The Right to a Place: Stories of Korean Elders Living in Flushing, Queens, New York
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2016
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Bryn Mawr College. Department of Growth and Structure of Cities
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Thesis
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eng
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Abstract
I introduce the older Korean population in Flushing, Queens, New York, with a historical review of Korean immigration to the United States. The emergence of a Korean-American community also entailed that of a new Korean-American culture, discussed in relation to the traditional familial structure now changed in the context of transnational migration. Beyond the home, I look at the social life of the seniors in communal spaces. In the workings of this thesis, I find that some Korean elders in Flushing actively seek social support in unanticipated settings ─ a McDonald’s and the basement of a church. Employing the concept of place experience, I qualitatively evaluate the fast-food restaurant and the senior center, both as products of the physical setting, the people who occupy it, and the programs that occur within. I try to infer from this interaction of the place, the people, and the program the appeal of each place experience. Place experience is then personalized by situating it within the lives of older Korean individuals in Flushing. By voicing the everyday experiences of this community, I hope to bring to attention the way that elderly Koreans in Flushing actively engage in the negotiation of place for themselves today and toward a more equitable and sustainable city tomorrow.