중노년기 민족귀환이주민의 건강위기: 경기도 A지역 중국조선족 출신 이주민의 사례를 중심으로

초록

This study aimed to find out the health status and socio-cultural context of middle-aged and elderly Korean-Chinese migrants in A area who started migrating to Korea in the mid-late 1980s and migrated Korea in the mid-2000s after the improvement of the overseas Koreans-related legal system. Based on this, we tried to analyze how experiential factors that occur in the life course of migrants affect their survival and health by examining the nature of structural oppression and violence inherent in the physical and mental suffering they experienced. As a result of the medical survey, 44.7% of Korean-Chinese migrants in A area had abnormalities in arterial stiffness. According to the results of the mental health survey, the older the person, the more severe the symptoms of depression, and 21.8% of them showed the level of anxiety disorder. In addition, it was analyzed that the lower the household income, the higher the depression, anxiety, and blood pressure. In an in-depth interview, the ‘healthy migrant effect’ was found in that Korean-Chinese ethnic returned to Korea as marriage immigrants and industrial trainees at a young age after the 1990s, and their health gradually deteriorated due to the continued low economic status and inadequacies in laws and systems. In addition, psychological pain due to confusion in their sense of belonging and identity is increasing as they continue to be discriminated against according to their unique tone of voice, region of origin, and prejudice and stigma against multicultural families. Meanwhile, since the mid-2000s, as the legal system related to overseas Koreans has been improved, the number of elderly Korean-Chinese migrants has been increasing, and the ‘sick migrant effect’ is emerging. However, their health is also likely to deteriorate over time due to prejudice and discrimination in the host country. In conclusion, middle-aged and elderly Korean-Chinese migrants may experience ageism in addition to ethnic discrimination in the future, and this may lead to their health becoming increasingly vulnerable. Therefore, it is necessary to find a fundamental solution to this.

키워드