Exploring the roots of cultural shock of Koreans in Brazil

Despite Brazilians are widely known to be tolerant and understanding to the “otherness of the others”, the acculturation process of Koreans in Brazil is not free from conflicts involving particularities of each cultural patterns. At the same time that the Korean community is seen as a self-seggregated, “rich community”, Koreans do not pay efforts to change their minimum contact with the dominant culture and few horizontal relationships with Brazilians. This study investigates the main behavioral features of the two cultures as formulated by reknown thinkers of each culture, to identify some cultural peculiarities of the Korean-Brazilian community, based on qualitative interviews with its members. Some of the factors that interfere in the construction of this identity are: comparison with the Japanese community in Brazil; differenciation between Korea and the Korean community in favor to the former; the international “status” of Korea and Brazil.

Key words: Korean culture, Brazilian culture, Korean-Brazilian community, acculturation process, cultural shock