Korean American Studies: Then and Now

This thesis is a literature review of Korean American studies that compares work from the Old Guard (pre-2000s) and the New Guard (post-2000s) with the goal of finding an overarching trend occurring over time. Through analyzing sources from multiple disciplines, I argue that the main trend from the Old Guard to the New Guard is a pulling away from South Korea. As the Korean American Studies field progressed, it found itself needing to create distance between itself and South Korea. Because of how traditional Korean values were overturned and questioned due to immigrating to the United States, Korean Americans claimed an identity as Korean Americans rather than Korean immigrants living in America. I conclude that although the trend from the Old Guard to the New Guard is that of creating distance, moving forward, the trend is bound to change as the Korean American community grapples with its potential exclusiveness and as South Korea becomes more active on the world stage.