A Life from Scratch: Motives, Conflicts, and Love of a Family Migration Story in Minari

With the lens of family migration experience, this paper aims to explore Minari (2020), a semi-autobiographical film directed by Lee Isaac Chung, and focuses on the psychological development of the Yi family as they adapt to their life in rural Arkansas. While another contemporary Korean movie, Parasite (2019), depicts lower-class Koreans as likened to cockroaches through satire and criticism, Minari offers a portrayal of resilience, cultural identity, and family dynamics within the Korean American migrant journey. Chung also deploys the symbolic nature of the minari plant to portray the challenges of migration, adaptation, and reconciliation. Based on filmic and narrative analysis, this article examines how the family responds differently to their new environment, which creates tensions, conflicts, and exposes the pressure migration places on them. Drawing on historical and cultural context, this paper believes the migration experience in Minari is portrayed not only as a pursuit of the American Dream but also as a testament to the silent power of love and resilience that holds a family together. Regardless of their ultimate success or failure in rural Arkansas, the film invites audiences to recognize the sacrifices and silent devotion that often define our daily lives.