Second-Generation Koreans

As a subgroup of second-generation Americans, the term second-generation Korean Americans (SKGAs) usually refers to the first U.S.-born descendants of Korean immigrants. The term however can encapsulate a complex combination of important subgroups apart from the native-born children of immigrants. Today's SGKAs may also include Korean immigrant children who were raised in the United States (sometimes termed the 1.5 generation), adopted Korean immigrant children who were raised in the United States and U.S.-born biracial children of one Korean immigrant parent. [Page 806]While some scholars join together the 1.5 and second generation, other scholars note the significant differences in social experiences between these two groups. For the purposes of this article, SGKAs will only refer to those Korean Americans who were born in the United States to two immigrant Korean parents. Korean immigration can be traced back to the early 20th century; however, the term second generation typically refers to those born of immigrants arriving after 1965 to the present. Narrowing the definition to this time frame still accounts for most of today's second-generation Korean Americans owing to their much larger numerical presence. While generally young on average, SGKAs have made noticeable inroads in terms of contributions to many institutions, most particularly in religion. In this entry, we summarize the main social and demographic characteristics and a handful of areas that illustrate their position in society.