The purpose of this preliminary, qualitative study was to describe elderly Korean immigrants' perception of stressors they experienced through immigration and the acculturation process. The methodology used was naturalistic inquiry, a descriptive approach used to elicit the elderly immigrants' own perception of their immigration and acculturation experiences. The six elderly Korean immigrants were interviewed via a semi-structured, open-ended interview guide. The main stressors identified by the subjects as a result of adjusting to life in the United States were language barriers, isolation and loneliness, fear of dependence upon their children, fear of being a burden, financial problems, transportation problems, discrimination, and fear of death. These Korean elders also perceived changes in the traditional family values of respect for elders and support for the aged. The results of this research help to provide an understanding of the immigration and acculturation experiences of elderly Korean immigrants. © 2007 The Author. Journal compilation © 2007 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Family relationships Elderly Korean immigrants Immigration stressors

social psychology psychological aspect methodology Research Design human ethnology interview United States Humans family male female Socioeconomic Factors socioeconomics Article migration Prejudice Interviews Emigration and Immigration Transients and Migrants Fear Korea