이 논문은 주한 미군 병사와의 사이에서 출생한‘혼혈인’에 대한 차별 의 배경에 관한 연구이다. 흔히‘혼혈인’에 대한 차별은 한국민에게 특유 한 순혈주의에 뿌리를 둔 것으로 오랜 역사를 지니고 있다고 한다. 하지만 이 논문은 그것이 국민국가 형성과정과 궤를 함께하는 배제의 논리, 미국 에 대한 종속적인 지위, 가부장제 사회에서 여성의 낮은 지위와 궤를 함께 하는 것이라고 주장한다‘. 주둔지 혼혈인’들은 출생에서부터 사회생활의 모든 측면에서 체계적으로 배제되어 왔으며, 이는 시민권의 부여와 박탈 이라는 국민국가 건설의 프로젝트와 연결되어 있다. 생물학적 시민권이 라는 단어는 이러한‘혼혈인’의 삶을 이해하기 위해 제시된 개념이다. 육 체적인 특징은 배제와 차별의 아무런 정당한 근거가 될 수 없음에도 불구 하고, 특정한 생물학적 특질은 국민국가의 성원으로 소속되기에는 미달 되는 것으로 여겨져 왔다‘. 혼혈인’이 받아온 차별은 국가로부터 부과된 것일뿐 아니라 일반 시민들이 일상생활에서 자발적으로 가하는 것이기 도 하다. 이러한 점에서 차별은 단순한 이데올로기일뿐 아니라 시민들 사 이에서 공유되는 강력한 담론이기도 하다. 최근 들어‘혼혈인’에 대해 사 회가 더 포용적인 태도를 취하는 것은 국민국가가 보다‘문화적인’단계 로 넘어갔음을 말하는 것이지 근본적인 해결에 도달했음을 뜻하는 것은 아니다.

This paper analyzes the discrimination against the children referred to as‘ mixed blood’who are born to members of the American military stationed in Korea. It is commonly said that the discrimination against the persons called‘ mixed blood’is rooted in the ‘pure blood’discourse peculiar to Korean national culture. On the contrary, this paper argues that is based on a logic of exclusion coupled with the processes of nation-state construction, Korea’s subordinate relationships with America, and women’s inferior status in a patriarchical society. The systematic exclusion from every aspect of social life the ‘mixed blood’experience from the time of birth is related to the conferral and deprivation of citizenship. The concept of biological citizenship is developed here as a way to understand the background of the ‘mixed blood’and their social life. Although the physical traits are never a just reason for expulsion and discrimination, specific biological traits are culturally imagined as not legitimate within a national community. The ‘mixed blood’have undergone discrimination that is not only imposed institutionally by the state, but also enacted by ordinary citizens on an everyday basis. The ways in which they have been discriminated against reveals the logic of expulsion is not merely official ideology of the state but also a discourse internalized among citizens. However, recent changes indicate a “softening”in people’s and the state’s attitudes towards the ‘mixed blood,’which means that the nation-state is now making a transition to a more cultural stage, but not to a fundamental resolution.

This paper analyzes the discrimination against the children referred to as‘ mixed blood’who are born to members of the American military stationed in Korea. It is commonly said that the discrimination against the persons called‘ mixed blood’is rooted in the ‘pure blood’discourse peculiar to Korean national culture. On the contrary, this paper argues that is based on a logic of exclusion coupled with the processes of nation-state construction, Korea’s subordinate relationships with America, and women’s inferior status in a patriarchical society. The systematic exclusion from every aspect of social life the ‘mixed blood’experience from the time of birth is related to the conferral and deprivation of citizenship. The concept of biological citizenship is developed here as a way to understand the background of the ‘mixed blood’and their social life. Although the physical traits are never a just reason for expulsion and discrimination, specific biological traits are culturally imagined as not legitimate within a national community. The ‘mixed blood’have undergone discrimination that is not only imposed institutionally by the state, but also enacted by ordinary citizens on an everyday basis. The ways in which they have been discriminated against reveals the logic of expulsion is not merely official ideology of the state but also a discourse internalized among citizens. However, recent changes indicate a “softening”in people’s and the state’s attitudes towards the ‘mixed blood,’which means that the nation-state is now making a transition to a more cultural stage, but not to a fundamental resolution.

‘mixed blood ’, American military, discrimination, biological citizenship, state