Foreign Wives and Migrant Workers in Korea

Today I read an article posted by my coworker Daniel about alarming trends concerning migrant workers and foreign wives:

http://yaleglobal.yale.edu/content/people-move-part-ii

In brief, the article describes the case of a rural Korean man who murdered his Vietnamese wife. The frequency of incidences of domestic violence toward female southeast Asian spouses is exposing underlying issues of Korean race relations and cultural perspectives.

Attitudes toward foreigners vary widely in Korea. Ok, I'm about to make some sweeping generalizations right now so bear with me and keep in mind that not all Koreans think this way, but a large enough contingent to make the behavior worth noting. Generally Koreans have a much different reaction whether discussing or encountering Western (white) foreign English teachers, Western (non-white) foreign English teachers, Southeast Asian migrant workers, and Southeast Asian wives. Those in the first category are met with welcoming smiles, constant comments about how beautiful they look, and general goodwill. Those in the other categories are met with a variety of reactions, but markedly less positive.

How does this article tie into this blog's theme of learning language? Well, I believe that one of the major forces behind the difference in reactions to English speaking foreigners and non English speaking foreigners is an issue of prestige. The English speaking foreigners speak the language of world power, a language whose mastery Koreans must achieve to score well on their TOEIC test to get a top job. Non English speaking foreigners find that as their native language is given less respect, they are also afforded less respect as people. In addition, the women who arrive as brides to rural Korean farmers find themselves adrift in a very strict family culture (with the infamous mother-in-law / daughter-in-law relationship to navigate) and if they cannot speak Korean, arrive already horribly disempowered. Combined with the absence of a road to citizenship, it's no wonder that relationships tend to be imbalanced. Solutions will be slow - education centers are needed to help these migrant workers and wives to learn not only Korean but cultural "language" as well. Situations must be fostered in which these workers and wives are motivated to learn English in an environment that respects them as human beings, not just for the increasingly needed rule they play in Korean society.

This article concludes by saying that Korea should focus on cross cultural communication to help its citizens forge more respectful relationships with the foreign workers and wives on the rise in Korean society. I couldn't agree more. Although national pride and a concept of "pure blood" are understandable given the recent and brutal colonial history with Japan, in fostering contempt for "lesser" neighboring nations in Asia, Korea is behaving like a kid on the playground who, after being bullied by a larger child, takes his frustrations out on those smaller than him. It's time to grow up.