Acculturation Orientations towards ‘Valued’ and ‘Devalued’ Immigrants in South Korea
Abstract
This study, based on the Interactive Acculturation Model, investigates the acculturation orientations of undergraduates (n=279) in South Korea. Results show that Korean respondents considered South-East Asian immigrants to be less valued than Western immigrants. They were more welcoming towards ‘valued’ Western immigrants than they were towards ‘devalued’ South-East Asian immigrants. As in the case of undergraduates in North America & Europe, Korean undergraduates mainly endorsed integration and individualism towards both Western and South-East Asian immigrants, but they also strongly endorsed the segregationist orientations towards both ‘valued’ and ‘devalued’ immigrants reflecting the still contentious view of Korea as an immigration country.