Korean Domestic Violence Essay Research Paper Korean

Korean Domestic Violence Essay, Research Paper

Korean Domestic Violence

A 48-year old Korean woman, mother of two sons, has been living in Los Angeles for seven years now. On the evening of July 15, 1997, her husband comes home late at night from his financially shaky liquor store in East LA. He is tired and frustrated from the deception of an American dream once promised to him eight years ago. A small negative remark by the Korean woman causes the husband to unleash several strikes to her face with his open hand. She sustains several bruises on her face and a bloody nose, yet she says nothing and accepts the punishment as if it were inescapable event. She goes to sleep that night angered at herself for causing the outbreak and despaired with the fact that she will be offered no guarantees of safety for the next day.

Spousal abuse has been a consistent problem in American society. A general survey has shown approximately 4 million cases of domestic violence had occurred in America in one year. Among those 4 million, 95% of the cases are reported to be women. (Ho Kim, 1999, pp.5-7) The common emphasis is on America as a whole, but the situations of Korean American women have been seriously overlooked until recent times. Underneath the vague statistical lines, several contributing factors mark a great difference when approaching this problem. The cultural background and pressures of acculturation into the American culture have left Korean women as “legitimate victims” and have also left them with even smaller avenues of escaping abuse.(Agnew, 1998, p.2)

The national statistics reveals that domestic violence is one of the leading causes of injury to women between the ages of 15 and 44. (Mehrotra,1999, p.16) There has yet to be a distinct number of domestic violence surveys on Asian Americans alone. The few surveys that have been conducted recently show dramatic numbers.

In Massachusetts, Asians made up 18% of the victims killed as a result of domestic violence in 1997 but comprised only 3% of the state.s population. In California.s Santa Clara County, a report of showed that Asians accounted for 33% of domestic violence related deaths from 1993-1997 while Asians made up 14% of the county.s population. (Ho Kim, 1999, p.12)

In addition to the few surveys, the indirect facts of shelters and family counselors show the height of the problem. According to Vijay Agnew of the Center for Pacific Asian Family, the Asian Women.s Shelter in San Francisco turns away 75% of women who need their services due to lack of space. (Agnew, 1998, pp.8-10) Yet, many of these statistics are grossly misrepresented due to the subjects. conscious effort of underreporting. It is difficult to understand that the average Korean American battered wife will not report their case to another agency outside the family. Uncovering the details of the cultural background in which they are isolated to can see the perspective of the Korean wife.

The Korean immigration to the United States under went their third and largest wave within the past three decades. A majority of Korean American families that reside here in the coastal areas are first generation immigrants. What is important to realize about this first generation is their unwillingness to compromise their strong traditional values and norms. The great majority of both wives and husbands adhered to the traditional role patterns brought over from the old country. (Ho Kim, 1999, pp.14-15)

The social status of Korean wives has had strong implications for domestic violence in the family. A Korean wife plays a subservient role to the husband and is considered to be a “possession” to the husband. (Huisman, 1996, p.9) Their roles are clearly defined as the husband being the breadwinner in the family and the wife remaining home to do the household chores. Cultural myths, folklore and religion all reflect an image of women as second class citizens. The traditional value of a “good wife” is a wife who will be loyal, obedient and unquestioning to the husband. (ibid.,p.10)When looking at today.s Western standards, this can only be seen as barbaric, but the consistency at which Korean immigrants retain such values is strong. A large reason as to why a family would hold on to their traditions is because of the difficult acculturation process. The differences in lifestyle and beliefs from the Asian culture to the Western culture are so drastic that it is easier to grip what is familiar rather than adapt to what is foreign.

The Korean culture, just like many Asian cultures, do not encourage violence but instead accept physical forms of discipline. When dealing with relationships, intimacy and expression are frowned upon. This lack of intimacy allows violence and abuse to seep through into the cultural norms. These Korean wives come from a culture where there is an old saying that a bukuh (a kind of dried fish) and a wife must be beaten once a day. This saying makes an analogy of the wife being beaten for her disobedience as to a dried fish being beaten for its preparation as food. When a wife is found beaten, it is understood not only by others but also by the wife herself that she has deserved the beating. (Ho Kim, 1999, p.17)

The self-esteem and individualism for these women has been taken away by the society to such an extent, that the woman believes she should not anger her husband into viol