Korean Immigrants in Indiana, 1990
A Guide to the Collection of Oral History Interviews at Indiana University
Bloomington
Finding aid prepared by the staff of the Center for
the Study of History and Memory with a grant from the National Endowment for the
Humanities Division of Preservation and Access, 2000-2002
Overview of the Collection
Repository
Indiana University Center for Documentary Research and Practice
Indiana University
Franklin Hall 0030B
601 E. Kirkwood Avenue
Bloomington, IN 47405
Phone: 812/855-2856
Fax: 812/855-0002
E-mail: ohrc@indiana.edu
https://cdrp.mediaschool.indiana.edu
Creator
Indiana University Center for the
Study of History and Memory
TitleKorean Immigrants in Indiana, 1990
Project No.
ohrc073
Interviews
10 interviews. Audiotapes, transcripts, and collateral
materials.
Physical Location
Interviews are housed in Franklin Hall, Room 0030B. Copies of interview transcripts are also held by the IU Libraries University
Archives.
Contact archives@indiana.edu for more information. For other locations housing the interviews
from this project, please contact the Center for Documentary Research and Practice office.
Language
Materials are in English
Abstract
The interviews in this project are centered around the experiences
of Koreans who immigrated to the United States and settled in Indiana. Many of
the interviewees comment on conditions in Korea, the reasons they decided to
leave that country, and the opportunities they found in the United States. In
addition, several interviewees speak of the cultural differences they have
discovered, and of the development of Korean American communities.
Scope and Content Note
This collection contains ten interviews conducted over two years. Interviews range from 32 to 172 minutes. All interviews
consist of audio tapes and most have typed transcripts, as well as collateral materials.
Administrative Information
Acquisition Information
Oral history interviews conducted by the Indiana University Center for the
Study of History and Memory from 1968 to the present, with particular focus on the
history of twentieth-century America and the Midwest.
Usage Restrictions
The archive of the Center for Documentary Research and Practice at Indiana University is open
to the use of researchers. Copies of transcript pages are available only when such copies
are permitted by the deed of gift. Scholars must honor any
restrictions the interviewee placed on the use of the interview. Since some of our earlier
(pre-computer) transcripts do not exist in final form, any editing marks in a transcript
(deletions, additions, corrections) are to be quoted as marked. Audio files may not be copied for
patrons unless the deed of gift permits it, and a transcript is unavailable for that
interview. The same rules of use that apply to a transcript apply to the audio interview.
Interviews may not be reproduced in full for any public use, but excerpted quotes may be
used as long as researchers fully cite the data in their research, including accession
number, interview date, interviewee's and interviewer's name, and page(s).
Preferred Citation
[interviewee first name last name] interview, by [interviewer first name last
name], [interview date(s)], [call number], [project name], Center for Documentary Research and Practice, Indiana University,
Bloomington, [page number(s) or tape
number and side if no transcript; if digital audio and no transcript, cite time when quote occurs].
Interview List
Interviewee
Chae, Charles H.
October 25,
1990
Call Number
90-084
Physical Description
Not transcribed; 2 tapes, 1 7/8 ips, 66
minutes
Interviewer
Orr, Lisa
Access Status
Open
Scope and Content Note
Charles H. Chae, born on April 1, 1938, discusses his life as a
Korean immigrant and Korean American in Indiana, and his career as an engineer
and owner of a general merchandise store.
-
Keywords
-
-
Occupation Names
- engineer
- store owner
-
Interviewee
Choi, Jaehong
November 11,
1990
Call Number
90-087
Physical Description
Not transcribed; 1 tape, 1 7/8 ips, 54 minutes
Interviewer
Orr, Lisa
Access Status
Open
Scope and Content Note
Jaehong Choi, born on February 12, 1947, discusses his life as a
Korean immigrant in the United States, and his education and career as a
scientist with AT&T Bell Labs.
-
Keywords
-
-
Corporation Names
- AT&T Bell Laboratories
-
-
Occupation Names
- scientist
-
Interviewee
Kim, Byong Chul
April 1,
1990
Call Number
90-080
Physical Description
9 pages; 1 tape, 1 7/8 ips, 32 minutes; no index
Interviewer
Orr, Lisa
Access Status
Open
Scope and Content Note
Byong Chul Kim, born on July 10, 1955, discusses his youth in
Korea, his emigration from Korea to the United States, and his graduate
education in engineering. He speaks of the cultural and value differences
between Koreans and Americans, and of the political demonstrations in which he
participated in Korea. In addition, Mr. Kim comments on how and where Korean
immigrant communities developed in the United States, and the centrality of
Korean churches to those communities.
-
Keywords
-
-
Place Names
- Seoul, South Korea
-
-
Subjects
- cultural differences
- immigrant communities
- immigration
- Korean churches
- political demonstrations
Interviewee
Kotarski, Kye Shin "Sheena"
October 31,
1990
Call Number
90-085
Physical Description
Not transcribed; 2 tapes, 1 7/8 ips, 74
minutes
Interviewer
Orr, Lisa
Access Status
Open
Scope and Content Note
Kye Shin "Sheena" Kotarski, born on January 26, 1939, describes
her experiences as a Korean immigrant in the United States married to a
native-born American, and the cultural differences she has observed.
-
Keywords
-
-
Subjects
- cultural differences
- immigration
Interviewee
Lee, Byong-Wha Esther
April 15,
1990
Call Number
90-082
Physical Description
Not transcribed; 2 tapes, 1 7/8 ips, 116
minutes
Interviewer
Orr, Lisa
Access Status
Open
Scope and Content Note
Byong-Wha Esther Lee, born on July 31, 1960, discusses her
education, experiences as a Korean immigrant in the United States, and her
career as a physician.
-
Keywords
-
-
Occupation Names
- physician
-
Interviewee
Lee, Haekyung Y.
November 13,
1990
Call Number
90-086
Physical Description
Not transcribed; 2 tapes, 1 7/8 ips, 65
minutes
Interviewer
Orr, Lisa
Access Status
Open
Scope and Content Note
Haekyung Y. Lee, born on April 23, 1958, discusses her
education, her experiences as a Korean immigrant in the United States, and her
job as an assistant professor in textiles at Indiana University.
-
Keywords
-
-
Corporation Names
- Indiana University
-
-
Occupation Names
- textiles professor
-
-
Subjects
- education
- immigration
Interviewee
Moon, Dierdra H.
April 29,
1990
Call Number
90-083
Physical Description
11 pages; 1 tape, 1 7/8 ips, 32 minutes; no
index
Interviewer
Orr, Lisa
Access Status
Open
Scope and Content Note
Dierdra H. Moon, born on January 17, 1959, discusses her
family's emigration from Korea to the United States, the educational
opportunities she was afforded in America, and the cultural differences she has
encountered. She speaks of the Korean culture's emphasis on respect for elders
and parents, gender roles, and methods of child discipline. In addition, she
comments on the adaptation of her family to life in the United States and the
importance of Korean churches to immigrants.
-
Keywords
-
-
Subjects
- child discipline
- cultural differences
- filial piety
- immigration
- Korean churches
- Korean gender roles
- marriage
- working mothers
Interviewee
Moon, Ed K.
April 1,
1990
Call Number
90-081
Physical Description
Not transcribed; 2 tapes, 1 7/8 ips, 81
minutes
Interviewer
Orr, Lisa
Access Status
Open
Scope and Content Note
Ed K. Moon, born on May 4, 1961, discusses his experiences as an
immigrant and Korean American, his education, and his career as a chemical
engineer.
-
Keywords
-
-
Occupation Names
- chemical engineer
-
Interviewee
Paik, Han Won; Paik, Chinok Chang
November 23,
1990
Call Number
90-088
Physical Description
35 pages; 3 tapes, 1 7/8 ips, 172 minutes; no
index
Interviewer
Orr, Lisa
Access Status
Open
Scope and Content Note
Han Won Paik, born on December 10, 1928, and his wife, Chinok
Chang Paik, born on April 14, 1934, discuss their emigration from Korea to the
United States, the impact of the Korean War on their lives, and their graduate
education in America. They speak of ties that bind Korean communities together
in the United States, including Korean Presbyterian churches and the Korean
language school in Indianapolis, Indiana. In addition, the couple comments on
Korean gender roles, the reason for frequent divorces in American-Korean
marriages, and the oppressiveness of communism in North Korea.
-
Keywords
-
-
Corporation Names
- Asian Help Ministries
- Korean Society of Indiana
-
-
Personal Names
- Rhee, Syngman
-
-
Place Names
- Indianapolis, Indiana
- North Korea
-
-
Subjects
- communism
- divorce
- education
- immigration
- Korean churches
- Korean gender roles
- Korean language school
- Korean War
- marriage
- working mothers
Interviewee
Park, Sae Jung
July 14,
1991
Call Number
90-089
Physical Description
Not transcribed; 1 tape, 1 7/8 ips, 60 minutes
Interviewer
Orr, Lisa
Access Status
Open
Scope and Content Note
Sae Jung Park, born on February 22, 1948, discusses his
education, his emigration from Korea, and his experiences as a Korean American
in Indiana.
-
Keywords
-
-
Subjects
- education
- immigration
