Mother’s

Korean Passport

Mother’s Korean Passport

By: Jason Kim

Creators

  • Republic of Korea

Place

  • Seoul, South Korea

Date Issued/Renewed

  • Circa 2016

Institution

  • Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Korea

Language of Document

  • English and Hangul

Collection

  • N/A

Content Description

  • Passport belonging to my mother, issued by the Republic of Korea, commonly referred to as South Korea. The cover has the following in both English and Hangul, in embossed letters:
    • The words “Republic of Korea” above the state emblem; the word “Passport” below the state emblem; the international e-passport symbol below the word “Passport”; and the state emblem on the center of the cover.

Analytical Description

For my family artifact, I chose my mother’s passport. My mother is the only member of our family without a United States passport, which has created unique challenges for organizing our already difficult family meetings and vacations. These experiences are representative of not just my family’s history, but are also an anchor to the larger history and experiences of Korean Americans and Asian immigrants.

This artifact connects to several major themes we have discussed in class. Namely, historical themes of immigration, the relationship of first-generation immigrants to their second-generation children, and the challenges of acclimating to a new culture and country of residence.

This passport is one example of the connections Asian-Americans throughout history have encountered as links to their country of ancestry or their parents’ home country. Furthermore, the unique status of my mother as the only non-United States passport holder is an example of the challenges faced by immigrant families and their ultimate goal of settling in the United States and/or achieving citizenship.

Keywords

  • Korean-American
  • Immigrant
  • Trans-nationalism
  • Ethnicity
  • Family