“Knocking on the door to integration”: Korean immigrants’ stories of seeking membership in Aotearoa New Zealand society
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Date
2/05/2021
Open Access Location
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Publisher
Aotearoa New Zealand Association of Social Workers
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Abstract
INTRODUCTION: While citizens of Aotearoa New Zealand are granted full participation regardless of racial and cultural background, Asian immigrants appear exempt from the benefits of inclusion. For many, immigration is a stress-inducing journey with resultant socio-economic marginalisation adversely impacting on their participation in society.
METHODS: Theoretically underpinned by symbolic interactionism, this Straussian-grounded theoretical study explored how nine South Koreans re-constructed life after immigration. Semi- structured interviews were analysed using open, axial and selective coding.
FINDINGS: To re-establish their lives, participants gradually “knock on the door to integration” while retaining a sense of safety in their ethnic community. This process continues until they find a place where they are recognised as a member of society. In this sense, “seeking membership” is what participants try to achieve in the host society.
CONCLUSION: If we want to be at the forefront of efforts to address ethnic minority groups’ life-challenges, social work practice must include specific competencies in assisting Asian immigrants, helping them to master their new surroundings and endorse their equal membership in society.
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Keywords
Korean immigrants, membership, participation, social interaction, Straussian-grounded theory, symbolic interactionism
Citation
Aotearoa New Zealand Social Work Review, 2021, 33 (1), pp. 29 - 43 (14)