Acculturation of Korean New Zealander Youth : Re-Ethnicization of the Newer Generation

Abstract

This open access book explores the acculturation, identity development, and cultural reconnection of newer-generation (1.5- and second-generation) Korean New Zealander youth who grew up in New Zealand after the 1990s. Based on in-depth interviews, it shows how many of them initially sought to assimilate into the dominant culture but later experienced a process of re-ethnicization, rediscovering their Korean heritage during adolescence and early adulthood. Chapters explore key themes such as cultural adaptation, ethnic identity, racism, co-ethnic friendships, and the role of digital media and the Korean Wave in fostering re-ethnicization. This book also situates these youth experiences within the broader contexts of New Zealand’s multicultural policies, its bicultural foundation, multicultural frameworks and the global dynamics of diaspora and migration. Drawing on theories of segmented assimilation, transnationalism, and ethnic belonging, this book offers new insights into how young migrants navigate dual identities and negotiate belonging in an increasingly diverse and complex society for scholars and students in migration studies, sociology, diaspora studies, Asian studies and cultural studies.