Looking at the Japan-Residing Korean identities through the eyes of the "outsiders within": Application and extension of co-cultural theory

Using co-cultural theory (Orbe, 1998b) as an interpretive framework, this study analyzed the publicly available narratives of Japan-Residing Koreans (e.g., autobiography) and explored how these marginalized people in Japan manage their ethnic identity. Our analysis revealed that Japan-Residing Koreans' identity management was complex and challenging due to the ambivalence of their positionality. The "neither/nor" nature of their identity makes the pursuit of assimilation and separation difficult. To account for such complexities, a multilevel perspective on co-cultural communication has been proposed. These findings are discussed along with this study's limitations and future directions for the research on Japan-Residing Koreans' identity management.