We are no different.

1. We are no different. Korean military brides in Junction City, Kansas University of Kansas

2. Persons by races: Junction City and its adjacent area 2000 Total of Koreans: 840

3. Persons by races: Junction City and its adjacent area 1990 Total of Koreans: 1, 126 University of Kansas

4. Persons by races: Junction City and its adjacent area 1980 University of Kansas

5. Geary County: Foreign-born PersonsAmerican military presence University of Kansas

6. Map of Junction City, KS University of Kansas

7. Korean Settlers in Junction City • “As far as I remember, I would say I began to see growing number of Koreans coming from 1965 since I came here in 1963. The Korean newcomers used to work under my supervision when I worked at KP. As you can imagine, when they first came they had limited access to jobs. They would work as dish washers and cleaners at KP. One of them is the family of the current Korean grocery store here. They came to Junction City in the early 1972, and began to have their own business; grocery store, Korean restaurant, and later Korean mill house. They are one of those who became so successful in this community. The first Korean grocery store opened was Je-il grocery that is on Grant Avenue. Since then the owner has changed several times, and the current one became blind and put the store for sale.” University of Kansas

8. American Military Presence in South Korea • Koreans in Junction City=part of the legacy of the Korean War and the continuing American military presence • Opportunity for better life • My interviewee: “Picking a Star Out of Sky” University of Kansas

9. Complicated identity and membership • Junction City: a contested place where the Korean women’s identity and membership in the Korean community and American society have been constantly defined and redefined, or understood and misunderstood, where issues of race, gender, and class were clearly embedded. University of Kansas

10. Constant Struggle • How they are seen by others vs how the women see themselves and their lives University of Kansas

11. Beginning of the Research:How They are Seen by Others • Examples: Joan Nagel’s introduction to Korean women in Junction City • South Korea and Junction as “Ethnosexual sites” • My first visit to Junction City, KS, in 2001 University of Kansas

12. One of the Korean Restaurants when I first visited Junction City. One of the first places I visited in Junction City University of Kansas

13. Kim’s Beauty Salon Seoul Restaurant Junction City Korean Businesses University of Kansas

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18. Ads of Korean churches in 1991 University of Kansas

19. Korean military brides as “former prostitutes” • Stereotype as “former prostitutes” or “opportunity seekers” • Examples through interviews (within Korean community): 1. A beauty supply shop owner 2. A Kansas State Univ. student 3. A deacon in my church 4. Their membership not recognized in Korean American society=many do not want to associate with KMBs. University of Kansas

20. Junction City Businesses and a Prostitution Recruit Site How they are seen and received by American society: Kevin Wilmott: Junction City businesses did not want Koreans doing business next to them Articles claim: “The town on the edge of Fort Riley has been a major spot for recruiting women, mostly Korean, to work as prostitutes in states such as Hawaii, Texas, New York, Illinois, and Wyoming.” Accordingly, more than 100 Korean women have been recruited University of Kansas

21. 1986 Junction City Korean prostitution Incident • Moral scrutiny: “It’s an import business that deals in deception, that thrives on lust and greed. The commodity is sex. The imports are Korean women. And profits depend on a marriage license . . . some of the trade, authorities contend, has its beginnings in sham marriage: U.S. servicemen who meet and marry Korean women, some already prostitutes, in their homeland.” University of Kansas

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23. Korean Prostitution Ring University of Kansas

24. Examples of how they have seen their lives and themselves • My interviewees’ reaction to the prejudice • Lizette Peter’s interview and Korean students in her class • Reaction to Dotson’s remarks University of Kansas

25. My interviewee’s Reaction to the Prejudice • Park suggests that it was not Americans who have given her hard time, but Koreans, especially those who emigrated differently from the way military brides had:The funny thing was, I can tell you, that more than 90 percent of those immigrants in Junction City and many in Kansas City came to the United States through the sister-sponsored immigration program, directly and indirectly. In other words, those people have one of their family members married to American GI. But they tend to look down on the military brides. I am not telling a lie. I can really sense their attitude toward people like me. But this is America, not Korea. If in Korea, they can discriminate against us, but they should not do that to us in this country. All of us immigrants are in the same boat, and we should stand together to cope with hardship we face here. But we tend not to. I can say that the relationship between them and military brides is like oil on water. In the end, maybe there are three different groups in this Korean community: military brides, those who married American officers, and those who emigrated through sister-sponsored programs. University of Kansas

26. Lizette Peter, ESL Teacher • Atmosphere in her classroom and the Korean students’ motivation to learn English: their imaginings and desire to fulfill their dream to learn“All of the [Korean] students were really hard-working students. I should not say all because there is always an exception. The adult women students had more variation than younger students. The high school age students worked “their butt off.” One of them was a classical pianist who was Korean. She worked so hard on her piano. She is the one who unfortunately killed herself. • Learning English was number one because they knew that was a key to everything. So these students in my class worked so hard. They would do anything that it took to learn English. Even those who spoke English pretty well would still want to be in my class because they wanted to perfect their English. • The others just wanted to be in high school to be with their Korean friends. Those women I had in my class were more like housewives, and they were more focused on education than on getting a job. University of Kansas

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29. Episode: Dotson’s Derogatory Remarks on Koreans • Koreans as Animal Abuser • Not live up to the European civilization standard • Koreans in America came for greed and prostitution She concludes, “I don’t think there will be a friendship between civilized Americans and Koreans. “Is that why you have more money in our beautiful country; add to dog and cat money, Korean prostitution income?” University of Kansas

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32. What My Research Reveals • Whether their marriages survive or not, their lives are not failures or mere examples of struggle in an “ethnosexual site.” • Instead, they are the women who took concrete step to learn the skills necessary to adapt to a new culture and who maintain ties with their home culture, via traditional practices, social networks, and economic support for their family of origin. University of Kansas