Transracial Korean Adoptee, Korean American, and South Korean Adolescent Conceptions of Family and Coming of Age in the Family Context

This study examined the unfolding of family and adulthood across differing Korean family contexts. Semi-structured interviews were conducted on 27 Korean adolescents: 8 Korean Americans (KAs), 9 Transracially Adopted Korean Americans (KADs), and 10 South Koreans (SKs). KADs emphasized the importance of their family’s shared journey in shaping their cultural identities. Alternatively, KAs and SKs more likely reported parental demandingness and paternal emotional/physical distance, with SKs often culturally equipped to interpret their fathers’ communications. SKs and KAs demonstrated culturally infused adulthood perceptions based on traditional gender roles and collectivistic values, while recognizing their parents’ timeless view of them as children.