Korean American Immigration History

According to the National Association of Korean Americans (2003) said that in 2003 Korean Americans celebrated the 100th anniversary of Korean Immigration to the United States. They go on to say that this however is not the actual beginning for Korean immigration. There was a man named Philip Jaisohn that arrived in 1885 as a political exile and became the first Korean to become a U.S. citizen. In December 1902, 56 men, 21 women, and 25 children traveled to Hawaii. They landed on January 13, 1903.

Korean Americans first arrived in America between the years of 1903 to 1905. This is when they were brought over to Hawaii to meet labor demand on the plantations after a law was created barring Chinese labor immigration. There was a little more than 7,000 Korean immigrants that came over in the “First Wave”. (Schaefer, 2015) There were about 1,100 more Korean “picture brides” brought in as well before 1924 and the National Origins Act. (Chang, Lai, Arguelles, 2003) The brides that were brought in had better educated than their spouse. They were thought to bring life and hope to the bachelor community. They took part in the church activities, and helped in the independence movements to free their homeland from the Japanese rule. A third of the

The American soldiers brought home Korean brides, arranged adoption of war orphans and sponsored students to come to the U.S. About 6,000 Students, 6,500 Brides, and 6,300 Adopted children arrived between the years of 1951 to 1954. This is just the beginning of how many have immigrated here. More than 100,000 adopted children and 100,000 brides for Americans, have immigrated here since than the Korean War. (Chang, Lai, Arguelles, 2003) 778,899 Korean immigrants were admitted between the years of 1941-1998. Korean immigration peaked in the 1980’s and admittance has steadily declined since 1987. (Chang, Lai, Arguelles,