Abstract
This article examines the impact of immigration on Korean children through a content and literary analysis of 14 children’s picture books. A majority of published children’s literature dealing with the subject of Korean Americans or Korean immigration contains culturally specific themes common to the Korean immigration experience. These include English acquisition difficulties, assimilation through name selection, language mediation, family separation and abandonment, and positive experiences post-immigration. While unassumingly couched in children’s fiction, these issues reflect real-life experiences and are analyzed here through a social and cultural context. I provide suggestions for applying the article’s findings in classrooms, schools, and districts in order to ease acculturation and transition procedures for Korean families. The article may appeal to readers interested in immigration issues, the interplay between home and school environments, language barriers for second language learners, and social studies issues found in children’s fiction.
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Joanne H. Yi is a graduate student at the Indiana University School of Education. She is currently seeking a degree in Literacy, Culture, and Language Education and is a lifelong learner.
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Yi, J.H. “My Heart Beats in Two Places”: Immigration Stories in Korean-American Picture Books. Child Lit Educ 45, 129–144 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10583-013-9209-4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10583-013-9209-4