Faith and Community in the Windy City: Korean Protestant Churches in Chicago

This study examines the Korean American Protestant church as a foundational institution in the development of Korean immigrant life in Chicago from the early twentieth century through the post-1965 immigration era and the rise of the second-generation in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Drawing on oral histories, archival sources, and existing scholarship, it argues that the church functioned not only as a site of religious practice but as a central hub for social organization, cultural preservation, and community formation for Koreans in Chicago. The paper traces how churches adapted to shifting demographic conditions, including rapid population growth, suburbanization, and generational change. It further explores how second-generation Korean Americans reinterpreted religious spaces to negotiate identity and belonging. Ultimately, this study demonstrates that the Korean American church in Chicago served as both a refuge and a dynamic institution that mediated adaptation, identity, and civic engagement.