Korean Population In New York City Essay
Korean Population in New York City
New York City is the haven for so many poor, hopeful, confused people who have gathered up the courage to leave their homes in their native countries and try to start anew. America has been named the "land of the free" because immigrants from all times and all places have the opportunity, optimistically, to be able to create a new life for themselves and their families, to make money, to live free from dictatorship, and to practice any type of religion they choose. One immigrant group that has spread throughout the United States in search of their "inalienable rights" is the Koreans. They have migrated for several different reasons and have stayed for several more. One of the push factors for the Koreans' …show more content…
migration was the turn the Korean economy towards a more industrialized state. Many Koreans were uprooted and had to relocate, thus making the move to America a fulfilling and beneficial option. Another push factor was the Japanese invasion of the Korean Peninsula. Once in America some of the pull factors were education, business opportunities, social networks, community organizations and religious freedom. Most of the Korean immigrants who arrived in New York City were students, Protestants, and political refugees. We will now explore the ways of life and the status of the Korean immigrant in New York City.
Koreans have situated themselves throughout New York State, particularly in New York City. In all of New York City there are a combined total of 90,896 Koreans. The five-borough-breakdown is as follows: 63,906 reside in Queens, 12,459 reside in Manhattan, 7,392 reside in Brooklyn, 3,750 reside in the Bronx, and in Staten Island there are 3,389. An astonishing 79% of the Korean population in New York City is foreign born, which is about 71,907 people. The population of Korean people is constantly growing. The 2000 census showed a 30% increase of recorded Korean residents from the 1990 census (2000 Asian American Federation of New York Census Information Center). The distribution of the Korean population in New York City seems to be most highly concentrated in Queens, mostly in Flushing. Flushing is both a residential area for them and a business area as well.
The 2000 information also shows that 10,140 adult Korean residents (aged 25 and older) in New York City have no High School Diploma. This averages out to about 16%. Another interesting statistic is the amount of Koreans in New York City that have a limited understanding of the English language. The total number of Koreans that do not speak English well or even at all is a shocking 29,454. This averages out to be about 40% of them. The Census Information Center also gives information on the incomes of this population in New York City. There are some 8,606 households with an income of less than $20,000, which averages out to be about 27% of all the Korean households in NYC. On the opposite side of the spectrum there are 3,580 households that earn more than $100,000, which averages out to be 11%. In the regular household the median income is $37,094.
Despite the American Dream that the Korean immigrants chase after, some families still live in poverty. The 2000 information shows that 15,002 Koreans are living in poverty in NYC alone. This translates to 17% of the NYC Korean population. The adult Korean immigrants are not the only ones who suffer from poverty. There are 2,532 Koreans under the age of 18 who are impoverished. Along with the children are the 1,716 elderly Koreans who live in poverty, which is about one-fourth of the elderly Korean population in NYC. Of the non-impoverished Koreans 32% hold white-collar jobs. We will now explore the business aspect of the Korean immigrants and residents in New York City.
The immigrants who arrive in the United States have a tendency to start up their own small businesses in whatever field they are most comfortable and experienced in. The Korean immigrants are no different. In fact the majority of them go into the field of entrepreneurship. Unlike the American small businesses that tend to service everyone, Korean immigrants have opened businesses that cater to their specific needs for their specific people. Not to say that American-born people are not consumers in these stores or of these services, but the purpose they hold is mainly to service the Korean population. Their social networks have enabled them to acquire property near other Korean businesses and in predominantly Korean neighborhoods. If you take a look at the typical Korean immigrant, you will notice that they arrive highly educated from their country and with a larger amount of money than most other immigrants, which puts them ahead once they arrive here. One interesting theory as to why it is so easy for Koreans to acquire the means to start their own business is because of who they are buying their shops from. Most of the Koreans in New York City do not just come here and "build" themselves a future. They have to get things from people who were already here. White shopkeepers have usually had their business within the same family for years. They pass them down to their sons or daughters to continue on with them. Often the children sell their stores to these immigrants because they are trying to move into the American corporate world. Koreans are all too ecstatic to take over their stores and start a new business.
Although highly educated in Korea, once here their skills are of little use. Either they cannot convey their ideas and skills because of the language barrier or simply because the certificates or degrees do not transfer over, this is another reason for their affinity for small businesses. The businesses that do not require much education or the necessity for an avid understanding of the English language are the businesses that they tend to dominate and find success in. Such businesses are green grocers, retail, nail salons, fish markets, restaurants, dry cleaning, stationary stores, pastry shops, and garment manufacturing. Here is the breakdown of the green grocer, the dry cleaning business, and the fish market.
Walking through the streets of New York City one will see more than one green grocery store, or vegetable stand in a five block radius.
That is because the trade is one that will always be of good use. Unless the people of NYC start growing their produce in their backyards, the Korean grocery stores will be around for quite a while. Green grocery stores started appearing in the early 1970s and have flourished ever since. However, the duties of a green grocer are not as easy as they seem to be. First, the schedule of the grocer is rigorous to say the least. He must wake up in the early hours of the morning, usually around 3am to shop for the produce he will be bringing back to his store. Then he must set up his shop and have it look presentable for customers. From the hours of 8am till about 8pm his store is open to the public and must be serviced all day long. Constant restocking is needed for the busier stores and upkeep is necessary to keep the store clean and neat. Closing up consists of cleaning the store one last time and putting away the unsold produce hopefully to be sold the next day. If not sold it should be discarded because of the lack of freshness. Then he must wake up and do it all over again the next day. Usually the green grocery stores are open seven days a week. Hiring another person to help out and cut the amount of time the owner is there would also cut the amount of profit the owner makes, so usually they keep the business in the family only with the wife working an adjacent shift to the
husband.
Koreans did not always have dry cleaning businesses. It was difficult for them to open such a business for it required so much capital. A dry cleaning service is not as easy to operate and keep up as a grocery or fish market. Unlike the grocery stores, the dry cleaning stores do not have to be open on Sundays or for as many hours. Much of the light work, such as shirts and slacks are done on the premises while fur coats and other such specialty pieces are brought to another service provider. The busiest time of the year for the dry cleaning business is the fall and winter while the summer months are the slowest.
Scattered throughout the New York City area are over 500 fish stores. The routine of the owner is very similar to that of the green grocer. Everyday he must go and buy the fish that will stock his market. The owner must pay attention to what his customers like and want to buy; he has to stock the fish that will give him the best sales. Often people who buy fish care more about the quality then they do about the price so charging a certain amount usually isn't a problem and the profits come much quicker than in another line of work. The inventory isn't too extensive so ordering new fish and keeping track of what wasn't sold is easy.
Koreans have thrived with their businesses in a country that was once unfamiliar to them and their families. A soothing and comforting element of their migration was the existence of social networks, which gave rise to community based organizations. These organizations are there to assist the Koreans and to help them get the help and representation that they need to make it in New York City. They provide health care services, language assistance, worker's assistance, and much more. One such organization is called the Korean American Association for the Rehabilitation of the Disabled, and it is located in Flushing, New York. The purpose of this association is to aid the disabled who cannot speak English very well to get the help that they need. It provides a door-to-door pick-up and drop-off service as well. Another organization is the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund. There is a sub chapter of this organization called the AALDEF Korean Workers Project. The purpose of this organization is to provide free legal assistance for those Koreans who are working under hazardous conditions and for long hours without extra pay. Yet another organization is the Korean American Family Service Center. The KAFSC helps victims of domestic violence and sexual abuse to overcome their fears. It provides counseling and other assistance to their young and old victims.
The biggest community organization that the Koreans have is their church. There are over 2000 Korean churches in the United States and some 500 of them are in New York. A large majority of them are Protestant churches, while some Koreans in America still practice Buddhism. The dedication that Koreans have for their faith is admirable. Since most Koreans own their own business, they can close shop on Sundays to go to church. Most of the members of a single church know each other or are related. This network proves to be very tight knit between the Korean people. Some may argue that preaching and gathering in the Korean language and only being around the Koreans for certain functions could hinder assimilation. Others could say that it is beneficial for them to mingle with each other for comfort and spiritual needs. Whether or not it is a catalyst or a hindrance for assimilation, Christianity is a large part of the Korean way of life and is present in all aspects, including business. Korean landlords have been known to give discounts in rent to Christian tenants, while Korean business owners have a tendency to hire Korean Christians (Park, 186). Church brings the Korean immigrants together and provides a sort of security blanket for those who aren't yet assimilated with the rest of the neighboring cultures.
All in all, Koreans have made a place for themselves in New York City. They have planted themselves in the middle of one of the greatest cities in America and are successful for the most part. Although they tend to keep to themselves, the Korean population has impacted everyone in New York City. Everyone who has been a consumer in a green grocery store, everyone who has gotten his or her clothes dry cleaned by a Korean storeowner, and everyone who has bought dinner at their local Korean fish market has been affected by the immigration of this culture to the United States. The migration of these people into the United States will not cease as long as the kin that is already here is making a lucrative life for themselves. Hopefully the trend that they are setting for future immigrants is one that will lead the new wave to greater success.
New York City is the haven for so many poor, hopeful, confused people who have gathered up the courage to leave their homes in their native countries and try to start anew. America has been named the "land of the free" because immigrants from all times and all places have the opportunity, optimistically, to be able to create a new life for themselves and their families, to make money, to live free from dictatorship, and to practice any type of religion they choose. One immigrant group that has spread throughout the United States in search of their "inalienable rights" is the Koreans. They have migrated for several different reasons and have stayed for several more. One of the push factors for the Koreans' …show more content…
migration was the turn the Korean economy towards a more industrialized state. Many Koreans were uprooted and had to relocate, thus making the move to America a fulfilling and beneficial option. Another push factor was the Japanese invasion of the Korean Peninsula. Once in America some of the pull factors were education, business opportunities, social networks, community organizations and religious freedom. Most of the Korean immigrants who arrived in New York City were students, Protestants, and political refugees. We will now explore the ways of life and the status of the Korean immigrant in New York City.
Koreans have situated themselves throughout New York State, particularly in New York City. In all of New York City there are a combined total of 90,896 Koreans. The five-borough-breakdown is as follows: 63,906 reside in Queens, 12,459 reside in Manhattan, 7,392 reside in Brooklyn, 3,750 reside in the Bronx, and in Staten Island there are 3,389. An astonishing 79% of the Korean population in New York City is foreign born, which is about 71,907 people. The population of Korean people is constantly growing. The 2000 census showed a 30% increase of recorded Korean residents from the 1990 census (2000 Asian American Federation of New York Census Information Center). The distribution of the Korean population in New York City seems to be most highly concentrated in Queens, mostly in Flushing. Flushing is both a residential area for them and a business area as well.
The 2000 information also shows that 10,140 adult Korean residents (aged 25 and older) in New York City have no High School Diploma. This averages out to about 16%. Another interesting statistic is the amount of Koreans in New York City that have a limited understanding of the English language. The total number of Koreans that do not speak English well or even at all is a shocking 29,454. This averages out to be about 40% of them. The Census Information Center also gives information on the incomes of this population in New York City. There are some 8,606 households with an income of less than $20,000, which averages out to be about 27% of all the Korean households in NYC. On the opposite side of the spectrum there are 3,580 households that earn more than $100,000, which averages out to be 11%. In the regular household the median income is $37,094.
Despite the American Dream that the Korean immigrants chase after, some families still live in poverty. The 2000 information shows that 15,002 Koreans are living in poverty in NYC alone. This translates to 17% of the NYC Korean population. The adult Korean immigrants are not the only ones who suffer from poverty. There are 2,532 Koreans under the age of 18 who are impoverished. Along with the children are the 1,716 elderly Koreans who live in poverty, which is about one-fourth of the elderly Korean population in NYC. Of the non-impoverished Koreans 32% hold white-collar jobs. We will now explore the business aspect of the Korean immigrants and residents in New York City.
The immigrants who arrive in the United States have a tendency to start up their own small businesses in whatever field they are most comfortable and experienced in. The Korean immigrants are no different. In fact the majority of them go into the field of entrepreneurship. Unlike the American small businesses that tend to service everyone, Korean immigrants have opened businesses that cater to their specific needs for their specific people. Not to say that American-born people are not consumers in these stores or of these services, but the purpose they hold is mainly to service the Korean population. Their social networks have enabled them to acquire property near other Korean businesses and in predominantly Korean neighborhoods. If you take a look at the typical Korean immigrant, you will notice that they arrive highly educated from their country and with a larger amount of money than most other immigrants, which puts them ahead once they arrive here. One interesting theory as to why it is so easy for Koreans to acquire the means to start their own business is because of who they are buying their shops from. Most of the Koreans in New York City do not just come here and "build" themselves a future. They have to get things from people who were already here. White shopkeepers have usually had their business within the same family for years. They pass them down to their sons or daughters to continue on with them. Often the children sell their stores to these immigrants because they are trying to move into the American corporate world. Koreans are all too ecstatic to take over their stores and start a new business.
Although highly educated in Korea, once here their skills are of little use. Either they cannot convey their ideas and skills because of the language barrier or simply because the certificates or degrees do not transfer over, this is another reason for their affinity for small businesses. The businesses that do not require much education or the necessity for an avid understanding of the English language are the businesses that they tend to dominate and find success in. Such businesses are green grocers, retail, nail salons, fish markets, restaurants, dry cleaning, stationary stores, pastry shops, and garment manufacturing. Here is the breakdown of the green grocer, the dry cleaning business, and the fish market.
Walking through the streets of New York City one will see more than one green grocery store, or vegetable stand in a five block radius.
That is because the trade is one that will always be of good use. Unless the people of NYC start growing their produce in their backyards, the Korean grocery stores will be around for quite a while. Green grocery stores started appearing in the early 1970s and have flourished ever since. However, the duties of a green grocer are not as easy as they seem to be. First, the schedule of the grocer is rigorous to say the least. He must wake up in the early hours of the morning, usually around 3am to shop for the produce he will be bringing back to his store. Then he must set up his shop and have it look presentable for customers. From the hours of 8am till about 8pm his store is open to the public and must be serviced all day long. Constant restocking is needed for the busier stores and upkeep is necessary to keep the store clean and neat. Closing up consists of cleaning the store one last time and putting away the unsold produce hopefully to be sold the next day. If not sold it should be discarded because of the lack of freshness. Then he must wake up and do it all over again the next day. Usually the green grocery stores are open seven days a week. Hiring another person to help out and cut the amount of time the owner is there would also cut the amount of profit the owner makes, so usually they keep the business in the family only with the wife working an adjacent shift to the
husband.
Koreans did not always have dry cleaning businesses. It was difficult for them to open such a business for it required so much capital. A dry cleaning service is not as easy to operate and keep up as a grocery or fish market. Unlike the grocery stores, the dry cleaning stores do not have to be open on Sundays or for as many hours. Much of the light work, such as shirts and slacks are done on the premises while fur coats and other such specialty pieces are brought to another service provider. The busiest time of the year for the dry cleaning business is the fall and winter while the summer months are the slowest.
Scattered throughout the New York City area are over 500 fish stores. The routine of the owner is very similar to that of the green grocer. Everyday he must go and buy the fish that will stock his market. The owner must pay attention to what his customers like and want to buy; he has to stock the fish that will give him the best sales. Often people who buy fish care more about the quality then they do about the price so charging a certain amount usually isn't a problem and the profits come much quicker than in another line of work. The inventory isn't too extensive so ordering new fish and keeping track of what wasn't sold is easy.
Koreans have thrived with their businesses in a country that was once unfamiliar to them and their families. A soothing and comforting element of their migration was the existence of social networks, which gave rise to community based organizations. These organizations are there to assist the Koreans and to help them get the help and representation that they need to make it in New York City. They provide health care services, language assistance, worker's assistance, and much more. One such organization is called the Korean American Association for the Rehabilitation of the Disabled, and it is located in Flushing, New York. The purpose of this association is to aid the disabled who cannot speak English very well to get the help that they need. It provides a door-to-door pick-up and drop-off service as well. Another organization is the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund. There is a sub chapter of this organization called the AALDEF Korean Workers Project. The purpose of this organization is to provide free legal assistance for those Koreans who are working under hazardous conditions and for long hours without extra pay. Yet another organization is the Korean American Family Service Center. The KAFSC helps victims of domestic violence and sexual abuse to overcome their fears. It provides counseling and other assistance to their young and old victims.
The biggest community organization that the Koreans have is their church. There are over 2000 Korean churches in the United States and some 500 of them are in New York. A large majority of them are Protestant churches, while some Koreans in America still practice Buddhism. The dedication that Koreans have for their faith is admirable. Since most Koreans own their own business, they can close shop on Sundays to go to church. Most of the members of a single church know each other or are related. This network proves to be very tight knit between the Korean people. Some may argue that preaching and gathering in the Korean language and only being around the Koreans for certain functions could hinder assimilation. Others could say that it is beneficial for them to mingle with each other for comfort and spiritual needs. Whether or not it is a catalyst or a hindrance for assimilation, Christianity is a large part of the Korean way of life and is present in all aspects, including business. Korean landlords have been known to give discounts in rent to Christian tenants, while Korean business owners have a tendency to hire Korean Christians (Park, 186). Church brings the Korean immigrants together and provides a sort of security blanket for those who aren't yet assimilated with the rest of the neighboring cultures.
All in all, Koreans have made a place for themselves in New York City. They have planted themselves in the middle of one of the greatest cities in America and are successful for the most part. Although they tend to keep to themselves, the Korean population has impacted everyone in New York City. Everyone who has been a consumer in a green grocery store, everyone who has gotten his or her clothes dry cleaned by a Korean storeowner, and everyone who has bought dinner at their local Korean fish market has been affected by the immigration of this culture to the United States. The migration of these people into the United States will not cease as long as the kin that is already here is making a lucrative life for themselves. Hopefully the trend that they are setting for future immigrants is one that will lead the new wave to greater success.