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Challenges of Growing Up as Mixed Race Children: Why Do Children in Korea Face Identity Crisis?
As the diversification process of Korean society accelerates, more and more family members grow up in South Korea but have not fully integrated into Korean culture. These families include not only those with foreign members but also those with Korean expatriates or North Korean refugee members. In order to adapt to these changes, policies are also making corresponding adjustments to meet the needs of multicultural families.
Definition of multicultural family
The multicultural family support policy is designed to assist families who have obtained Korean citizenship, and these families often have members from different cultural backgrounds. The type of family that can be defined as two cultures that coexist through international marriage also includes families of foreign workers, families of North Korean refugees, and families of Korean descent who entered South Korea as immigrants.
“Multicultural families are a symbol of diversity and integration, but the deep-rooted racial concepts still make children’s identity a major challenge.”
Identity classification
Children of international marriage immigrants
At least one of the parents of such children is of Korean nationality and the other is of foreign nationality. These children are often culturally influenced by their family background and face greater integration and adaptation challenges.
Children of foreign worker families
Most of the children brought by foreign workers when working in South Korea or children born in South Korea still retain the nationality of their country of origin, and their family backgrounds prevent them from receiving equal support and recognition in society.
Children of North Korean refugee families
These children, known as "generation citizens," often acquire South Korean citizenship after fleeing North Korea. Culturally, they will face significant cultural differences between North and South Korea, which undoubtedly adds to their identity confusion.
The life of a mixed-race child
In South Korea, being biracial means living in a minority group from an early age. Traditionally, South Korea has been viewed as a monoethnic country and therefore less accepting of transnational marriages and mixed-race children. As the number of Korean men marrying foreign women increases, the number of mixed-race children gradually rises.
“Mixed-race children are often regarded as incomplete Koreans in society, which brings considerable difficulties to their growth.”
Current status and law
According to 2015 data, the number of children in multicultural families in South Korea has reached 207,693. These children face challenges from all aspects of society, including education, work and cultural adaptation.
Since 2008, South Korea has established the Multicultural Family Support Act, and in 2016 it proposed adaptation measures for children’s growth cycles in an attempt to improve their quality of life and social integration.
Social and economic status quo
As of 2015, the total number of educated students from multicultural families was 83,000, accounting for approximately 1.4% of all students. However, the attendance of these pupils is below the national average, demonstrating their difficult position in the education system.
“Low attendance reflects society’s lack of tolerance for students from multicultural backgrounds.”
Conclusion
Children from multicultural families are facing multiple challenges brought about by identity, language barriers and social discrimination. As society gradually opens up, although the support measures from the government and society have gradually increased, there is still a long way to go before true cultural integration. In this process, how to help these children find their own identity and integrate into society is undoubtedly a topic worth pondering for us?
