This article deals with the current situation of language use, ethnic identity, and ethnic relations of Koreans in Central Asia. The primary set of data for this study came from a sample survey of 1,302 Koreans in Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Moscow, Sankt Perterburg, and Sakhalin done in July 1997 through March 1998. Raymond Breton's concept of institutional completeness proved to be useful in explaining the regional and temporal differences in the level of assimilation of Koreans to Russian culture and society. High levels of education and occupational upward mobility of Koreans in urban areas, historical experiences and structural conditions have contributed to the assimilation of Koreans in Russian society. Nonetheless, Koreans have maintained high levels of ethnic identity primarily because ethnicity is a socially imposed and recognized marker, differentiating Koreans from others and limiting their life chances.
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