These narratives relate personal recollections about the quest for ethnic identity and belonging, and are full of insights gained from the struggles, frustrations, hopes, and successes throughout the subjects’ life experiences. Readers, especially Korean American readers but also those of any background, will find the two books [this book and Korean Americans Who Have Empowered the Korean-American Community] in equal measures thought-provoking and touching as they empathize with the various narrators from their own perspectives.

The Review of Korean Studies

By presenting the voices of Korean Americans—in fascinating and often moving personal narratives that explore identities, networks, and links to South Korea—this book enriches our understanding of the second-generation experience.

Nancy Foner, Hunter College and the Graduate Center, CUNY

Comparing the experiences of Korean American youth in two different time periods, this unique and insightful book examines the ways in which internal and external factors have contributed to different ethnic and racial identity formations. Drawing on personal narratives, the book is immanently engaging, and thus will appeal to a broad audience of scholars and students, as well as the public at large.

Mehdi Bozorgmehr, Professor of Sociology, CUNY

This is a wonderfully informative study of the complex phenomenon of ethnic identity among Korean Americans. The detailed qualitative analysis reveals the significance of historical context, social ties, and experiences with racial prejudice. This book should be of interest to anyone who wishes to understand the formation of Asian American ethnic identities.

Arthur Sakamoto, Texas A&M University