Korean American facts for kids
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| Total population | |
|---|---|
| 1,887,914- 2,492,252 0.6%-0.7% of the U.S. population (2017) |
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| Regions with significant populations | |
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| Languages | |
| English, Korean | |
| Religion | |
| 61% Protestantism 23% Unaffiliated 10% Roman Catholicism 6% Buddhism |
Korean Americans are people living in the United States who have Korean heritage. Most of them (about 99%) come from South Korea. A small number come from North Korea, China, Japan, or countries that were once part of the Soviet Union.
The U.S. is home to the second largest Korean community outside of Korea itself. Only China has a larger Korean population. Korean Americans make up about 0.6% of the total United States population. This means there are about 1.8 million Korean Americans. They are the fifth largest Asian American group.
Contents
Understanding Korean American Heritage
Why Koreans Moved to America
Many Koreans moved to the United States for different reasons. A big reason was the hope for more freedom. They also looked for better chances to find jobs and improve their lives. This desire for a better future brought many families to America.
Language and Communication
Korean Americans often speak both English and Korean. The languages they use depend on where they were born. It also depends on when they moved to the United States. New immigrants might mix Korean and English words. This is called code switching. It helps them communicate in both cultures.
Adoptions and New Beginnings
Between 1953 and 2007, over 107,000 children from South Korea were adopted into families in the United States. These adoptions helped many children find loving homes. They also added to the growing Korean American community.
People from North Korea
It is very hard for people to leave North Korea. However, some people of North Korean origin live in the U.S. Many of them fled to South Korea during the Korean War. Later, they moved to the United States. Since 2004, a law called the North Korean Human Rights Act of 2004 has helped some North Koreans come to the U.S. as refugees. About 130 people have settled here under this law.
Images for kids
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Korean Americans have achieved a high demographic profile in some U.S. cities, including New York City.
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Koreans in the United States, on the census 2000
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Korean-American football player in Chicago, 1918
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A wide range of Korean Americans
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Juju Chang is an American television journalist for ABC News, and currently serves as an anchor of Nightline.
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Randall Park beginning in 2015 he portrayed Eddie Huang's father, American restaurateur Louis Huang, in ABC's television show Fresh Off the Boat.
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In areas with many Korean immigrants, the Korean language is still used for newspapers, religion, and business signage, in addition to conversational use.
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David Chang is an American restaurateur, author, and television personality.
