Boram Yi
associate professor
Division of Legal, Ethical and Historical Studies
Contact Information:
Phone: 410.837.4128
E-mail: byi@ubalt.edu
M.A., Ph.D., University of Georgia
M.A., Hankuk University of Foreign Studies
B.S., Seoul Women's University
Boram Yi's C.V.
I was fascinated with the presence of American cultural influences in my home country, Korea, but I found it more intriguing that two equally strong yet quite opposite views about this influence competed in Korea. One view emphasizes American influences as overwhelmingly positive, and the other describes them as an exploitative foreign intrusion. I wondered if there could be a third perspective. This challenging question led me to pursue my studies of history, U.S. diplomacy, modern Asia and the world.
My current research focuses on the ways in which personal interactions between American service members in Korea and the Korean people affect U.S.-Korean relations. Analyzing these relationships over the past 50 years provides us critical insight into U.S. diplomacy and the United States’ role in modern Asian and world history. I am in the process of transforming my dissertation into a book, and I have expanded my research to incorporate more oral interviews with American veterans. If you know anyone who served in Korea between 1953 and 2007 and is willing to talk about his or her experiences, please let me know.
At UBalt, I am rewarded when I meet highly motivated students. I am very impressed that my students, whether working full time or part time, are determined to take up challenges and come to school. I am equally determined to help them. As a history teacher, I hope to encourage students to be open-minded citizens, armed with a fluent understanding of the changing nature of history.