Essay on Korean Immigrants to America - 1036 Words

Korean Immigrants to America On January 13, 1903, the first Korean Immigrants set foot in Hawaii. There were eighty six people on that first voyage, and since then there have been over 550,000 Koreans who have made the journey to the United States over the past 100 years. The original immigrants and their descendants now total over 1.6 million. Korean Americans make up one of the most prominent Asian communities in the United States. Many elements of Korean Culture, ranging from Kim Chee to Tae Kwon Do, have made their way into the American Lifestyle. There have been many events that have shaped the Korean American community and there are many current issues that affect Korean Americans.†¦show more content†¦When a Korean man wanted a bride, he would send his picture to a matchmaker and find a woman in Korea willing to marry him. Most often than not, the man would send a false picture of himself and the woman would have no choice but to marry him once she arrived in America (2-3, script). Approximately 800 picture brides went to Hawaii and 200 went to the mainland during this period (Kim, 367). Another large group of immigrants arrived in the United States during and immediately after the Korean War, from 1950 to 1965. Some were fleeing the horrors of war and had faced the loss of family members. Most were Korean women who had married American soldiers during the war. There were 50,000 Korean wives of American soldiers by 1980 (Coming to America). The final big wave of Korean Immigrants arrived between 1965 and the present. At the peak of this period, from 1976 to 1990, there were was an average of 30,000-35,000 immigrants every year (Coming to America). This massive number of immigrants was due to the Immigration act of 1965, which ended the quotas that restricted the number of immigrants who were allowed into our country from specific countries. By 1993, the number of immigrants has dropped to 18,000 a year. Since the first immigrants moved into American neighborhoods, many issues have arisen between Americans and the Korean community. In 1911 and 1913,Show MoreRelatedThe United States And Korean Immigration History1656 Words   |  7 PagesAmerica is known internationally as a great â€Å"melting pot†. From the very beginning, the entire nation was founded on immigrants. People immigrated to America for a chance to escape the oppressive states of their own lands as well as boundless opportunity. Some of the first immigrants from Korea to the United States came in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Seo Jae-pil or Phillip Jaisohn came to America in 1884. 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