| This study explores the adapting process of newly arrived Korean Christian Teens (NAKCTs) in Southern California, USA. By using the method of grounded theory study, the author investigated the external and internal components of NAKCTs' transforming process. For academic validity, the triangulation of literature review, semi-structured interviews, and focus groups was sought, conceptualizing NAKCTs' adaptation as the term intercultural transformation.;NAKCTs are changed in the United States (US). The students, who came to the US for educational success, dynamically adapted to a different cultural environment, and such adaptation produced their transformation not only in their behavior but also their thought processes. The main components that led to their change are categorized as educational environment, cultural experiences, and Christian faith.;NAKCTs' transformation tends to manifest integrative acculturation by intentionally adopting beneficial components of both the Korean and American cultures. For the purpose of educational success, entrance to top-ranked universities, NAKCTs strive to grasp the beneficial aspects by depending on their own judgment. This research notes the riskiness of such an attitude, because the latter can imply inconsistency in behavior, and eventually can be harmful for their personal development. However, NAKCTs' Christian faith plays the role of catalyst by leading them to transcend the imperfection of their judgment and to aim at Christianity's highest goal, Kingdom value. Thus, this study conceptualizes the term intercultural transformation from NAKCTs' intercultural experience and their transformation by employing the perspective of three main external components: Christianity (Rom. 12:2), education (Kolb, 1984), and intercultural adaptation (Y. Y. Kim, 2001).;NAKCTs' intercultural transformation can be analyzed as a dynamic blend of the qualitative and quantitative values. During their adaptation in the US, NAKCTs reveal value-change toward the qualitative by appreciating intangible, internal, and uncountable components, such as self-actualization, comfortable life style, charity, and so on. However, NAKCTs transformation is not completely qualitative, but it still retains the quantitative value by preserving tangible, external, and countable components, as represented by their educational goal, which is inextricably a part of them. |
