Resources - Korean American Institute

In 2020, the Council of Korean Americans (CKA) published an informative research paper titled “The National Korean American Community: Promises, Perils, and Paradoxes,” which was updated in 2023 as “The Multiple Faces of the National Korean American Community: Progress and Paradoxes.”

Led by the Korean American Institute’s co-founder and board member Dr. Taeku Lee, this comprehensive report gathered and analyzed insights from existing data to explain the current state of the Korean American community.

Korean American Community Foundation Study on Seniors

In 2023, the Korean American Community Foundation (KACF), in collaboration with the Judith Ehm Foundation and the Southpole Foundation, funded a survey and published an insightful report titled “Toward Better Aging – A National Study of Korean Older Adults.”

The study, which was conducted by Asian American Federation, reveals the unique challenges and needs of the growing population of Korean American seniors based on survey and focus group findings. The study also identifies areas for future policymaking to close current gaps and improve support for this population.

Table of Contents

Facts, Data, and Research about Koreans and Korean Americans

Korean American Population By State is a data visualization of the Korean American population in the United States from 2015 to 2021, created by The East-West Center in Washington’s (EWCW) Asia Matters for America initiative as an interactive tool to visually demonstrate changes over time in the Korean American population nationally as well as by state. This resource utilizes the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey data.

Korean Americans: By the Numbers is a comprehensive resource guide with key insights and perspectives pertaining to Korean Americans, created by AAPI Data as a part of an ongoing series of resource guides highlighting data-informed insights of particular AANHPI communities. This resource looks at the Korean American Electorate, Korean Americans in Elected Offices, the 2024 Election, and Korean American Policy Perspectives. Published on October 10, 2024, this resource draws on disaggregated findings from AAPI Data’s surveys and publications.

Koreans in the U.S. Fact Sheet is a fact sheet providing an overview of population, immigration, demographic, and economic data about Koreans in the United States. Published on April 29, 2021 and updated on May 1, 2025, this resource was originally published by the Pew Research Center using the U.S. Census Bureau’s decennial census and American Community Survey and Pew Research Center’s 2022-23 survey of Asian American adults.

History of Koreans and Korean Americans in the United States

First Koreans in the United States

While Korean immigration to the U.S. began in 1903, the first group of ethnic Koreans arrived in 1883. Ten governmental representatives from the Joseon Kingdom were invited to visit America following the Korea-U.S. Treaty of Peace, Amity and Trade in 1882. They arrived in San Francisco on September 2, 1883, and were welcomed by a U.S. government delegation before traveling to Washington, D.C. This historic mission lasted until May 1884.

Click Here to Read More

Korean Immigration Begins

Korean Americans have been present in the United States continuously since January 13, 1903, when 102 pioneers from Korea arrived in Hawaii to work in the growing sugar production industry.

Click Here to Read More

First Wave of Korean Immigration: 1903-1949

In 1903, Koreans arrived in Hawaii to work on pineapple and sugar plantations, with over 7,000 Koreans coming by 1905 to escape famines and political turbulence in Korea. About half of these workers eventually moved to the mainland, establishing businesses such as laundry and nail salons, while the rest returned to Korea. From 1905 to 1924, around 2,000 more Korean immigrants, including picture brides, moved to Hawaii and California. Mass immigration ended abruptly in 1924 with the Oriental Exclusion Act.

Click Here to Read More

First Korean Congress: 1919

The First Korean Congress convened in Philadelphia from April 14 to 16, 1919 at the Little Theatre on Delancey Street as a response to the March 1st Movement—a nationwide Korean protest against Japanese colonial rule. Organized by Korean-American physician and activist Dr. Philip Jaisohn, the First Korean Congress aimed to garner international support for Korean independence and to promote democratic ideals modeled after the United States.

Click Here to Read More

Second Wave of Korean Immigration: 1950-1964

After Korea’s liberation from Japanese occupation in 1945 and the division into South and North in 1948, about 15,000 Koreans moved to America during the Korean War (1950-1953). The McCarran and Walter Act of 1952 nullified the 1924 Asian immigration ban, making Asians eligible for citizenship. Post-war immigrants included Korean wives of American soldiers, war orphans adopted by American families, students, professionals, and academics, who successfully integrated into American society.

Click Here to Read More

Third Wave of Korean Immigration: 1965-Present

The 1965 Immigration and Nationality Act revoked the national quota system, leading to a steady increase in Korean immigrants. Massive numbers of Koreans, mainly white-collar workers, voluntarily moved to America from the 1960s through the early 1980s. Their children, known as the second generation, comprise the major component of the current Korean American community.

Click Here to Read More

Sa-I-Gu: 1992

UCLA’s Asian American Studies Center provides educational resources, narratives, and historical insights about the 1992 Los Angeles uprisings, focusing on their impact on the Korean American community and fostering understanding of race relations and social justice

Click Here to Read More