There is a certain process of evolution to any group of authors of Diaspora. For example, Jewish writers or black writers are classified into two categories; the group of the 1st generation tries to record their own ethnic heritage with a nostalgic and positive viewpoint, while the group of the 2nd generation tries to move away from their own cultural backgrounds as far as possible and to establish their own literary world without any specific ethnic color. In the process, some authors of 2nd generation even try to attack or criticize their own cultural sources. Interestingly, Korean-American writers—including playwrights—seem to tread the same path. Young Jean Lee, as one of the 2nd generation of Korean-American writers, makes use of Korean heritage only to distort and attack her own Korean root. Her strategy is to provoke self-complacent audience to look into its own prejudices against any unfamiliar culture or race and to trigger a change from bigotry to openness. To make her attempt more effective, Young Jean Lee borrows the title of her play, Songs of Dragons Flying to Heaven from the namesake grandiose epic created by the scholars at Se-Jong period of Korea. The main objective of this paper is to trace the common background of both works and to extend the range of understanding of the play.

There is a certain process of evolution to any group of authors of Diaspora. For example, Jewish writers or black writers are classified into two categories; the group of the 1st generation tries to record their own ethnic heritage with a nostalgic and positive viewpoint, while the group of the 2nd generation tries to move away from their own cultural backgrounds as far as possible and to establish their own literary world without any specific ethnic color. In the process, some authors of 2nd generation even try to attack or criticize their own cultural sources. Interestingly, Korean-American writers—including playwrights—seem to tread the same path. Young Jean Lee, as one of the 2nd generation of Korean-American writers, makes use of Korean heritage only to distort and attack her own Korean root. Her strategy is to provoke self-complacent audience to look into its own prejudices against any unfamiliar culture or race and to trigger a change from bigotry to openness. To make her attempt more effective, Young Jean Lee borrows the title of her play, Songs of Dragons Flying to Heaven from the namesake grandiose epic created by the scholars at Se-Jong period of Korea. The main objective of this paper is to trace the common background of both works and to extend the range of understanding of the play.

Songs of Dragons Flying to Heaven, Young Jean Lee, racism, Korean literature, Korean-American culture