The adjustment of Korean adolescents in New Zealand

Abstract

The Korean ethnic group is one of the largest Asian ethnic groups in New Zealand with the highest growth rate. It is also a youthful and very recent immigrant group. This study explored the experience of Korean adolescents’ adjustment in New Zealand, and in particular things that support and impede their adjustment. The study consisted of several related projects. In Study One interviews were conducted with ten Korean adolescents about their experience of living in New Zealand. The data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Four themes emerged for factors that supported adjustment: ‘Being Prepared’, ‘Being Open’, ‘Positive Interaction with Host-nationals’, and ‘Support from Koreans’, and four themes on factors that impeded adjustment: ‘Being Distant Socioculturally’, ‘Rejection from New Zealanders’, ‘Stress related to Other Koreans’, and ‘Future-oriented Worries’. In Study Two a questionnaire (the Experience of Living in New Zealand (ELNZ) questionnaire) was developed based on these themes. This questionnaire and two measures of psychological adjustment (Subjective Happiness Scale and Centre of Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale) were administered to 147 Korean adolescents to examine the association between aspects of experiences in living in New Zealand with psychological adjustment. The results showed that most of the factors represented in the ELNZ questionnaire were related to psychological adjustment, except the experience of racial discrimination. Recommendations for interventions were collected from participants of Study Two and from two Korean counsellors. Recommendations for interventions to support Korean adolescents’ adjustment to New Zealand included promotion of social contacts with host nationals, increasing social opportunities and leisure activities, and the provision of emotional and practical support by the Korean community and schools.