Adhesive Sociocultural Adaptation of Korean Immigrants in the U.S.: An Alternative Strategy of Minority Adaptation

Adhesive adaptation is conceptualized as a particular mode of adaptation in which certain aspects of the new culture and social relations with members of the host society are added on to the immigrants’ traditional culture and social networks, without replacing or modifying any significant part of the old. In light of this conceptual framework, various patterns of Korean immigrants’ adaptation in the U.S. are examined. For data collection, 615 Korean immigrants in the Los Angeles area were interviewed in 1979. Findings indicate that the immigrants’ strong and pervasive ethnic attachment is unaffected by their length of residence in the U.S., socioeconomic status and cultural and social assimilation rates. The adhesive mode of adaptation is thus empirically confirmed by this study. Theoretical and practical implications of this adhesive adaptation are discussed in the conclusion.