Two Kinds of Inclusion and Belonging of Multicultural Students in a South Korean Hyukshin Elementary School

In this research, we present a case study of two fourth grade joseonjok students and their experiences in a Hyukshin (hyeoksin) elementary school in South Korea. Contrary to popular expectations in South Korea, we found that these students were very well integrated into their classroom communities, even though both had relatively recently immigrated to South Korea and both had limited Korean language abilities. We present a number of examples showing how these two students, given their different personalities and language abilities, were included in very different ways. We illustrate the everyday practices of this Hyukshin school that appear to have produced this inclusion of multicultural students and we further suggest that these ethnographic examples can help others better understand how to foster the inclusion of multicultural students in South Korean classrooms.On her way to an anthropology conference to present her research on the inclusion of joseonjok students in an elementary school classroom in South Korea, Wang described her project to her South Korean Uber driver. The driver interrupted, “Korea is not comfortable getting foreign people.” Wang explained that her research demonstrated these students’ inclusion in the classrooms she observed. The driver replied, “Really?! Korean teachers can take care of foreign kids? I doubt it. Coming from historical issues . . .” He then proceeded to describe the history of invasions of the Korean peninsula and explained that China and Japan have invaded Korea over 900 times. He concluded by stating that Korean people are wary of outsiders, and “. . . so uncomfortable with foreigners.” The reason, he concluded: “That’s Korean DNA.” (Wang’s fieldnotes, November 15, 2018)About twenty students sit in a large circle in the South Korean elementary school classroom. Byeongmin, a joseonjok student, holds hands with the boy sitting next to him as they listen to the instructions of the game of musical chairs―a game intended to teach English listening skills. Because each round starts with one less chair than the number of students, one student will not get a seat and will be left in the center to call out the next English word. Soon, Byeongmin’s word is called, and he and another student frantically look around for the last empty seat. The coveted chair is in between two girls who each put their hand on the chair to hide it from the other student and use their other hand to wave to Byeongmin as they call his name, ushering him to quickly come sit with them. Byeongmin notices them and sprints to the seat and dives into the chair, barely beating the other student to it, thanks to the girls. (Wang’s fieldnotes, May 14, 2018)