Cultural Tug of War and Korean Americans and Their Religions

Why have religion and spirituality been so central for the approximately 1.1 million people of Korean ancestry in the United States? The answer, in part, lies in their history. Many immigrant groups have turned to their religious traditions as a means of surviving and negotiating an often harsh and hostile environment.

Surveys indicate that approximately 75 percent of Korean-Americans are active participants in Protestant congregations. Of the other 25 percent some are Catholic, some are Buddhist and some have no affiliation. Since only a quarter of South Korea's population is Christian, something obviously is taking place in the migration and settlement process, even if one assumes that a greater proportion of those who chose to come to the U.S. are Christian.

Although Koreans have been in this country since 1903, they did not come in large numbers until the passage of the 1965 Immigration Act, which lifted longstanding discriminatory and restrictive quotas aimed at Asian countries. However, the earliest arrivals set the pattern that made churches the core of the community. From the sugar-cane plantations of Hawaii to settlements scattered across the mainland, immigrant churches served Korean-Americans in need of social services, ethnic solidarity, meaning and faith. Although differentiated by era, Korean-Americans have always looked to the churches to address a range of concerns and to provide the space for community development.