Living areas The Los Angeles Area is inhabited by a very large Korean American community. At this point, it is very difficult to determine the exact number, but according to the results available in 2008, this minority was represented by 1.1 million people (Kim, 27). These people live predominantly in Los Angeles County and Orange County. There are some places where there is a large proportion of this group; in particular, one has to speak about such neighborhood as Koreatown. They constitute 23 percent of total population which is approximately 28520 people (Kim, 27). Overall, Korean Americans live in Los Angeles, Anaheim, and many neighboring cities. Reasons for settling in the US and the LA area There are several reasons why these people decided to settle in the United States, and particularly the LA area. First, some of them had to immigrate in order to avoid political prosecution. This reason is particularly important when we speak about North Korean refugees or their descendants. Secondly, many Korean people chose to settle in the US because this country could provide them with better economic and employment opportunities. It should be noted that Korean population of the Los Angeles area began to increase dramatically after the adoption of Immigration and Nationality Act (Chen, 41). Many of these immigrants chose this part of the United States because of its rapid economic growth, vast educational opportunities, and mild climate. The use of the language in the private sector Private education The Korean language is not often used in the sphere of private education. Certainly, we can mention Wilshire Private School in which students can learn the Korean language, but it is not a part of the curriculum (Wilshire Private School, unpaged). It is located in Los Angeles on 4900 Wilshire Boulevard. This educational institution can serve the needs of ESL students, and many Korean immigrants want their children to attend this school because in this place they could practice both English and Korean. Religious worship Currently, the majority of Korean Americans view themselves as Christians (Yoo & Chung, 60). Similar situation can be observed in Los Angeles area. Approximately, 51 percent of Koreans living in the US are Catholic, while 49 percent adhere to the principles of Buddhism (Yoo & Chung, 61). These people do not usually read their religious texts in their native language. Only a small group of people representing first-wave immigration can do it. Stores and supermarkets There are some supermarkets and stores in which employees can communicate with the customers in Korean. For example, one can mention Koreatown Plazza. In this supermarket, many labels are written in English and Korean. Besides, those Korean immigrants, who have yet to master the English language, can ask the personnel for assistance. Newspapers and magazines Yes, there is at least one Korean-language newspaper which still operates, namely the Korea Times . It is published in Los Angeles (The Korean Times, unpaged). This periodical is issued every Monday and Saturday. It is primarily intended for people who have settled in the US only recently, but it does not enjoy great popularity among Korean