• Korean Journal of Adult Nursing
• /
• v.26 no.4
• /
• pp.479-487
• /
• 2014

Purpose: This study was a grounded theory research aimed at generating a substantive theory that accounts for the explanatory social processes in which immigrant Korean single-mother families were engaged in the United States. Methods: In-depth interviews were conducted with 15 immigrant Korean single mothers who were living with children under 18 years of age at the time of the interviews. Data collection guided by theoretical sampling and concurrent constant comparative analysis of the transcribed data was conducted to identify the core social process. Results: The emerged core social process was "living for the children," which represented the driving process by which these women made transition to their new lives as single-mother families. The major task throughout the entire transition was re-creating their families. The women's transition involved practical and psychological transitions. The practical transition involved three stages: assuring family survival, struggling between the father role and the mother role, and stabilizing. The psychological transition involved becoming strong and settling in with a new supportive network. Conclusion: Study results added to the literature by elaborating the women's emphasis on maternal identity and the resilience-provoking nature of the women's transitions.

• Journal of Korean Public Health Nursing
• /
• v.29 no.2
• /
• pp.325-343
• /
• 2015

Purpose: This study was conducted in order to identify and describe the experiences of health care during pregnancy, birthing, and postpartum period for Vietnamese marriage immigrants. Methods: The participants were 15 Vietnamese married immigrant women who became pregnant and gave birth within the last five years. Data were collected by in-depth interview with Vietnamese women. Data were analyzed using Colaizzi's method of phenomenology. Results: Six theme clusters were extracted as follows: 'being left with no other option in loneliness and longing filled in a limited life', 'continued trials and errors amidst frustration and fear', 'silently following orders despite the quality of medical services that change with each medical care provider', 'compromise by selecting amidst confusion between the Korean way and the way at home', 'depending on family, who is the communication channel, but becoming disappointed', and 'finding the reason for existence and struggling by herself to become a mother amidst doubled confusion'. Conclusion: A program for effective empowerment of Vietnamese immigrant women should be developed. In addition multicultural family centered programs should be developed with emphasis on acceptance of women's culture, respect for her culture, and supports. Medical staffs and nurses should also improve culturally sensitive competence in order to provide care for immigrant women.

• Korea journal of population studies
• /
• v.35 no.2
• /
• pp.185-208
• /
• 2012

This study examines how married immigrant women's social networks affect their life satisfaction in Korea. A multiple-regression analysis is conducted using data from Nationwide Multicultural Family Survey in 2009. The major findings are as follows. First, the frequency of keeping in touch with their family in the mother country significantly affects the level of satisfaction, while the family size in Korea is not making a significant difference. Second, the strength of "Korean Network" - strong bridging network - is highlighted. Third, family gathering variables affect the level of satisfaction. An interesting point is found from the nationality segmentation. The case of women from Japan, with the longest duration in Korea, shows that both of the family and the non-family gathering variables significantly affect the life satisfaction. It is interpreted that family network dominates in the earlier stage of marriage, but the other social networks also play the role as the duration extends.

• American Studies
• /
• v.44 no.2
• /
• pp.67-96
• /
• 2021

The Canadian public broadcaster CBC had successfully aired a sitcom centered on a Korean immigrant family from 2016 to 2021. The show is based on the play Kim's Convenience written by a Korean-Canadian playwright Ins Choi. This study explores literary features of Kim's Convenience that accounts for its popularity; three elements of the show play crucial roles in maintaining the balance between specificity and universality. First, Choi deploys a Korean immigrant story in the form of comedy. Second, the main plot revolves around an ordinary family with generational strains that ends in reconciliation. Third. the Kims are depicted more as an archetypical family than a stereotypically Asian one. By closely interweaving these elements, Choi induces the audience to find commonalities from the show, and racial specificities of the Kim's family become "spicy" attractions of the play.

• Korean Journal of Human Ecology
• /
• v.23 no.6
• /
• pp.1049-1069
• /
• 2014

The purpose of this study was to examine post-divorce adjustment and new partnership of immigrant single mother after divorce. 4 immigrant single mothers from Vietnam were interviewed and data were analyzed by qualitative method. The results were as follows. First, immigrant single mothers coped with stress after divorce through sending their children to Vietnam, working and remittance. Second, they began dating a new man in the work place who were of various nationalities, such as Korean, Vietnamese, Uzbekistan and developed partnership to remarry, cohabit or date with deep intimacy. Third, single immigrant mothers in various partnership like remarriage, cohabitation or dating were satisfied with intimate and loving relationships and support from both sides parents and the birth of new child. However, participants were anxious about the new partner's favoritism toward the biological child and discrimination against the new partner with an unfamiliar cultural background, for example, being from a like a Muslim country. The results suggested immigrant women after divorce showed various partnership on a path towards marriage and that we should pay attention to the aspects of change in multicultural families after divorce.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
• /
• v.18 no.4
• /
• pp.214-222
• /
• 2018

The purpose of this study is to analyze the role of individualistic, family, and social characteristics of immigrant women on marriage on community integration. It is focused on exploring how the immigrant women on marriages' residential district differentiate community integration. The study adopts a questionnaire method in research of immigrant women on marriage in all parts of Korea. Data are collected from 163(Metropolitan Government & City), 182(Provincial Government) immigrant women on marriage for empirical analysis respectively. Technique used in analyzing data is Binary Logit Model primarily. In conclusion, on the results of test, it turned out to be strong significant influence on provincial regions than the metropolitan city regions statistically excepting family, and social characteristics.

• Journal of Families and Better Life
• /
• v.35 no.1
• /
• pp.45-58
• /
• 2017

The purpose of this study was to explore the possibility of recruiting married immigrant women to participate in the Official Development Assistance (ODA) program. We used focus group interviews to understand their experiences with ODA, their intent to participate in the ODA, and the resources and barriers to ODA participation. The data were collected from 14 married immigrant women who were actively engaged in the labor force in Seoul and Gyunggi areas. Data were analyzed based on the thematic analysis method. Four themes were identified including the women's experiences, motivation, barriers, and resources for ODA participation. Out of the 14 women, three had participated in the ODA and were happy with the experiences. The rest of the women wanted to participate in the ODA that supported their home countries. The results also highlighted that these married immigrant women had capabilities including a strong desire to participate in vocational development and support from their families, but they also had barriers to overcome such as a lack of work capacity, child care burden, and difficulty forming relationships with Korean colleagues. Despite these barriers, they were motivated to participate in the ODA since it would be very meaningful for them to help their home country and to improve awareness of Korea and married immigrant women. It is important to develop vocational education programs for these women to enhance the work skills that are needed in the ODA.

• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
• /
• v.15 no.1
• /
• pp.19-29
• /
• 2015

Objectives: The purpose of the study is to investigate the related factors to dental care utilization, oral health behaviors, and oral health status in immigrant workers in Korea. Methods: The subjects were 504 foreign immigrant male workers over 20 years old who visited Daegu labor consultation center for oral health survey and oral examination. The questionnaire included 5 questions of socioeconomic characteristics, 8 questions of oral health practice behavior, 6 questions of dental clinic visit, 8 questions of social relations and Korean language proficiency. The question for health behavior was measure by body mass index(BMI). Social relations and Korean language proficiency instrument was modified by Seol from "Family welfare survey in Korean international marriage" and scored by Liker 5 scale. Results: The oral health examination of the immigrant workers was as follows: decayed teeth - 76.6%, filling teeth - 27.4%, missing teeth - 69.8%, dental caries experience above five or more - 60.2%, periodontal pocket tissues - 58.9%. Simplified Oral Hygiene Index was very poor and accounted for 49.0%. Dental care utilization experience was closely associated with social relation indexes including attendance in family events, household stuff help, financial help and counseling for hard work(p<0.01). Dental care utilization experience proportionally increased with proficiency in Korean literacy including speaking, listening, and writing abilities of Korean language(p<0.01). Conclusions: In order to improve the oral health condition of the immigrant workers, it is important to provide social network, Korean language proficiency support, and health insurance coverage through economic burden reduction by the Korean government.

• The Journal of the Society of Korean Medicine Diagnostics
• /
• v.25 no.1
• /
• pp.88-100
• /
• 2021

Objectives The purpose of this study was to examine the daily lifestyle of Vietnamese immigrant women and to find out if they could affect health-related quality of life improvement. Methods The subjects of this study were 273 women who immigrated to Korea from Vietnam. This study was conducted at Daejeon and nearby Healthy Family Support Centers from September 2019 to January 2020 with the cooperation of the Daejeon City Healthy Family Support Center. Correlation analysis was performed between lifestyle and quality of life, and ANOVA analysis was performed to confirm the difference in health-related quality of life scores for each subgroup of dietary nutrition, sleep quality, and physical activity. A regression analysis was conducted to investigate the contribution of dietary nutrition, sleep quality, and physical activity to the quality of life of Vietnamese immigrant women. The significance level was p<0.05. Results Physical activity showed significant correlations with Euro Quality of Life -Visual Analogue Scale (EQ VAS), sleep quality with EQ VAS and Euro Quality of Life-5Dimension (EQ-5D) Index, and dietary nutrition with EQ-5D Index. There were significant differences in EQ VAS and EQ-5D Index scores for each sleep quality subgroup, and a significant difference in EQ VAS scores for each activity subgroup. The quality of sleep was found to have the greatest effect on EQ VAS and EQ Index of Vietnamese immigrant women, and physical activity on EQ VAS and dietary nutrition had some influence on EQ-5D Index. Conclusions Quality of sleep is closely related to health-related quality of life, and plays an important role in health-related quality of life for Vietnamese immigrant women.

• Korean Journal of Human Ecology
• /
• v.20 no.1
• /
• pp.101-117
• /
• 2011

This research is intended to explore the adaptation process for immigrant women and their Korean spouses through a qualitative method. It is aimed at understanding how immigrant women and their Korean spouses have adjusted to their lives in Korea over the last 10 years and how they have dealt with difficulties in the adaptation process. The participants were 15 intermarried couples consisting of a Southeast Asian wife and a Korean husband. They got married through matchmakers and have children between the ages of 8 and 13. The study carried out in-depth interviews. To analyze the interview data, the qualitative software program Nvivo8 was used. The results showed that immigrant women and their Korean spouses experienced confusion at first. They struggled adapting to each other's lifestyles and made efforts to establish harmony. In the end, they made their own family identity as a multicultural family. The study widens the understanding of multicultural families by focusing on both wives and husbands. Also, the use of the Nvivo8 software strengthens the reliability of the data analysis. The results will contribute to providing interracial couples with the adaptive strategies.