Resident or Zainichi Koreans in Japan : A Book Review of Koreans in Japan : Critical Voices from the Margin and Lives of Young Koreans in Japan

Abstract

This article reviews two recent books: Koreans in Japan: Critical Voices from the Margin, edited by Sonia Ryang, (2000) and Lives of Young Koreans in Japan, written by Yasunori Fukuoka, (2000). These books will help interested readers to better comprehend the history, context, and current situation of resident Koreans in Japan. Resident Koreans must deal with many issues in their everyday lives, for example, deciding what name to use and when to use it; coping with bullying; overcoming discrimination when looking for a job or searching for an apartment; deciding upon a nationality; and/ or trying to find a spouse from the "right" city in the "right" prefecture in the right "country. Having a better understanding of these issues will help us when working with resident Koreans in our classes and should make us more sensitive educators.