Acculturation, Biculturalism and Marginality: A Study of Korean American High School Students

The purpose of this study was to see what was happening to the newly arrived Korean-American high school immigrant students in the Aurora Public Schools. Were these students being assimilated into the American culture? Was this process of culture change causing them problems such as acculturative stress and feelings of marginality? The study led to the following conclusions: These students were bilingual and bicultural as well as in a marginal situation i.e. between two cultures. However, they did not seem to have many negative characteristics but their bilingual-biculturalism was accompanied by positive outcomes and positive self concept. Their marginal situation was not a negative status. These Korean-American high school students retained their culture and language while adding on the culture and language of the dominant group. Bilingual-biculturalism seemed to be related to preserving a positive and healthy self concept in a marginal situation.