A portrait of Korean-Canadians

By Lee Hyon-soo

Koreans living in Canada are called Korean-Canadians.

Koreans started trickling into Canada in the 1960s. First came students. They studied at Canadian universities, many of them staying on after they finished their studies. Next arrivals comprised young men and women who had worked as coal miners or nurses in West Germany. They chose to come to Canada rather than return to Korea.

However, it was not until the early 1970s that Koreans started to arrive in Canada in significant numbers. They were admitted to Canada on the strength of their own credentials or at the invitation of their relatives who were already living here. In the last 20 years or so a lot more Koreans acquired the right of abode thanks to Canada’s investment programs designed to attract foreign capital.

The first batch of Korean-Canadians had gone to school in Canada and naturally had no difficulty in settling in. Some latecomers who were well-prepared in terms of language and occupational skills were similarly able to adapt to a new way of life with relative ease. However, the majority of Koreans came grossly unprepared and struggled to overcome the culture shock and the language barrier.

With the exception of the relatively well-to-do Koreans who came as investors, most Koreans who settled in Canada were more or less empty-handed when they arrived and had to start from scratch financially. They have worked hard over the years ― much harder than the widely-acclaimed workaholics back home ― and have eventually managed to become financially independent.

It took Koreans only forty years or so to emerge as a coherent and relatively affluent community in Canada. This is a remarkable achievement, the envy of other ethnic groups in Canada.

Koreans in Canada are engaged in diverse lines of business. Many work at government offices or large corporations, and there are quite a few self-employed professionals such as lawyers, doctors, dentists, accountants, realtors, financial consultants, insurance brokers, among others. However, the majority of Koreans here are mom-and-pop retailers, selling all kinds of merchandise and services.

Korean-Canadians number approximately 230,000 now (in addition, a large number of Korean adolescents are studying at Canadian schools on student visas). The majority of Korean-Canadians live in the Toronto and Vancouver areas. In downtown Toronto there is a street lined by Korean shops and restaurants. Their signboards are written in Korean and business is conducted mainly in Korean there.

Canada is a relatively tolerant society where racism does not pose a serious problem. However, prejudices against visible minorities do exist to a certain degree. Given this fact plus language and cultural barriers, Koreans usually socialize among themselves. This is why Korean churches flourish in Canada. Not only are churches places of worship, but ― maybe more importantly ― they also serve as the center of social life for Koreans. For the same reason, alumni, clan, trade and other associations abound.

However, the characteristics of the Korean community in Canada are undergoing gradual change as the offspring of the first-generation Korean-Canadians assume more prominent roles in Canadian society. Brought up and educated in Canada, they are self-assured and full of ginger.

Many have already joined the Canada’s main stream workforce and are doing very well in the professions of their choosing. And many more will follow in their footsteps. As they climb up the social ladder, the Korean community as a whole will surely grow in stature.

The writer is a freelance columnist based in Toronto, Canada. His email address is tomhslee@hanmail.net.