The Cost of Belonging

About the Author(s)

Sharon J. Yoon is Assistant Professor of Korean Studies at the Keough School for Global Affairs at the University of Notre Dame.

Reviews

"Powerful and well worth reading." -- Sandra Fahy, Carleton University, Ottawa, Pacific Affairs

"These are stories of longing, betrayal, and ambition. Because we can all relate to these stories, ethnographic work such as this book makes the complex interplay of identity and class understandable to readers new to the context." -- Erik Mobrand, Journal of Contemporary Asia

"Yoon's masterful ethnographic study of Beijing's Korean enclave reveals both the possibilities and limits of ethnic solidarity for those seeking to advance in today's globalized economy. Her elucidation of the costs as well as the benefits of belonging, and their unequal distribution among Koreans divided by class, gender, birthplace, and religion, lay bare the human struggles that underlie contemporary transnational networks of trade, investment, and production. The Cost of Belonging equally enriches the fields of economic sociology, international migration, cultural sociology, stratification, ethnic relations, and East Asian studies."--Douglas S. Massey, Princeton University

"The Cost of Belonging is a path-breaking study of a twenty-first century transnational ethnic enclave. By immersing herself in the everyday tensions, hierarchies, and opportunities of Beijing's Koreatown, Sharon Yoon upends conventional wisdom about the strength of ethnic ties and human capital in securing upward mobility for immigrants. Meticulously researched and beautifully written, Yoon reveals the social and emotional costs of instrumentalizing culture and commodifying ethnicity in an economically vibrant yet highly stratified ethnic enclave. This superb book is a must-read not only for specialists interested in Asian diasporas and migrations, but for anyone concerned about the dilemmas of ethnicity and belonging in an increasingly unequal and unjust world."--Jennifer Jihye Chun, University of California Los Angeles

"What happens when South Koreans, Korean Chinese, and Han Chinese mix together in a single community which becomes an engine of aggregate economic growth? The tensions come to life in Sharon Yoon's tapestry of co-ethnic animosity and stratified spaces. She gains extraordinary access to Beijing's Koreatown through participation in multiple forms of community life, survey research, and sympathetic listening to personal stories. What emerges are accounts of distrust and alienation, driven by stereotypes of ethnicity, class, and gender. Readers will discover surprising lessons in identity resilience, where individual skills prove secondary to stereotypes. In this behind-the-scenes ethnography one sees Koreanness and China in an unprecedented light."--Gilbert Rozman, Princeton University

"The Cost of Belonging offers an ethnographically rich portrait of the unknown history of Koreans in China through a thorough political, economic, and social analysis of various waves of Korean migration into China. Yoon uncovers the unknown history of Korean-Chinese and the intra-ethnic conflict and tensions with Korean chaebol employees and Korean entrepreneurs. She examines the transnational hierarchies of power through business and churches and the agency of Korean-Chinese as cultural brokers in the Korean ethnic enclave known as Wangjing."--Sue-Je Lee Gage, Ithaca College

"The Cost of Belonging introduces readers to life in Wangjing, a dynamic transnational enclave comprised of individuals who, in many respects, are in search of a sense of identity and belonging. Grounded in a mixed-methods approach, this rich exploration from the ethnographer's perspective is read through relatable informants at a time when 'home' is not necessarily rooted in tangible locales and in places where people must learn to do more than just get along with their neighbor."--Mark Anthony Arceño, The Ohio State University

"The Cost of Belonging is an ethnographically rich, compelling, accessible, and fresh take on the topic of migration and ethnicity within the unique ethnic enclave of Wangjing. It highlights how the intersection of economic precarity, flows of capital, ideas of 'Koreanness,' and generations of varied mobility form complex and surprising forms of upward and downward economic mobility and intra-ethnic prejudices."--Adam Dunstan, University of North Texas