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Article Excerpt
ABSTRACT
The purpose of this study was to examine the story of Korean immigrant parents with preschool-age children regarding their preschool involvement and maintaining their cultural heritage. Data collection consisted of a questionnaire with forced-choice items and open-ended comments. These data were analysed using descriptive and content analysis. The results suggested that a consensus of the parents believed that early childhood education would nurture the children, help them develop English and socialization skills, and essentially provide them with the tools needed to prepare them for successful admission to kindergarten. Many parents, however, had concerns that the children would not retain the Korean language and culture which might eventually prevent the parents from being able to communicate with their children.
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A culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) student population has been increasing in American schools. More than 5 million students with limited English proficiency enrolled in schools throughout the nation in the 2003-2004 school year and the number has increased 65% since 1993-1994 (Lerner and Kline 2005).
Increases in the number of CLD students in U.S. schools have been placing greater demands on teacher preparation. Few teachers are prepared to provide instruction specifically designed to meet the linguistic, cognitive, academic, and emotional development needs of these students (AACTE 2002).
By learning about CLD parents' perception and experience, teachers can meet the challenges of diversity. When educators become familiar with other cultures, they can adapt the curriculum and their instructional and management strategies to accommodate the learning preferences and needs of their students (Mercer and Mercer 2001).
ACADEMIC SUCCESS IN KOREA
Over the past decade, many international measurements and analyses of student academic achievement, such as the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) and the Program for International Student Assessment, have reported that students in Korea ranked second in mathematics (Cavanagh and Robelen 2004) and fifth in science (TIMSS 2003) despite the fact that Korea has the highest student-to-teacher ratio among forty participating countries. The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) announced that children in Korea had a better chance in receiving a good education and a lesser chance of falling behind academically than students in the United States did (Borja 2004). Educational quality and improvement in Korea were the major discussion topics during the press conference in mid-September, 2004, when the 2003 edition of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) "Education at a Glance" was released (Trotter 2003). One significant statistic was that the percentage of the Korean population completing higher education improved to 3rd place from 17th in just one generation. The OECD expert explained that this was because Korea had an extraordinary national commitment to education.
In the Korean culture, parents' self-esteem is ultimately tied to the academic success or failure of their children. Extraordinary efforts are made by the parents to ensure that their children have every opportunity to obtain the very best education and regard education as the single most important factor leading to their children's future success. The parents willingly go into debt to pay for the expenses required for their children's schooling, extracurricular activities, and tutoring. Most children in elementary school, and even on the preschool level, attend after-school private tutoring sessions. This tutoring often precipitates a soaring financial burden for the whole family (Lee 2003; Yu 1983). It is also because the fiercely competitive nature of the Korean educational system has made students' academic success an all-consuming enterprise for most families, requiring much time, energy, money, and sacrifice (Kim 1996). With this financial sacrifice by their parents and family members, Korean children often feel very strongly that they must achieve academic success by excelling in school. In this way, honor is brought to the family and the family's social status and financial support ensured (Serafica 1990).
KOREAN PARENTS' SEARCHING FOR AN AVENUE FOR EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES
With the academic success that students in South Korea have achieved, a growing number of researchers and educators in the United States have begun researching the Asian curriculum. They are searching for ways to halt the declining academic proficiency among U.S. students (Prystay 2004). Yet even with the academic success shown by students in the Korean educational system, Korean sources (Korea Times, The Korea Daily, The Chosun Daily, in Lee 2004) have reported that Korean parents continue to search for another avenue for their children's education. They believe better educational systems, opportunities for a college education, and a chance to have successful careers can only be found in countries other than their own.
The Korea Trade Fair held in Seoul on September 8, 2003, reported that about 70 percent of the fifteen thousand participants wanted to immigrate to other countries, blaming Korean schools' stiff competition that arose from a weak public education, the cost of private schooling, and the inconsistency of government educational policies (Na 2003). There also were concerns about the excessive academic pressures placed on children (Greenless 1996). According to Lee (2003), many Korean parents often gave up high-paying careers in Korea and moved to other countries just to provide better educational opportunities for their children and themselves.
The choice country has been the United States for being the best for their children's education. Koreans have the perception of the United States as being a land of opportunity, holding brighter prospects for good jobs in the future (Kim 1993; Lee 2003; Na 2003). With this belief that better educational opportunities could be found in other countries, the term "goose families" emerged in the 1990s. "Goose family" was derived from the nature of the migrating birds flying a long distance during the migration season and to reflect their special dedication to their youngsters. Just as geese migrated, so did Korean mothers who flew periodically between Korea where their husbands lived, and the United States where their children were attending school (Min 1995). Approximately six thousand "goose moms" reportedly have been making their second home in the United States (Lee 2004).
DILEMMAS IN THEIR CHOSEN COUNTRY
Even when Korean parents chose to move to the United States for their children's education, there were uncertainties about the decision. The navigation of the American culture as well as the school system has often presented many barriers to immigrant parents. Al-Hassan...
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