American Dreams: Then And Now Korean Families Chase Their Dreams
In The U.S. Originally published on Wed July 11, 2012 5:33 pm
Eleven-year-old Woosuk Kim sees his mother only three or four
times a year. That's because he's part of what Koreans call a
"goose family": a family that migrates in search of English-
language schooling. A goose family, Woosuk explains, means
"parents — mom and dad — have to be separate for the kids'
education." Woosuk's father brought him and his little brother
to America two years ago to attend Hancock Park Elementary, a
public school in Los Angeles. The boys' mother stayed in South
Korea to keep working. Woosuk's family is unusual. In most
cases, it's the father who stays behind. "Goose fathers" are
even a fixture of South Korean TV dramas, usually appearing as
lonely drudges, working nonstop to support their families
abroad. Goose families prefer to migrate to English-speaking
countries. New Zealand and Australia are popular, but the United
States is especially prized. And in the