joined: 12 Oct 2008
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| Posted: Sun Jul 19, 2009 7:54 pm Post subject: |
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I will try to make this story short..though it really is "a long story".
About 10 yrs ago, I lived in the Monterey Bay California area. Our apt complex was going up for sale due to the previous owners (HUD) contract expiring. In short, we were an income based housing unit and if something wasn't done our rents would have gone from the avg of $495 a month to well over $1500 for general rent in this area. Soooo, we formed a tenants committee, headed by an elderly lady probably in her 60s, myself (I was 28-bored-and just about to start divorce proceedings) an elderly American gentleman and Mr. Won, who was probably about 50+ and also my Korean next door neighbor.
To keep this story short...Mr. Won was incredible in helping us to speak with the large Korean community we had in the complex (even though his own english was very limited) and he even helped in translating flyers at one point. He didn't strike me as the type that would've cared, especially since this wasn't going to net him anything financial really. And after almost a 2 yr struggle, filling out paperwork, hiring a new mgt company to take care of the place and being the absolute last complex to be awarded our certificates in the state of Caifornia that year, we were able to sign new contracts with HUD to keep that place "low-income" for the next 30 yrs !!
I wish Mr. Won could see me now...about to be an expat in HIS country !! 
So yeah, community is important..to most. |
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kiwiduncan
Joined: 18 Jun 2007
Location: New Zealand
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| Posted: Mon Jul 20, 2009 12:52 am Post subject: |
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| nosmallplans wrote: |
It's not a Korean thing really... it's a generation thing. Honestly I doubt many 1st generation anythings do a lot of extra-community activities. It's only when said ethnic group starts to seriously "American-ize" that they start to take part in non-ethnic community groups. |
Interesting point. I'm keen to encourage Koreans in New Zealand to get more involved with community environmental projects and so on and it'll be interesting to see who is more interested - recent immigrants or "Kowis" (Korean kiwis).
So far it's been mostly immigrants who have responded to my bulletin board messages, but that's because I have yet to really make contact with the younger generation of Korean-New Zealanders. |
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fermentation
Joined: 22 Jun 2009
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| Posted: Mon Jul 20, 2009 12:59 am Post subject: |
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| Koreans who aren't part of a Korean community seem to be rare. Almost all the gyopos I know have almost only gyopo friends. I've met American citizens who don't speak a lick of English or have really strong Korean accents. |
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kiwiduncan
Joined: 18 Jun 2007
Location: New Zealand
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| Posted: Mon Jul 20, 2009 2:12 am Post subject: |
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| mssinmymind wrote: |
I will try to make this story short..though it really is "a long story".
About 10 yrs ago, I lived in the Monterey Bay California area. Our apt complex was going up for sale due to the previous owners (HUD) contract expiring. In short, we were an income based housing unit and if something wasn't done our rents would have gone from the avg of $495 a month to well over $1500 for general rent in this area. Soooo, we formed a tenants committee, headed by an elderly lady probably in her 60s, myself (I was 28-bored-and just about to start divorce proceedings) an elderly American gentleman and Mr. Won, who was probably about 50+ and also my Korean next door neighbor.
To keep this story short...Mr. Won was incredible in helping us to speak with the large Korean community we had in the complex (even though his own english was very limited) and he even helped in translating flyers at one point. He didn't strike me as the type that would've cared, especially since this wasn't going to net him anything financial really. And after almost a 2 yr struggle, filling out paperwork, hiring a new mgt company to take care of the place and being the absolute last complex to be awarded our certificates in the state of Caifornia that year, we were able to sign new contracts with HUD to keep that place "low-income" for the next 30 yrs !!
I wish Mr. Won could see me now...about to be an expat in HIS country !!
So yeah, community is important..to most. |
Nice story . It's good to hear about the "little guys" having a win once in a while. Does Mr. Won know you're going to be in Korea? I'm sure he'll wish you luck.
I'm pinning some of my hopes on one older Korean gentleman in Auckland who is already active with a lot of environmental organizations up there. Hopefully he'll be as effective as Mr. Won. |
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kiwiduncan
Joined: 18 Jun 2007
Location: New Zealand
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| Posted: Mon Jul 20, 2009 2:15 am Post subject: |
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| fermentation wrote: |
| Koreans who aren't part of a Korean community seem to be rare. Almost all the gyopos I know have almost only gyopo friends. I've met American citizens who don't speak a lick of English or have really strong Korean accents. |
I haven't met enough Korean-New Zealanders to know if that's the case in New Zealand, but I do remember one Korean guy from uni years ago who broke up with his Korean girlfriend, met a white kiwi girl and spent a lot of weekends out on her family's farm. He seemed pretty happy with the new lifestyle. |
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The evil penguin
Joined: 24 May 2003
Location: Doing something naughty near you.....
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| Posted: Mon Jul 20, 2009 3:08 pm Post subject: |
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There are actually lots of Koreans where I'm from.... (Hobart, tasmania- not my home town- i'm a QLDer but its where i live when i'm back in old aussie)
Let me think.... Korean church...with services all in Korean..... ummmm... asian food market... mostly korean products, with rows and rows of ramyeon, and run by koreans... who don't speak english.... ummmmm.....
ummmmmm.....
no thats about it. |
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