Kim Kwang Chung  Ailee Moon  Young In Song

Korean schools in major American cities represent a collective effort by Korean immigrant communities to teach their children the Korean language, history and culture. Korean schools are voluntary organizations, operated by parents and other concerned Korean Americans, to teach Korean American children their language and heritage. Today, the vast majority of these schools are affiliated with ethnic Korean churches in several major American cities. The churches, as ethno-religious institutions, perform several functions, and one vital function is the establishment of Korean schools. While some independent Korean schools do exist, church related schools far outnumber the independent ones. The first Korean schools were founded in the 1970s, and thrived in the 1980s and 1990s. Today, it is estimated that there are approximately 1,000 Korean schools in the United States. Given the rapid growth in the number of Korean schools, it is important to evaluate how attendance at such schools affects young Korean Americans. This study, funded by the Foundation for SAT II Koreans, seeks to examine the effects of Korean schools on the current lives of young Korean adults, living in United States. In order to explore this issue, investigators have collected data from Korean American college students and young adults from several different regions in the United States.