World War II marked a dramatic change for Koreans in America. Since issues of racism were at the forefront of the war against Nazism, notions of white superiority became less acceptable. Legislation reforms systematically struck down laws and covenants that discriminated against Asians, and overt anti-Asian practices and sentiments diminished. For Orientals in California, especially the second generation, the post World War II period marked an opening of opportunities in numerous spheres ranging from employment and education to housing. The increasing numbers of Asian American college graduates and removal of racial barriers in certain sectors of the labor market allowed many to secure professional jobs. With economic means, Korean Americans started moving into previously restricted, more middle class neighborhoods.

For those who were part of the exodus out of ethnic enclave, this also signified a major shift in social and cultural life. They moved from being centered in immigrant ethnic enclaves to being widely dispersed in satellite communities that retained ties to organizations and activities that were based within the ethnic enclaves. While many middle class Asian Americans aspired to integrate into the American mainstream, life in satellite communities settled into distinctly Asian American patterns. For Chinese, Japanese, and Filipino Americans in California, "integration" occurred through the creation of segregated ethnic chapters of mainstream civic associations and ethnic divisions of political organizations. In California, where most Koreans immigrants had settled, Koreans did not constitute a large enough group to form their own ethnic associations. Excluded from Chinese and Japanese American organizations, those who wanted to participate in the larger society had little choice but to join non-ethnic or multi-ethnic mainstream groups. Hence, unlike other Asian American groups, the post-war marked a time of desegregated and integration into the American mainstream for Korean Americans.