@article{ART003282840},
author={Jung Eunjin},
title={Lexical variation in the Korean language of early Korean immigrants to the United States: Focusing on oral history interviews collected by Sonia Shinn Sunoo around 1975},
journal={The Sociolinguistic Journal of Korea},
issn={1226-4822},
year={2025},
volume={33},
number={4},
pages={243-284}
TY - JOUR
AU - Jung Eunjin
TI - Lexical variation in the Korean language of early Korean immigrants to the United States: Focusing on oral history interviews collected by Sonia Shinn Sunoo around 1975
JO - The Sociolinguistic Journal of Korea
PY - 2025
VL - 33
IS - 4
PB - The Sociolinguistic Society Of Korea
SP - 243
EP - 284
SN - 1226-4822
AB - This study examines linguistic variation in Korean spoken by the first generation of Korean immigrants to the United States (1903–1924), a group that marked the beginning of Korean-American history. While some studies have explored the language of contemporary Korean Americans, limited prior research has addressed the Korean language of these early immigrants. Around 1975, second-generation Korean American Sonia Shinn Sunoo conducted a large-scale oral history project, interviewing early Korean immigrants. Among the collected recordings, more than 40 participants used Korean for their interviews. Despite their historical and linguistic value, these recordings do not appear to have been used for linguistic research. Analysis reveals that early immigrants’ Korean reflects the regional dialects of early twentieth-century Korea and extensive English lexical borrowing. Rather than showing large-scale lexical changes influenced by Japanese in Korea during the same period, their speech demonstrates a strong English influence. This study highlights the sociolinguistic and historical significance of the early Korean immigrants' language use and calls for further scholarly attention to this valuable linguistic heritage.
KW - early Korean American immigrants;Korean American diaspora;language contact;language variation;Korean language of overseas Koreans
DO -
UR -
ER -
Jung Eunjin. (2025). Lexical variation in the Korean language of early Korean immigrants to the United States: Focusing on oral history interviews collected by Sonia Shinn Sunoo around 1975. The Sociolinguistic Journal of Korea, 33(4), 243-284.
Jung Eunjin. 2025, "Lexical variation in the Korean language of early Korean immigrants to the United States: Focusing on oral history interviews collected by Sonia Shinn Sunoo around 1975", The Sociolinguistic Journal of Korea, vol.33, no.4 pp.243-284.
Jung Eunjin "Lexical variation in the Korean language of early Korean immigrants to the United States: Focusing on oral history interviews collected by Sonia Shinn Sunoo around 1975" The Sociolinguistic Journal of Korea 33.4 pp.243-284 (2025) : 243.
Jung Eunjin. Lexical variation in the Korean language of early Korean immigrants to the United States: Focusing on oral history interviews collected by Sonia Shinn Sunoo around 1975. 2025; 33(4), 243-284.
Jung Eunjin. "Lexical variation in the Korean language of early Korean immigrants to the United States: Focusing on oral history interviews collected by Sonia Shinn Sunoo around 1975" The Sociolinguistic Journal of Korea 33, no.4 (2025) : 243-284.
Jung Eunjin. Lexical variation in the Korean language of early Korean immigrants to the United States: Focusing on oral history interviews collected by Sonia Shinn Sunoo around 1975. The Sociolinguistic Journal of Korea, 33(4), 243-284.
Jung Eunjin. Lexical variation in the Korean language of early Korean immigrants to the United States: Focusing on oral history interviews collected by Sonia Shinn Sunoo around 1975. The Sociolinguistic Journal of Korea. 2025; 33(4) 243-284.
Jung Eunjin. Lexical variation in the Korean language of early Korean immigrants to the United States: Focusing on oral history interviews collected by Sonia Shinn Sunoo around 1975. 2025; 33(4), 243-284.
Jung Eunjin. "Lexical variation in the Korean language of early Korean immigrants to the United States: Focusing on oral history interviews collected by Sonia Shinn Sunoo around 1975" The Sociolinguistic Journal of Korea 33, no.4 (2025) : 243-284.
