An analysis of how the gender roles of Korean and Puerto Rican immigrants have changed and adapted to the American environment in very different ways.
This paper examines how the Korean and Puerto Rican cultures are very similar, with both based on the separation of gender roles and with women being submissive and men being dominant. It shows how once in America, both cultures have adapted to the new environment in very different ways. For the Koreans, women have began to question their roles and become more active, with the relationship becoming more equal. In contrast, the Puerto Rican gender roles have not changed much. Men remain only as workers with women taking on the role as both workers, housewives and mothers with a new generation of young women being raised as cooks and cleaners.
“The Puerto Rican family structure is similar to the Korean one in that the female and male roles are separated. The man is responsible for earning the money, while the woman’s primary role is to look after the house and raise the children. The woman is also expected to be submissive, while the male is dominant. The woman in Puerto Rico though, were also involved in the workforce. While this was a reality, it did not change the family structure. Instead, women working was a necessity due to financial strain. A woman working then, was not a sign of her role changing, but something that had to be done for her to adeqautely care for her children.”