Korean Americans

According to the 2000 U.S. Census, Korean Americans are one of the fastest growing immigrant groups in the United States. More than a million Korean Americans live in the United States, representing the fourth largest Asian American ethnic group. The majority of Korean Americans live in California. As the number of Korean Americans in the United States grows, our modern psychological understanding of this population needs to grow as well. To better serve Korean Americans, researchers have begun to clarify what is known about traditional Korean values and how these values might be relevant to psychological research and practice.

Like other Asian American groups, Korean Americans are often described as part of the “model minority,” having few personal or professional problems. Generally, researchers have neglected the study of Korean Americans because of a belief that the cultural values of Koreans protect them from psychological difficulties. For example, in the 1990s, research documented lower rates of mental illness, juvenile delinquency, and divorce among Korean Americans than among their Caucasian peers. It is now clear, however, that no ethnic or cultural minority group is immune to acculturation and adjustment problems. Korean Americans, like other Asian American groups, experience a variety of emotional, psychological, and social problems. It is believed that traditional Korean Americans are at risk for misdiagnosis and that their rates of mental illness are underestimated at best.

Knowing how to identify and measure the needs of Korean Americans has not come easily to the field. Language barriers and traditional prohibitions against sharing intimate information can make research with Korean Americans challenging. For example, traditional Korean values discourage self-disclosure and emotional expression, making it unlikely that this population would feel comfortable with the process of psychotherapy or with personal questions in research. Furthermore, traditionally oriented Korean Americans often underutilize modern mental health services, reducing their contact with professionals in the field. Those who do participate in Western therapy tend to have higher premature termination rates than do Caucasian clients.