Tag: film

Say it isn’t so! After five seasons, we are wrapping up our podcast about Korean Americans in arts and culture. For the final episode of K-Pod, co-hosts Catherine Hong and Juliana Sohn look back on the series and recall some favorite moments, from creative director Ji Lee on the value of pursuing personal projects to interior designer Young Huh’s case for beauty in everyday life. They also reveal dream guests they wish they had gotten (Sandra Oh); the one episode Juliana’s son actually listened to (Michelle Zauner); and what’s next for KoreanAmericanStory.org in its mission to heal generational trauma through storytelling. Our deepest thanks to our supporters and everybody who listened to K-Pod. 감사합니다!

Born a 2nd gen immigrant in Bakersfield, California in 1940, Irvin Paik recalls his unease around his Japanese neighbors and witnessing his parents face a lot of discrimination from white Americans. Irvin discovered a passion for theater in junior high school and continued to be involved with producing, writing, and acting in plays throughout high school and college. He even won an award in a Shakespeare competition at UCLA. Irvin also worked in photography, even pursuing a career in it, though he faced discrimination from employers.

Irvin later found work in the army, filming training videos, serving in Vietnam as a combat photographer, and working as a script supervisor at a pictorial center in Long Island City. He also worked filming a television show for 14 years. After leaving the army, Irvin began filming nature documentaries, and, following a mandate from the Justice Department that encouraged the hiring of minorities, he was able to pursue film editing. With Koreans achieving huge successes in the modern entertainment industry, Irvin encourages young people to follow their dreams.