Korean Immigrants and Business Development in the United States: Toward a Synthetic Perspective

This study attempts to explore the reasons why a particular minority community such as Korean immigrants has been able to successfully adapt to the U. S. economy, compared to other ethnic groups. It focuses on community characteristics in the ability to collectively mobilize resources for building businesses and self-employment. Contradictory reports in the literature, however, concerning the superior or inferior development of the self-employment business is related to the emphasis of the different aspects of minority groups. It is argued here that such ramification of explanations is unnecessary and that a more synthetic theoretical argument can be forwarded to explain the success of minority business of Korean immigrants. The baseline toward a theoretical framework is to account for the complex interrelation between economic and non-economic factors that underpin the historical context in which immigrant businesses survive and adapt. The study suggests that the issue of immigrant-owned business in the United States can be best understood in terms of the synergy view by which different theories and models of minority business are integrated and embodied in family relations.