Mass production of U. S. citizen in Korea

Ngai points out that “it[a globalist perspective] suggests a need to dislodge, through critical analysis, the colonialist and superpower nations from their self-claimed positions at the center of world history” (10). Quoting Dipesh Chakrabarty, she claims that we need to understand the forces and relations of power that generate migration between nations. Especially, her notion that “migration to the United States has been the product of specific economic, colonial, political, military, and/or ideological ties between the United States and other countries” (including South Korea) (10) is so interesting, because it reminds me of some problems in Korea.

As you guys know, unlike North Korea, South Korea is one of the allies of the U. S. Since Korea was divided into North and South, South Korea has invariably been under the power of influence of the U. S. Actually, our nation is still a semi-colony of the U. S., because we depend on the U. S diplomatically, militarily, politically, and economically. And the U. S. made us like that, because our location has a strategic importance. In Korea, they could attack China, Russia, and Japan. Now, Americans can use South Korea as a bridgehead to pressure China, Russia, and North Korea.

In this social context, English became very important to live in Korea. Those who can speak English very well can get any kind of job in Korean society. English is a power which can create economic and social opportunities to get into higher level of hierarchy. Plus, academic degrees from prestigious universities in America guarantee a fortune and reputation in Korea. So many Korean pregnant women go to America, bear their child there, and then come back only to get U. S citizenship. After that, the parents send their children to America for education, after they graduate middle school or elementary school. It has been an issue in Korean society that Korean upper class makes their children U. S. citizens to maintain their high status in society. Because when someone is a U. S. citizen, everything would be easier and cheaper in America. It means Korean upper class can easily raise their children in America. Not only upper class, but Korean middle class starts to participate in a mass production of U. S. citizen. It is nothing but a mass production of alien citizens, but it doesn’t matter because they will come back to Korea anyways. But in Korea, they are creating a group of alien citizen, because their cultural back ground influenced by American culture is very different from Korean culture. They spent much of their childhood in America and then come back because they cannot enjoy a privilege as upper class. They are just alien citizens in America. But when they come back, they realize that they cannot assimilate into Korean society either. It’s such a sad story, isn't it?