511 KB61 KB201320262025Kang, Byoung Yoongletnik:13 (29)str. 19-40številka:supplementDOI:10.4312/as.2025.13.sup.19-40ISSN:2232-5131COBISSID_HOST:229613315URN:URN:NBN:SI:doc-HZNRZAHAenZaložba Univerze v LjubljaniAsian studiescultural conflictdiaspora experiencediasporna izkušnjaidentiteta in asimilacijaidentity and assimilationKorean-American literaturekorejsko-ameriška literaturakulturni konfliktpariah and parvenuparij in parvenuExploring identity in Korean diaspora fiction| a character analysis of Henry Park in Chang-Rae Lee’s Native speaker|This study examines the complex identity issues faced by Henry Park, the protagonist of Chang-Rae Lee’s novel Native Speaker, through the lens of Hannah Arendt’s con-cepts of the pariah and parvenu. By examining Henry’s experiences as a 1.5-generation Korean-American immigrant, this analysis elucidates the tensions between cultural as-similation and heritage preservation. The study describes Henry as a “Lesser Stranger”, a nuanced identity state situated between complete alienation and full assimilation. Fur-thermore, the analysis draws parallels with Frantz Fanon’s Black Skin, White Masks in or-der to gain further insight into Henry’s internal conflict and external societal pressures. In conclusion, this paper offers a comprehensive examination of the Korean-American expe-rience, contributing to broader discussions on diaspora, identity, and cultural integrationTEXTznanstveno časopisjejournalsSlovenian National E-content AggregatorNational and University Library of SloveniaUniverza v Ljubljani, Filozofska fakulteta