Joseonjok and Goryeo saram ethnic return migrants in South Korea: Hierarchy among co-ethnics and ethnonational identity

Abstract

Joseonjok and Goryeo saram diasporic return migrants, respectively from China and Uzbekistan, settled in South Korea from the early 1990s and have experienced discrimination and alienation by their South Korean co-ethnics. Joseonjok, who maintained Korean language, generally occupy higher economic and social status than Goryeo saram, who lost their Korean language capacity. In the bottom of ethnic hierarchy, Goryeo saram tend to resent both Joseonjok and South Koreans. In doing so, they tend to view their co-ethnics as “uncivilized” people while they consider themselves more “civilized” people with “Russian heritage” (even though most of them were born and raised in Uzbekistan). Comparison of the diasporic homecomings of Joseonjok and Goryeo saram provides important insights on how diasporic people build and recreate their ethnonational identities.