Understanding the integration experiences of Korean Canadians

Abstract

The purpose of this research is to understand and measure the integration experiences of Korean immigrants in Manitoba in terms of their social, political, education and employment domains. The primary theory used in this research is social capital. Theories of acculturation, ethnic economy, power and stratification are also used to situate my research. Data was collected using mixed methods comprising a survey of 260 Korean Canadians living in Winnipeg and qualitative interviews with 12 respondents. The analysis shows, among other things, high levels of racism felt by Korean immigrants in Winnipeg. While this perception and daily encounter of discrimination in the community would impede Korean immigrants’ integration into Canada, there also is a strong will to succeed in the community through accessing existing social capital and a willingness to invest in social capital. The contributions made in the development and operationalization of social capital in terms of willingness to invest and social capital mindset are documented. Several program ideas are offered for policy-makers and future research areas have been identified. The development of a political engagement index provides justification for observations made by the social capital theory and immigrant integration literature.