Korean Diaspora and Media in Australia : In Search of Identities

An essential dimension of why one becomes an immigrant is based on a quest for identities - who one is, whom one wants to be, and how one wants to live. There is much in common between immigrants of the past and immigrants today in terms of what they seek through diasporic life. However, one key difference relates to how they express the processes of searching for their identities. This book illuminates the ways in which Korean immigrants in Australia express their identities through autobiographies, novels, church websites, and popular weekly magazines. Korean Diaspora and Media in Australia also examines the role of the Korean immigrant church in contributing to the formation of transnational identities. Han's in-depth analysis is informed by the concepts of reflexivity and internal conversation from a tradition of critical realism. Internal conversation is enabled through human reflexivity (the regular application of mental ability) and is the process for individual agents to work out their best reactions to social conditions. Han carefully explains this process and thoughtfully applies it to the Korean community's search for identities in Australia.