Koreatown, NYC - (Asian American Sociology) by Jinwon Kim

Book Synopsis

How Manhattan's Koreatown functions as a new ethnic enclave

In the past decade, Korean entertainment has gained global recognition, with Korean movies and TV shows winning Oscars and Emmys, and K-Pop groups becoming wildly popular. In Manhattan, Koreatown has become a popular destination for both locals and tourists, drawing them in with its bars, restaurants, and day spas. Jinwon Kim argues that Manhattan's Koreatown has become a new type of ethnic enclave, what she dubs a "transclave." This commercialized ethnic space exists solely for consumption, leisure, and entertainment, and has been shaped by South Korea's nation-branding strategy, new economic and cultural strategies, patterns in Korean migration, and shifts in tourism and urban policies in New York City.

Kim posits that for many consumers in Koreatown, especially those who are not of Korean descent, the space has become a commercialized place where transnational culture meets the diverse racial and ethnic mosaic of New York City. Kim emphasizes how the space functions to "brand Korea" as a space to "consume ethnicity," reflecting the landscape of South Korea's consumer culture through the physical appearance of buildings and stores and the inclusion of franchise brands. Ultimately, Koreatown, NYC is a fascinating exploration of the intersection of authenticity, ethnicity, and identity in the heart of New York's midtown.

Review Quotes

"Kim brings a rich and insightful lens to the modern evolution of Manhattan's Koreatown, exploring how cultural globalization, nation-branding, and immigrant entrepreneurship forged this unique enclave. The book weaves together top-down analyses of Korean and New York branding strategies with on-the-ground perspectives from small businesses and K-wave consumers, revealing how they came together to shape K-Town's rise. This work promises to be an influential resource for scholars and readers interested in cultural sociology, Asian American studies, immigration, urbanism, and the making of contemporary global cityscapes."-- "Angie Y. Chung, author of Saving Face: The Emotional Costs of the Asian Immigrant Family Myth"

"Koreatown, NYC offers a compelling analysis of how a single block in Midtown becomes a global cultural marketplace. Based on extensive fieldwork, the book situates this space within transpacific circuits of capital and cultural diplomacy. Conceptually rigorous and empirically rich, Kim sheds light on the commodification of ethnicity and the politics of national branding in one of the most important urban geographies in the world. This book is a landmark study for scholars of globalization and urban cultural economies."-- "Edward J.W. Park, co-author of Probationary Americans: Contemporary Immigration Policies and the Shaping of Asian American Communities"

"Through inventive theorizing and rich ethnography, Kim explains the growing buzz around NYC's Koreatown as a 24/7 urban destination for Korean transnationals, immigrants and non-Korean cultural omnivores. It's a persuasive analysis of the ingenuity and opportunism of the Korean state, corporations and food entrepreneurs to nation brand their cuisine and K-pop culture in NYC and around the world. Through illuminating interviews with Korean insider and outsider consumers, Kim reveals diverging views about cultural authenticity, symbolic ownership, and collective memory amidst the flux of metropolitan reinvention."-- "Jan Lin, co-editor of Taking Back the Boulevard: Art, Activism and Gentrification in Los Angeles"

"Jinwon Kim draws a deeply researched--and deeply felt--portrait of Manhattan's famous restaurant and nightlife hotspot Koreatown, placing it at the symbolic intersection of global ambitions and local identities. This 'transclave, ' as Kim ingeniously calls it, both depends on and transcends contemporary Korean views of Korean culture, opening the door to intraethnic struggles as well as interethnic understanding."-- "Sharon Zukin, author of Naked City: The Death and Life of Authentic Urban Places"

About the Author

Jinwon Kim is Assistant Professor of Sociology at Smith College. She is a co-editor of Koreatowns: Exploring the Economics, Politics, and Identities of Korean Spatial Formations.