Discussion: The issue of cultural identity for children of immigrants

Michelle Zauner’s article “Ever since my mom died, I cry in H Mart” and the video “Growing Up Korean American: My Struggles” addresses the issue of cultural identity for children of immigrants, Both materials show how children of immigrants can feel disconnected from their culture of origin and the reasons why this might happen. Your exam question asks you to discuss the challenges children of immigrants might face in relation to their cultural identity, using the two materials as starting points. Do not forget to include references to the video in this assignment.

Firstly, you could mention how children of immigrants might struggle to form an identity for themselves. In Zauner’s article, we learn that she had “a Caucasian father and a Korean mother” (l. 13). She mentions that her mother was her bridge to her Korean heritage. In this way, she started to associate the loss of her mother with the loss of her Korean identity, as there is no one t...