Korean Migrant Families in Christchurch: Expectations and experiences

Methodology

The substantial part of this report, contained in Part Two below, is based on research conducted in Christchurch between March and April 2006. Over this research period, the three primary researchers on the report, Richard Vokes, Carolyn Morris and Suzana Chang, interviewed a total of 36 Korean immigrants to New Zealand. This number included 12 men and 24 women. In age, they ranged between 24 and 68 years, and had arrived in the country at different times, ranging between one and 23 years. As such, these migrants constituted part of the ‘new wave’ of migration from East Asia outlined above.

These interviewees were recruited to the study through a number of routes, primary among these being a number of adverts placed in local Korean media, in Korean. These adverts outlined the aims of the study, and asked potential participants to contact either Dr Richard Vokes or Dr Carolyn Morris directly. In addition, in both the Korean Review newspaper, and in Christchurch Korea magazine, these adverts were accompanied by full-page, feature-length pieces on the project (based on interviews with the project’s researchers). The very good response we received to the adverts was almost certainly aided by the publication of these accompanying articles. In addition, a smaller number of interviewees were recruited by word-of-mouth, either from amongst the University of Canterbury’s student base, or through an earlier interviewee.

Further, a number of announcements about the project were made at several Korean churches in Christchurch, usually during the ‘announcements’ period at the end of the Sunday service. Whilst we thank the individual churches for making these announcements, we are uncertain as to the general impact they had on people’s decision to participate in the study. For only one interviewee was this support of a church central to his decision to participate. Apart from this one individual, no other interviewee claimed to have heard about the project through church attendance, or to have taken part in it because of church support. On the other hand, a majority of interviewees stated that they had first heard about the study through one of the media sources outlined above.

Following a response being received from an advert, or a name being forwarded to us by word-ofmouth, we did not discriminate as to who could participate in the study. We did not select on the grounds of age, gender, religion or any other criteria. Instead, we endeavoured to interview all those who had expressed an interest, on a ‘first-come, first-served’ basis. The only occasions on which this approach broke down was when we were unable to contact a potential interviewee, or when he or she was unavailable for interview (because of illness, etc). In addition, at the end of the research cycle, we were left with a list of names of interviewees we were unable to contact due to pressures of time.

The content of the media adverts explained that the research was primarily academic in nature and would not have any direct bearing on governmental policy decision-making. This was reiterated to all interviewees at the beginning of each interview session. In addition, it was explained that we did not have a formal list of interview questions, but instead hoped for them to ‘tell us their stories’; to share their general experiences of the migration and settlement process. Each interview explored all aspects of the migration experience, from the initial decision to move to New Zealand, through the physical move itself, to the processes of ‘home-building’ in New Zealand. In all of the interviews, we tried to not guide the conversation through our own questioning, but to instead allow the discussion to evolve according to what the interviewees themselves wanted to talk about. However, across all of the interviews a remarkably uniform set of general themes emerged, and as a result, over the course of all of the interviews, we were able to ask ever more ‘informed’ types of questions on these themes. In particular, in most – although by no means all – of the interviews, church activities, and the Christian life, emerged as one key area for discussion.

We also explained to each interviewee at the beginning of the session that he or she was under no obligation to answer any question he/she felt uncomfortable with. No inducements were offered to any interviewee to take part in the study, although we did give each interviewee an unannounced gift of one cinema ticket, to thank them for their participation and their time.

Many of the interviews were conducted solely in English, while a few were conducted in Korean or in a mixture of Korean and English. In the latter case, Mrs Suzana Chang – the only Korean speaker among the project researchers – acted as translator for other researchers present. The interviews were conducted in a range of venues, including in people’s homes and workplaces, in restaurants and in university meeting rooms. Most were conducted with one person at a time, although some included two people (usually a husband and wife, or else two close friends). We interviewed a number of church ministers and elders, but none of these individuals was present when we interviewed a member of their congregation. Most of the interviews were between one and two hours in length, and all were recorded on a digital recording device for later transcription.

Finally, the interview data were supplemented by a range of documentary research, and by a limited amount of ethnography. In relation to the latter, the primary researchers attempted, throughout the duration of the research period, to participate in, and observe, as wide a range of activities involving the Korean community in Christchurch as possible. This included attendance at a number of ‘Korean days’ and other cultural events which were held in and around the city in early 2006.