The Intimate University
Korean American Students and the Problems of Segregation
Format:Hardback
Publisher:Duke University Press
Published:20th Nov '09
Currently unavailable, and unfortunately no date known when it will be back
This insightful examination of Korean American college students reveals the complexities of race and identity within a diverse university setting, as explored in The Intimate University.
In The Intimate University, Nancy Abelmann delves into the experiences of Korean American college students at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. This institution, home to over 30,000 undergraduates, boasts a significant population from the nearby metropolitan Chicago area. Many Korean American students arrive with hopes of embracing the liberal ideals of modern American education, where diversity and multiculturalism are celebrated. However, their journey is often marred by the realities of racial segregation and the stereotypes that accompany their identity as Asian Americans. These challenges complicate their aspirations and highlight the gap between the university's ideals and the lived experiences of its students.
Abelmann's work is rooted in ten years of ethnographic research, focusing on the nuanced dynamics of race, family, and community within the university setting. By closely following multiple generations of a single extended Korean American family, she sheds light on the complexities of racial politics that permeate the academic environment. The students, while being both hyper-visible and invisible in their racial identity, grapple with the expectations placed upon them and the desire to forge their own paths, often facing accusations of self-segregation, particularly due to their shared attendance at the same Evangelical Protestant church.
Ultimately, The Intimate University reflects on the paradox of celebrating diversity while remaining silent on the intricacies of race. Abelmann encourages a reexamination of how universities can better align their liberal ideals with the realities faced by students, advocating for a deeper understanding of racial dynamics in higher education today.
“Abelmann’s study is a layered work. Her research drills down into the layers of campus dynamics, student psychology and the cultural dissonance experienced by Korean Americas of the second generation.” - Bill Drucker, Korean Quarterly
“[T]he book captures an important segment of the continuously evolving story of racial diversity in higher education. It demonstrates how race does not
have to result in explicit racism to matter in students’ lives and that racial realities are much more complex. I hope that readers gain a fuller understanding of this subset of Asian American students, see parallels with other communities of color, and be challenged to reimagine liberal
education.” - Julie J. Park, Journal of Educational Research
“Abelmann presents compelling arguments regarding the experiences of Korean American students at university and how university rhetoric fails to manifest itself in the reality of acceptance of difference. . . . A volume to be applauded for its research, evidence driven conclusions and well considered arguments.” - Danielle Mulholland, M/C Reviews
“Nancy Abelmann’s ethnographic study of Korean American students attending the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign could not be more timely. . . . [R]efreshingly engaging and accessible. . .” - Min Hyoung Song, Journal of Asian Studies
“The Intimate University is a work that will be one of the most valuable referents for anyone interested in, among other things, issues of migration; minorities and their segregation in the United States; the university as an institution; Korean American society; and multiculturalism and diversity.” - Okpyo Moon, Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute
“The Intimate University tells an emotionally charged story of Korean American life on and off the campus of a large public research university in the American Midwest. It dispels the myths and stereotypes about Asian Americans through the different voices of college students and their relatives and through the author’s nuanced analysis and culturally sensitive interpretation.”—Min Zhou, author of Contemporary Chinese America
“Nancy Abelmann brings to light the oft-hidden maneuverings that Asian Americans have to perform in schools as students of color and, at the same time, students whose color ‘does not count’ by virtue of their alleged overrepresentation or overachievement. The Intimate University is an incisive and provocative account of university schooling as a site for navigating the intricacies and contradictions of race, immigration, community formation, and identity.”—Rick Bonus, author of Locating Filipino Americans
“Nancy Abelmann’s stunning portrait of Korean American university life will cause us to rethink our understanding of multiculturalism and diversity in the academy. This valuable and sobering account of one minority group’s experience also speaks more broadly to the intersection of race, religion, and identity, revealing the paradoxical notions on which American diversity is based. Don’t miss this book!”—Cathy Small, aka Rebekah Nathan, author of My Freshman Year: What a Professor Learned by Becoming a Student
“The Intimate University is a work that will be one of the most valuable referents for anyone interested in, among other things, issues of migration; minorities and their segregation in the United States; the university as an institution; Korean American society; and multiculturalism and diversity.” -- Okpyo Moon * Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute *
“[T]he book captures an important segment of the continuously evolving story of racial diversity in higher education. It demonstrates how race does not have to result in explicit racism to matter in students’ lives and that racial realities are much more complex. I hope that readers gain a fuller understanding of this subset of Asian American students, see parallels with other communities of color, and be challenged to reimagine liberal education.” -- Julie J. Park * Journal of Educational Research *
“Abelmann presents compelling arguments regarding the experiences of Korean American students at university and how university rhetoric fails to manifest itself in the reality of acceptance of difference. . . . A volume to be applauded for its research, evidence driven conclusions and well considered arguments.” -- Danielle Mulholland * M/C Reviews *
“Abelmann’s study is a layered work. Her research drills down into the layers of campus dynamics, student psychology and the cultural dissonance experienced by Korean Americas of the second generation.” -- Bill Drucker * Korean Quarterly *
“Nancy Abelmann’s ethnographic study of Korean American students attending the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign could not be more timely. . . . [R]efreshingly engaging and accessible. . .” -- Min Hyoung Song * Journal of Asian Studies *
ISBN: 9780822345978
Dimensions: unknown
Weight: 431g
216 pages