NYCB Zoom

2022.07.28 15:16

33 Keys to Understanding the Korean Wave #7 Masters of Laundry

sukie

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33 Keys to Understanding the Korean Wave, Hallyu

#7 Masters of Laundry

How did Korean immigrants conquer the US dry cleaning industry?

*Note to Readers

The columns published in the Zoom section of NYCultureBeat contain selected excerpts—typically the opening paragraphs—from each chapter of the book 33 Keys to Understanding the Korean Wave: Beyond BTS, Parasite, and Squid Game (2025). These previews are meant to introduce the book’s themes and tone.

The complete book—featuring 33 updated chapters and new cultural insights—is available in both paperback and hardcover editions:

Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F7HYLVCL

Hardcover: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F7HZ34Y3

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Park Soo Keun (1914-1965), A Wash Place, 1954

#Korean immigrants dominate the laundry industry

Why are the majority of dry cleaner owners in the US Koreans ?

Korean immigrants, who are hardworking and dexterous, moved to large cities such as New York, LA, and Chicago in the late 1970s, and then worked at a greengrocer or learned sewing skills due to language barriers, limited resources, and lack of qualifications and education needed to find a job. At the time, most of the dry cleaners were run by Jewish and Italian immigrants.

In “Caught in the Middle: Korean Communities in New York and Los Angeles,” published in 1996, City University of New York Chair Professor Pyong Gap Min explained why so many Korean immigrants were in the laundry business. Korean grocers turned to Jewish wholesalers to avoid racism from white suppliers, and after raising the money, they turned to the laundry & dry cleaning business.