Tag: medicine

Michael Jhin was born in Hong Kong in 1950 to a Chinese mother and a Korean father. His early years were marked by his father’s harrowing experiences in the Korean War, including being captured by the Chinese army and a daring escape back to Hong Kong, where his mother supported the family with her dress shops. Moving to the US in 1958, Michael faced the challenges of settling in a rough Brooklyn neighborhood. Later in his adulthood, his ambitions led him to become the youngest CEO of a university hospital, a role in which he embraced his identity not just as a blend of Chinese and Korean heritage but as a proficient CEO committed to utilizing community resources for the betterment of others. For Michael, who has lived in Houston for the past 33 years with his wife Susan and their three children, professional achievement defines his identity, showcasing how individual success can transcend cultural boundaries.

Chris Park, a 2nd generation Korean American, grew up in the States, mostly in the suburbs of Kansas City and San Antonio in the early 70s. While he experienced fewer instances of racism during his childhood, college introduced him to the Korean American community and its diverse relationships with identity and language. He noticed a “You’re either with us or against us” mentality within the community, leading him to distance himself due to a lack of shared values. Despite this, Park finds other ways to support the Korean American community and cherishes the importance of preserving his grandparents’ remarkable stories for his daughter to remember and appreciate.

Kwan Ho Chung was born in South Korea in 1937, during the year the Second Sino-Japanese War began. Growing up, he heard stories from his mother about his father’s college education in the United States at the University of Pennsylvania. He made his way to America to retrace his father’s journey, visiting the University of Pennsylvania campus in person and learning about his father’s educational history there. Mr. Chung would spend years piecing together his father’s story in America and publish a biography titled “Father’s Footsteps.” Eventually, Mr. Chung would also come to live in the United States, in search of more opportunities for his sons and a new life in a new country. His father’s story motivated Mr. Chung to seek opportunity and fulfill his own ambitions, continuing a remarkable legacy of determination and perseverance.

New York City was once the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic. In late May, we interviewed three Korean American medical professionals (Nancy Kwon, Ben Hong, and Karis Cho) based in some of the hardest-hit hospitals in New York. Each doctor leads us through their lives during the current pandemic and what keeps them going.

In Part 2, Matt talks about the beauty of starting a new chapter with his family and the joys becoming a father to his own biological sons.

Matt Fischer was born in Korea and adopted at the age of 7.

Recorded in Chicago, David Chang is interviewed by his daughter, Loren Chang.

In this episode of #NotYourAverage, model, Shadowbox instructor, and medical student Joey Kim sits down with Julie Young to talk about how he juggles his eclectic career paths. Kim also shares the origin story behind his unconventional journey, including how growing up without Asian American role models pushed him to use modeling to combat stereotypes.

In this week’s episode of KoreanAmericanStory with KRB 87.7. FM, retired OB-GYN Dr. Agnes Ahn talks about her mission: to teach accurate Korean history to K-12 teachers in Massachusetts. Through “Korea Studies” workshops, she has reached over 1500 students who have now learned the true history of Korea.

Dr. Jeff Choh is an interventional radiologist who was born in Korea, immigrated to Ohio in 1972 and now lives in the Chicago area.

“You know how sometimes you meet someone and it just clicks,” Kleisley said. “That’s how it was when I first met Mark.” That 1951 chance meeting near a stream in Korea blossomed into a 60-plus-year friendship for the Marine from Rochester, N.Y., and the former homeless kid from North Korea.

“Divided Families,” the documentary that Ahn co-directed and co-produced, tells the stories of Korean American immigrants who have been separated from family members in North Korea for more than fifty years as a result of the Korean War, which divided the country into north and south.

Legacy Project video of Dr. Byoung G. Choh of Cleveland, Ohio interviewed by his daughter, Theresa Choh-Lee.

Dr. Samuel Sang Gook Lee immigrated to the United States in 1973.

In Genesis of the Bible, there is a story of Abraham being tested by the Lord to offer his only son Isaac as a sacrifice on Mount Moriah.  When Abraham was about to kill his son, he is stopped by the Lord