멕시코 코리안 이민사회의 형성과정과 문학의식 -『신한민보』와 『깍뚜스』의 작품을 중심으로-

Abstract

This paper examined the formation and development processes of ‘early immigration history’ and ‘late immigration history’ of Mexican Korean and reviewed the culture phenomenon and self (national) identity of immigrants / immigrant community through literature text. Despite a limit due to limited literature text, 『Shinhanminbo』 published around the latter era of the Choson Dynasty and Japanese colonial era and 『Cactus』, which is a literary magazine published in the global era, identified diverse social and cultural points of migration/re-migration, immigrants/immigrant community of Mexican Koreans from the perspective of transnational cross border. In particular, the literary works of 『Shinhanminbo』 are noteworthy that they show admiration for the country’s land of beautiful scenery, longing for hometown (country), exploitation and oppression of 'HENEQUEN' farmers, ‘HENEQUEN’ life and a sense of futility without hope including the ethnic spirit for the liberated country while being outraged at brutality of Imperial Japan. And a meaning can be found in 『Cactus』 in that open world view, human psychology (mystery novel), family affection and humanity, foreign consciousness and identity, interchange communication with other cultures, church culture and transnationalism surrounding immigrants/immigrant community in the global era were embodied. This feature of the Korean immigrant literature of Mexico is a historical socio-cultural point which is different from immigrant literature of North America and Central and South America, Japan and Germany, Australia including the Soviet Union and China. Nonetheless, research on the Mexico 'HENEQUEN' remains at a standstill and it is a reality that historical and cultural records representing immigrants/immigrant community are not being published. It should be remembered that the weakening of the historical socio-cultural activities of a community as well as the Korean immigrant community and the absence of the recording culture is bound to lead to the loss of the pivot of the community and the weakening of the identity.