The concept of self-sacrifice is highly important to Korean Americans. As they are raised within the construct of interconnected family and society, the importance of family and community overrides that of the individual. With hierarchy of age, social status, and gender defined roles taking primacy over that of equality and justice, selfsacrifice becomes instrumental in maintaining family and social relationships. Unfortunately in family relationships, sacrifice has more to do with submission and endurance than it does with sacrificial service that is redemptive and mutually beneficial. When self-sacrifice carries hidden motives: coercive responsibility, obligation, shame, guilt, or one`s reputation; by this point the "self-sacrifice" is not selfgiving neither serving nor of mutual benefit. In this context, it is important to explore the actual attitudes and motives of self-sacrifice in Korean American families. In unlocking and exploring the dynamics of practice of self-sacrifice for Korean Americans, this paper has explored the actual attitudes, beliefs, and motives of self-sacrifice as reported by Korean Americans in a survey form. Several significant results that helped to understand Korean American family relationships were found. A new approach and model with a proposal for a healthier and a more judicious understanding of self-sacrifice for Korean American family relationships were introduced.