Living Areas
The Los Angeles Area is inhabited by a very large Korean American community. At this point, it is very difficult to determine the exact number, but according to the results available in 2008, this minority was represented by 1.1 million people (Kim, 27). These people live predominantly in Los Angeles County and Orange County.
There are some places where there is a large proportion of this group; in particular, one has to speak about such neighborhoods as Koreatown. They constitute 23 percent of total population which is approximately 28520 people (Kim, 27). Overall, Korean Americans live in Los Angeles, Anaheim, and many neighboring cities.
Reasons for Settling in the US and the LA Area
There are several reasons why these people decided to settle in the United States and particularly the LA area. First, some of them had to immigrate in order to avoid political prosecution. This reason is particularly important when we speak about North Korean refugees or their descendants.
Secondly, many Korean people chose to settle in the US because this country could provide them with better economic and employment opportunities. It should be noted that Korean population of the Los Angeles area began to increase dramatically after the adoption of Immigration and Nationality Act (Chen, 41).
Many of these immigrants chose this part of the United States because of its rapid economic growth, vast educational opportunities, and mild climate.
The Use of the Language in the Private Sector
Private Education
The Korean language is not often used in the sphere of private education. Certainly, we can mention Wilshire Private School in which students can learn the Korean language, but it is not a part of the curriculum (Wilshire Private School, unpaged). It is located in Los Angeles on 4900 Wilshire Boulevard.
This educational institution can serve the needs of ESL students, and many Korean immigrants want their children to attend this school because in this place they could practice both English and Korean.
Religious Worship
Currently, the majority of Korean Americans view themselves as Christians (Yoo & Chung, 60). Similar situation can be observed in Los Angeles area. Approximately, 51 percent of Koreans living in the US are Catholic, while 49 percent adhere to the principles of Buddhism (Yoo & Chung, 61).
These people do not usually read their religious texts in their native language. Only a small group of people representing first-wave immigration can do it.
Stores and Supermarkets
There are some supermarkets and stores in which employees can communicate with the customers in Korean. For example, one can mention Koreatown Plazza. In this supermarket, many labels are written in English and Korean. Besides, those Korean immigrants, who have yet to master the English language, can ask the personnel for assistance.
Newspapers and Magazines
Yes, there is at least one Korean-language newspaper which still operates, namely the Korea Times. It is published in Los Angeles (The Korean Times, unpaged). This periodical is issued every Monday and Saturday. It is primarily intended for people who have settled in the US only recently, but it does not enjoy great popularity among Korean Americans who grew up in the country.
Legal Services
Yes, it is possible to find some organizations which try to attract Korean American clients by saying that their attorneys are able to communicate in Korean. As far as this issue is concerned we can mention Ryu Law Firm which is located in Los Angeles. This organization can help native speakers of Korean.
Festivals
There are several holidays celebrated by this ethnic minority. One should first mention Dano festival and Seollal. They have no fixed date because are celebrated in accordance with the lunar calendar. Besides, one should not forget about annual Korean Festival and Parade. Overall, these festivals frequently involve dance, song, rites, and various kinds of games.
Special Occupations of the Language Group
It is rather difficult to define some specific occupations of Korean Americans living the Los Angeles area. One should take into account that approximately 51 percent of these people have a college degree, and many of them are highly-skilled white color workers (Chen 44). One cannot say that the ethnic group is over or underrepresented in a certain area of business.
Radio and Television
There are three radio stations the Los Angeles area which broadcast exclusively in Korean, namely KYPA, KFOX, and KMPC (Min, 44). They are available twenty-four a day (Min, 44). Moreover, one can mention tvK which is a Korean-language TV station. This channel is not broadcast on a national network.
Restaurants
Yes, those people, who visit Korean restaurants in Los Angeles, can see that menus are written in Korean and English. The owners of these shops provide both Korean names of dishes and English translations. Such policy can be explained by the fact that these places are often visited by people who have only come from Korea, and their command of the English language may need some improvement.
It should be noted that many local restaurants, especially post sign in Korean language. In this case, we can mention Hodori Restaurant located on 1001 S Vermont Ave.
Driving Schools
No, those people, who want to attend driving school, will have to speak the English language. The only institution which can provide such services is Kim’s Driving School which can be found on 3306 Venice Boulevard. This organization can offer Korean language sessions. Nevertheless, the majority of Korean Americans living in the Los Angeles Area are able to take English-language driving courses.
Public Sector and Government Services
In some parts of Los Angeles, especially, Koreatown, the authorities disseminate information in Korean and English languages. For instance, the local government of this district is obliged to give Korean language voting bulleting.
The Extent to Which the Language is Used
Judging from the findings of this report, and my own observation, I can say that Korean Americans are more likely to speak English rather than Korean. Korean speakers are more likely to be found among the first-generation immigrants, while young people tend to speak English. Overall, it is possible to say that this ethnic group considerably assimilated into the American society.
This is one of the reasons why they are often viewed as a model minority (Park, Lin, & Lee, 63). It should be noted that only 20 percent of second-generation immigrants from Korea are bilingual (Chen, 42). The rest of them can communicate only in English. These are the main peculiarities of their language use.
Works Cited
Chen, Edith. Encyclopedia of Asian American Issues Today. NY: ABC-CLIO, 2010. Print.
Kim, Heerak. Korean-American youth identity and 9/11: an examination of Korean-American ethnic identity in post-9/11 America. Berkerley: The Hermit Kingdom Press. 2008. Print.
Min, Pyong. Caught in the middle: Korean merchants in America’s multiethnic cities. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1996. Print.
Park, Clara, Goodwin, Lin, and Lee Stacey. Asian American identities, families, and schooling. NY: IAP, 2003. Print.
The Korea Times. The Official Website. 2009. Web.
Wilshire Public School. The Official Website. 2010. Web.
Yoo, David, and Chung Ruth. Religion and spirituality in Korean America. Springfield: University of Illinois Press. 2008. Print.