University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Practices of linguistic and cultural identities of Korean American students in the Korean church

Yang, Hye-in

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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/125829

Description

Title
Practices of linguistic and cultural identities of Korean American students in the Korean church
Author(s)
Yang, Hye-in
Issue Date
2024-07-17
Director of Research (if dissertation) or Advisor (if thesis)
González Ybarra, Mónica
Department of Study
Curriculum and Instruction
Discipline
Curriculum and Instruction
Degree Granting Institution
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Degree Name
M.A.
Degree Level
Thesis
Keyword(s)
  • religious literacy
  • identity
Abstract
This study investigates how Korean American youth practice their Korean language and culture within a Korean church and how these practices impact their cultural and linguistic identity formation. Given the dominance of English in the U.S., Korean American youth often face challenges in maintaining their home and community language and cultural practices due to the dominance of English and the devaluation of their home and community languages and cultures in educational settings. Korean churches provide a crucial out-of-school context where Korean American youth can nurture their cultural identities and linguistic skills through religious literacies. With identity and religious literacy as the two main frameworks, the study employs qualitative methods to explore these dynamics. It is guided by questions on how the religious literacies of Korean American youth interact with their linguistic and cultural identities, and how the Korean church serves as a site for the linguistic and cultural identity formation of Korean American youth. The findings from this study reveal that Korean American youth exhibit a dynamic interplay between their dual identities, shaping their unique Korean American persona. The Korean church setting significantly fosters these students' cultural and linguistic identities by engaging them in social activities and communication in the Korean language. This research highlights the role of religious literacy practices in the church, which interact with and support the multilingual development of Korean American youth.
Graduation Semester
2024-08
Type of Resource
Thesis
Handle URL
https://hdl.handle.net/2142/125829
Copyright and License Information
Copyright 2024 Hye-in Yang

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