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Abstract
Despite formal policies that do not allow discrimination or segregation, membership in sororities on university and college campuses remain predominately White. Historically founded by and for White Christian men, Greek-letter organizations soon expanded to include sororities as an increase of women were admitted and enrolled at institutions. Seeking involvement opportunities on campuses like their White peers, non-White students including Asian American women expressed interest in joining sororities only to find the presence of continued individual and institutional racism. Although Asian students represent the fastest growing racial group among American college student enrollment, this population continues to be misunderstood within higher education due to institutional and individual racism and stereotypes, and being understood as an aggregate despite the vast diversity of ethnic identities and groups. Few studies, if not any have focused on Korean American women within the context of Greek organization membership. Drawing from past research on Asian American sorority women and on research that spoke on situations that drew attention to settings where Asian American women and students of color were in the clear minority (Chen, 1998/2009; Hughey, 2010; Park, 2008/2012), this phenomenological study focused on the experiences of eight Korean American women who were members of historically White Greek-letter organizations (HWGLO). Using the theoretical framework of the reconceptualized model of multiple dimensions of identity, data analysis revealed the salience of Korean American identity not only in everyday experiences as HWGLO members, but in interactions with family and peers. External factors such as racism influenced awareness of oppression making its internalization apparent. Whiteness as a norm was displayed, although downplayed among participants. Meaning-making capacity of participants was also exhibited with self-authorship present in realizing and making decisions. Implications from study results support recommendations to educate student affairs and counseling professionals on the intricacies and diversity of Korean American womens experiences.