@article{ART003321523},
author={Seunggon Jeong},
title={Language use and the construction of Korean identity among North American diaspora Koreans: A generational narrative–discursive analysis},
journal={The Sociolinguistic Journal of Korea},
issn={1226-4822},
year={2026},
volume={34},
number={1},
pages={271-301}
TY - JOUR
AU - Seunggon Jeong
TI - Language use and the construction of Korean identity among North American diaspora Koreans: A generational narrative–discursive analysis
JO - The Sociolinguistic Journal of Korea
PY - 2026
VL - 34
IS - 1
PB - The Sociolinguistic Society Of Korea
SP - 271
EP - 301
SN - 1226-4822
AB - This study investigates the discursive construction of diasporic Korean identities across generations using a sociocultural narrative discourse approach. Combining interpretative phenomenological analysis with Braun and Clarke’s (2006) thematic framework, it examines interviews and public discourse materials to explore how language functions as both a symbolic resource and a medium of social practice. The findings reveal a generational shift from heritage-oriented identity maintenance to processes of identity reconstruction and negotiation. While earlier generations emphasize collective belonging through linguistic continuity and shared cultural memories, later generations reinterpret Korean as a resource for self-expression, relational positioning, and social recognition within multicultural contexts. In this sense, language does not operate as a marker of ethnic purity but as an interactive site where identities are negotiated, reconfigured, and performed. Theoretically, this study contributes to diasporic identity research by foregrounding performative subjectivity and demonstrating how language mediates identity construction across both generational and sociocultural contexts.
KW - Korean diaspora;diasporic identity;language and identity;performative subjectivity;identity reconstruction
DO -
UR -
ER -
Seunggon Jeong. (2026). Language use and the construction of Korean identity among North American diaspora Koreans: A generational narrative–discursive analysis. The Sociolinguistic Journal of Korea, 34(1), 271-301.
Seunggon Jeong. 2026, "Language use and the construction of Korean identity among North American diaspora Koreans: A generational narrative–discursive analysis", The Sociolinguistic Journal of Korea, vol.34, no.1 pp.271-301.
Seunggon Jeong "Language use and the construction of Korean identity among North American diaspora Koreans: A generational narrative–discursive analysis" The Sociolinguistic Journal of Korea 34.1 pp.271-301 (2026) : 271.
Seunggon Jeong. Language use and the construction of Korean identity among North American diaspora Koreans: A generational narrative–discursive analysis. 2026; 34(1), 271-301.
Seunggon Jeong. "Language use and the construction of Korean identity among North American diaspora Koreans: A generational narrative–discursive analysis" The Sociolinguistic Journal of Korea 34, no.1 (2026) : 271-301.
Seunggon Jeong. Language use and the construction of Korean identity among North American diaspora Koreans: A generational narrative–discursive analysis. The Sociolinguistic Journal of Korea, 34(1), 271-301.
Seunggon Jeong. Language use and the construction of Korean identity among North American diaspora Koreans: A generational narrative–discursive analysis. The Sociolinguistic Journal of Korea. 2026; 34(1) 271-301.
Seunggon Jeong. Language use and the construction of Korean identity among North American diaspora Koreans: A generational narrative–discursive analysis. 2026; 34(1), 271-301.
Seunggon Jeong. "Language use and the construction of Korean identity among North American diaspora Koreans: A generational narrative–discursive analysis" The Sociolinguistic Journal of Korea 34, no.1 (2026) : 271-301.
