Tag: atlanta

Born in 1950 during the Korean War, Kyung Koo Park was the weakest child in her family. They didn’t have much, but Mrs. Park recalls never going hungry and being thankful to her mother for raising her to be a strong and proud person. In this Legacy Project recording, Mrs. Park also shares her journey and what it was like living as an immigrant in South Carolina during the 70s and 80s. She has learned not to make assumptions and hopes future generations learn and communicate with the different communities around them while never forgetting their roots.

John Song would describe his childhood as atypical. He and his sister were latchkey kids who didn’t follow the traditional path a Korean American kid should take and experienced lots of bumps on the road. At 11 years old, John’s father passed away from cancer; six days later, his 17-year-old sister gave birth.

Jennifer Chung grew up in San Francisco constantly surrounded by music and dance. Her mother was a traditional Korean dancer and her father was a recording artist and radio DJ. Even after her parent’s divorce, she recalls traveling around in her mother’s van performing and falling in love with music.

Sarah Park was born in Seoul and immigrated to the US in middle school. As a child in Korea, Sarah noticed inequalities and injustices surrounding her and would try to create a space where everyone was equal. She would make sure classmates would have resources and offer support when needed.

Born in 1935 during the Japanese occupation of Korea, Choong Shik Cho recalls constantly struggling and facing hunger. When the Korean War broke out, he was 16 years old and spent the first three months hiding in a dark basement because his family feared he would be drafted. Although his family didn’t have much, he remembers his parents’ deep devotion to providing him and his seven siblings with food and support.

Katheryn Kim was born in 1940 into a yangban, or a noble, family in Gyeongju City and grew up in a strict and traditional home. Her father was not like most men of his generation and did not want Katheryn to marry until she completed college. Katheryn completed school but refused to get married. She ran away from home and hid from her family, but life had other plans. Katheryn, to her surprise, found a match on a blind date her parents had set up and soon got married.

Mila Konomos was born in Seoul, South Korea, and adopted into a white American military family stationed in Japan at six months old. As an infant, Mila would cry and screech nonstop. It wasn’t until her adoptive mother was flipping through tv channels she immediately stopped crying when she heard something familiar, Korean. This story was often humorously shared with Mila but for her, it’s a story about grief and severance.

Amanda Assalone was born in Seoul, South Korea, and adopted into a white family in Tulsa, OK. She always believed she was given up for adoption because her birth mother was young and could not financially raise a child. Amanda never intended to search for her family and always wished them well. So when she received an email saying they’d been found, she quickly learned the truth. Her story had been fabricated and she was given up for adoption because she was not a boy.

James “Uzuhan” Han was born and raised in Washington, DC, and often worked at his family’s dry cleaning business. As a child, witnessing his parents interact with customers gave James insight into how the world viewed them and a desire to protect his family. It wasn’t until middle school that he discovered hip hop, allowing him to channel those feelings and connect with himself and his peers in a new way.