Author Description

This anthology, Korean American Economy and Community in the 21st Century, is a story of Korean settlement in this country, its plights and its achievements. With a focus on economic and business activities, the book contains an introduction and twenty research articles, with contributions from 29 scholars. It is the outcome of a conference sponsored by the Korean American Economic Development Center (KAEDC), with funding provided by the Bright World Foundation (Balgeun Mirae Jaedahn), which was held in Los Angeles during January 26-28, 2006. The collection explores the present, past and future of the Korean American economy, assessing various problems, solutions, and strategies that might improve various economic activities in the community. The articles cover numerous issues, adopt diverse analytic strategies, and arrive at varied diagnoses and prospects. In one way or another, all address the past history and recent developments of the Korean American economy, its 21st century challenges, and the implications these factors have on community development. They are grouped into five fundamentally interrelated parts; 1) "Historical Trends in the Korean American Economy and Community," 2) "'Old' Industries and Recurrent Themes,” 3) "Communal Infrastructure and the Korean American Economy," 4) "'New' Developments in the Korean American Economy and The Globalization and Transnationalization of Korean American Economy and its Community," and 5) "New Opportunities and Challenges" that the Korean American economy and community are likely to face in the 21st century.