Based upon in-depth interviews with 22 working Korean immigrant mothers of adolescent children in Philadelphia, we examined their mothering practices in the contexts of working outside of the home to meet the economic demands of their families. We used Strauss and Corbin’s grounded theory approach in order to guide our data collection and analysis. We found that mothering practices are negotiated and reconstructed in the process of their acculturation, and further are modified depending upon the length of residence in the United States. Mothering practices of recent immigrant women in this study are centered around the economic survival of their families. They are no longer practicing staying-at-home-motherhood since immigration but have become poor working mothers, who must prioritize work for themselves and their families. Mothers delegate their housework to their children, especially to their daughters. On the other hand, mothering practices of long-term immigrant women are centered around providing maximum support for their children, a minority in the United States to enable them; to become socially competent for the present and for the future. They fully utilize their time and relationships within their families and communities to achieve this end. This study shows that mothering practices are constructed and continually negotiated in the immigration contexts where Korean immigrant mothers and their families are located. The significance of the study lies in its capturing the complexity of mothering and working experiences in the acculturation process of Korean immigrant working class women and their families.

This paper examines the lives of older U.S. women of color who represent racial and ethnic heritages that have a history of unequal access to sources of economic and political power in this country. These women exemplify women with vastly different cultural traditions, but are similar in that they face discrimination as women of color. The combined impact of age, gender, and racial and ethnic background is neglected within our discussions of older women. This paper contributes to our understanding of older women of color by examining the personal, familial, and community aspects of the lives of older women of color. This exploration challenges feminist gerontologists to bring the discussion of this intersection to the center as we explore and seek to comprehend the reality of older women's lives. This scrutiny creates a space for the discussion of both the threats faced by women of color in their unique juncture as old, female, and of color as well as an illumination of the strengths manifested by these women. Further the need to embrace a feminist gerontological framework when practitioners work with these populations is addressed.

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