Behind the Digital Border of Anonymity

Abstract

This article was inspired by the fact that most studies on immigrants in South Korea are designed, conducted, and written by non-immigrant South Korean citizens. Such a research ecosystem could lead to under-representation and misrepresentation of immigrants’ authentic voices, as the presence of a Korean researcher could prompt immigrant research participants to conform to mainstream narratives about immigrants. This article turns to anonymous cultural expressions in online spaces as an alternative research strategy that bypasses this bias and allows a more authentic representation of immigrants in South Korean migration studies. Using a borders perspective, the article conceptualizes the process of building online immigrant communities as a process of constructing digital borders that ward off unwanted voyeurs and visitors. Based on a visual discourse analysis of memes posted on Grumpy Aliens Korea, a Facebook page run by non-Koreans, the article examines how digital borders emerge through the posting and sharing of memes, all sourced from non-Korean residents of South Korea and offering humorous but critical commentary on immigrant life. The findings highlight the irony that digital borders are needed for immigrants to materialize their own discourses within the host society.