Language use and the construction of Korean identity among North American diaspora Koreans: A generational narrative–discursive analysis

Seunggon Jeong

Lecturer, Department of Korean Language Education, Seoul National University; 1, Gwanak-ro, Gwanak-gu, Seoul 08826, South Korea

Abstract

This study investigates the discursive construction of diasporic Korean identities across generations using a sociocultural narrative discourse approach. Combining interpretative phenomenological analysis with Braun and Clarke’s (2006) thematic framework, it examines interviews and public discourse materials to explore how language functions as both a symbolic resource and a medium of social practice. The findings reveal a generational shift from heritage-oriented identity maintenance to processes of identity reconstruction and negotiation. While earlier generations emphasize collective belonging through linguistic continuity and shared cultural memories, later generations reinterpret Korean as a resource for self-expression, relational positioning, and social recognition within multicultural contexts. In this sense, language does not operate as a marker of ethnic purity but as an interactive site where identities are negotiated, reconfigured, and performed. Theoretically, this study contributes to diasporic identity research by foregrounding performative subjectivity and demonstrating how language mediates identity construction across both generational and sociocultural contexts.

초록

Vol. 40 No. 4 (2022.12)

Journal Abbreviation j. Korea Saf. Manag. Sci.
Frequency Published four times annually in March, June, September, and December
Doi Prefix 10.14353/sjk.
Year of Launching 1993
Publisher The Sociolinguistic Society of Korea

Indexed/Tracked/Covered By

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socioling.jams.or.kr

The Sociolinguistic
Society of Korea

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- E-mail: schang@hoseo.edu

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