SYMBOLIC ETHNIC IDENTITY OF YOUNG LOCAL KOREANS IN KAZAKHSTAN

Abstract

This research focuses on the ethnic identity of the younger generation of Koryo Saram, a local Korean community, in Kazakhstan. The goal was to better understand how young Koreans define their ethnicity and maintain their connection to it in the context of weakening diasporic ties, increasing rates of interethnic marriage, the popularization of South Korean culture, and growing nationalizing policies in the state. In addition, to address the question of how applicable the concept of diaspora is to younger generations of Koryo Saram, this research explores participants' perceptions of homeland and their sense of belonging. For data analysis, this study relied on Gans’ (1979) concept of symbolic ethnicity and Cohen’s (2004) and Koh and Baek’s (2020) elements of ethnic identity. Based on individual interviews and written responses from eight young Koreans, 18–25 years old, predominantly from Kostanay (with one participant from Karaganda), it can be argued that younger generations of local Koreans maintain a symbolic ethnic identity. They define their ethnicity both in primordialist terms (as inherited with blood) and through personal engagement with history and culture (symbols like Korean food, rites of passage, and celebrations). Ethnic identity is highly individualistic and is maintained predominantly within family-based networks, as many participants reported feeling disconnected from other co-ethnics at both local (hometown) and national (Kazakhstan) levels. The majority perceive Kazakhstan, rather than South Korea, as the true homeland, which aligns with previous studies. These findings in general offer new insights into how young local Koreans in Kazakhstan navigate their ethnic identity and highlight the potential limitations of applying the concept of diaspora to their case.