In Korea most of overseas Chinese communities were disintegrated and many overseas Chinese turned to low end restaurant business for survival in face of the anti-foreigners land acquisition act and urban planning of the South Korean government. Having...
In Korea most of overseas Chinese communities were disintegrated and many overseas Chinese turned to low end restaurant business for survival in face of the anti-foreigners land acquisition act and urban planning of the South Korean government. Having dispersed to different cities they can only affirm their cultural identity through social and family events like hui, wedding, funeral, and other annual events. They became more and more a spatial community instead of a territorial community.
But owing to the conceptions of ancestor worship and memorial service for one"s ancestors host society is recognized as "places" by overseas Chinese in Korea. In other words, although the overseas Chinese in Korea recognize host society as a non-place, lacking experience and identity, they also consider Korea as the actual place where they will be buried.
This can be explained by the overseas Chinese"s special ideas of diyuan (地緣) and xueyuan (血緣) which are combined with their concept of traditional ancestor worship. Such a sense of place is actualized in their strategies for child"s education and career path.