Tag: multicultural

Lori Song, 65, was born and raised in Los Angeles to Korean and Japanese parents who arrived in L.A. from Hawaii in the 1950s. She has a twin brother who looks just like her, and a younger brother as well; with regards to her mixed heritage, she describes herself as a “fourth generation person on both sides.” From as early as she could remember, Lori recalls how she had always felt a sense of relief when cross-dressing, and remembers how transformative the first time she wore women’s clothing from head to toe had been. She recalls, too, how difficult her teenage years were (though she states that “teenage years are hard, no matter the era); eventually, Lori decided to give one last shot in “trying to be a man,” but knew, deep down, that it wasn’t who she really was. Slowly, she began coming out to her friends and family, and although some responses have been more lukewarm than others, she feels joy in how today’s younger generation are accepting of her as who she is. Recently, Lori began hormone therapy, and although she says that changes have been slow because she started later in life, she encourages us to “be brave enough to just do your thing,” no matter how young or old we might be.

Aileen Kim was born in Yanji, Jilin Province, China, in 1972, and she is a third-generation Korean Chinese: her grandmother sought refuge in China during the Japanese occupation, and her parents were born in Manchuria. She talks about having a relatively middle-class upbringing, with both parents both working as public servants, as well as attending Yanbian University of Science and Technology, where she studied English. After graduation, she worked for the school’s human resources team—her fluency across languages and cultures meant that she could work in translation and in cultural introductions with visiting students and scholars. Her husband was one such visiting student, and after the two married they lived in Ulsan, Korea, for six years, where Aileen worked as a Chinese instructor. While pregnant with their second child, the family moved to Los Angeles for Aileen’s husband’s career. Through Radio Korea, she later found work in a restaurant whose owner was also Korean Chinese; here, too, her fluency in Chinese, Korean, and English proved useful in working the front of house. Although she wasn’t aware of it at first, she came to find a sizable Korean Chinese community in Los Angeles, and takes pride in her identity. She relates to her children in understanding what it’s like to grow up Korean in a non-Korean-majority environment, and just as she held onto her heritage through the Korean language, she hopes for her children to continue using it as well.

Anthony Hull was born in Mount Holly, New Jersey, to a Korean mother and a Black father who worked as an army mechanic. As a child, he remembers growing up in a relatively diverse community with friends who were Asian, or had Asian parents; it was in the fourth grade, when he befriended a transfer student from Korea, that Anthony began to feel a sense of pride and solidarity in his own Korean identity. In college, he remembers struggling to “half” identify with his dual heritage, feeling alienated from in-groups who didn’t see him “Black enough” or “Korean enough:” then and today, he feels that he is both 100% Black and 100% Korean. Following graduation, Anthony moved to New York to pursue a career in acting and filmmaking, where he now has his own production company to tell the stories he’s always wanted to share.

Jacky Lee was born in Incheon, South Korea, in 1957. She recounts her early childhood memories living in Korea with her mother and younger sister, recollecting in vivid detail specific moments spent with family while noting that many of those earliest memories are becoming harder and harder to remember. When Jacky was five years old, she and her younger sister were adopted by an American couple who were stationed in Japan while serving in the Air Force. Though living in Japan presented its own set of challenges—she had to learn a new language, for one—Jacky describes feeling a particular bond with her adoptive mother owing to their skin color, and overall recollects her time in Japan fondly. After the family’s period of service was over, they relocated to California where her parents started a church; it was in America that Jacky felt for the first time a conflict in identity, where she was bullied by the other children at church for her appearance. Resentful that her parents were unwilling to talk about her past in Korea and her biracial heritage, Jacky talks about the confusion and shame that accompanied questions she had for herself. In her thirties, however, while visiting a Korean beauty supply store, a worker recognized her as being Korean; for the first time in her life, she felt able to slowly reclaim bits of her Korean identity. In 2014 she visited Korea with a group of other biracial Koreans, where she rediscovered a love for the land of her birth mother. Jacky went back to Korea in 2017 to nurture this connection, and ever since she’s identified herself as Korean, Black, and proud.

Milton Washington, now residing in Harlem, New York, carries a poignant story of resilience and identity, starting with his early life in South Korea. Born to a Korean mother who worked in South Korean military camptowns, Milton faced rejection not only for being mixed Black and Korean but for being the child of only one parent. The rejection forced the mother and son to move from their village near Incheon to Dongducheon. Years later, Milton was eight years old and found himself living at an adoption agency after his mother could no longer take care of him. One day, a car pulled up, and a Black family from America stepped out to adopt another child. Milton ran into the vehicle belonging to the family and refused to leave. Feeling an instant connection, this family adopted Milton. As an adult, Milton reflects on the geopolitical forces that impacted his mother’s life and other people’s heartbreaking and inspiring stories to persist and live.

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.

Born and raised in West Point, Utah, Tiffany grew up in a family which was rather distinct from those of her peers. As a biracial woman whose mother was Korean and father was Black, she expresses an overwhelming sense of feeling “different” in an environment which was predominantly of one race and religion. Yet Tiffany relishes in memories of her “very Korean” household, growing up with Korean food and observing Korean traditions, which she owes to her mother.

In high school, Tiffany joined the school newspaper; while in university, she continued to engage with student journalism while studying mass communication. Over the pandemic, she covered a story about local Koreans in Houston sewing masks community members, an experience that she considers pivotal in feeling accepted by the Korean community. Today, she lives in San Francisco working as an award-winning journalist, a career she values for its capacity to help those in need, bring light to unspoken issues, and affirm stories gone untold—stories such as her own.

Dong Hyeon Jeong, originally born in Gyeongju, South Korea, had a unique upbringing in the Philippines due to his parents’ missionary work. Growing up there, he experienced preferential treatment, largely due to his lighter skin, and remained unaware of racial discrimination until his move to the United States in 2003, where he pursued a Master of Divinity. His early experiences as a Youth Pastor for Korean American children were marked by challenges in adapting to a new cultural context. Today, Dong Hyeon resides in Skokie with his multicultural family and actively promotes diversity and the celebration of different identities within his community.

Bomin Kim was born in South Korea and moved to Australia at age 11, where she was primarily raised by her grandmother due to her parents’ separation. Initially struggling with language and cultural differences, Kim found comfort in excelling academically and forming lasting friendships. Surprisingly, she later embarked on a journey of global travel and eventually received a job offer in the United States, prompting her to move there in 2012. Fondly cherishing her grandmother’s teachings of kindness and love, Kim is now determined to pass down these invaluable lessons to her own daughter. Embracing her role as a global citizen, she has found her voice and is dedicated to advocating for positive change.

Born in the US, but having grown up in Korea and attending an international school, Eunice Lee never felt fully Korean or fully American as a child. After a swimming injury, Eunice discovered musical theater as an outlet for her creative energies and eventually went to NYU for it.

Going to NYU after living in Korea for most of her life, Eunice faced difficulties with culture shock, assimilation, racism, and homesickness. Nevertheless, Eunice was able to find her niche through a Korean church and Korean American society. As someone who identifies as neither fully Korean nor fully American, Eunice carries a unique Korean American identity, as well as unique perspectives on Korean and American culture.

Chris Packard was born and raised in Toledo, Ohio to a Korean mother and American father. He recalls growing up with a true rural Midwestern life filled with baseball and bicycle rides but also vivid memories of helping his mother run her small businesses – something he considers a defining part in his childhood.

Get to know more about our sticker contest’s 1st place winner, Shashi Arnold! Interviewed by our intern, Emma Park.

Kesung Anderson was born in Arlington, Virginia, and spent some time in New York before moving to Korea around the age of 5. After completing a few years of school in Korea, his family decided to move to Minnesota to be with his grandparents. As the new kid in middle school, Kesung remembers being picked on and treated like an outcast. He was scrawny, didn’t like to curse like the other kids, and still wore clothing brought from Korea, making him very aware and self-conscious of his differences from his peers. One day, he had the opportunity to participate in the running event at school and surprised everyone when he began to pass his classmates. Kesung was ultimately recruited for the track team and ended up beating the top runner at a sectional meet, thus helping him grow out of his shell and gaining confidence as well as respect from his peers.

Becky White was born in Omaha, Nebraska to a South Korean mother and an American father. Her parents met in South Korea when her father was there on military business and eventually moved to the U.S. after getting married. Growing up, Ms. White and her younger sisters were often caught in the middle of the conflict between their parents’ two different worldviews and mindsets; while her father was cerebral and academic, her mother was scrappy and had a lot of street smarts. Eventually, Ms. White travelled to Korea to learn more about her mother and herself but experienced being taken advantage of in her workplace for her biracial appearance and her language skill set.

Cedric Stout was born in Ohio to an African American father and Korean mother and grew up in a military town in North Carolina. When peers started to call him “Black Chinaman,” Cedric experienced phases of insecurity and questioning his identity. However, his father, who went through the Civil Rights Movement, taught him how to disregard hate and instead focus on treating everyone with respect. With two loving parents, they taught him how to love both his Black and Korean backgrounds, but also find identity in faith. In his late 20s, sparked by deep curiosity and a desire to understand his mother better, Cedric made a pivot in his life by moving to Seoul, South Korea. In this Legacy Project, Cedric speaks on the sense of being a perpetual outsider in Korea as a half Black and Korean man, even after spending several years in the country.

Alison Choi was born and raised in Hong Kong, before permanently moving to the United States in 2015. Both of her parents grew up in the United States, and her American roots, coupled with her Korean heritage, gave her a unique cultural identity. While Ms. Choi felt in tune with her American identity, her Korean one was harder to reconcile with growing up in Hong Kong due to the relative lack of Korean-Americans in her community. It wasn’t until she began attending college that she was able to more directly confront and understand her Asian-American identity. She first immersed herself in the history of different ethnic groups in the United States before delving into Asian-American studies. Ms. Choi began to document stories not only about her own family but also about the intersection and interaction between Korean-American and Black communities. Her journey of discovering and exploring her identity speaks to her sense of purpose and her motivation to contribute to the community she is a part of.

All content has been recorded in advance prior to the US outbreak of COVID-19.

When our son Bart was only three he voiced emphatic dislike of his handsome Asian face. He wanted to ‘fit in’ to the Caucasian world he’d known since arriving home at age five months. His message was loud and clear, that even at a tender age, his self-esteem was wrapped up with his adoption, Korean heritage and being a “stranger in a strange land”.

During the COVID-19 quarantine, many people have tried new things while stuck at home, like baking sourdough bread or crocheting. Of course, it’s hard to be productive 100% of the time when you can’t leave your house, so the most popular quarantine activity by far is probably binge-watching TV. When we first started self-quarantining in our apartment in the Boston area, my fiance and I were already halfway through the k- drama Itaewon Class on Netflix.

L. Song Richardson was born in El Paso, Texas to a Korean American mother and African American father who was a Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Army. Richardson grew up with strong influences of Korean culture from her mother who always stressed the importance of education which would later contribute to Richardson’s passion for teaching and research. In this Legacy Project, Richardson reflects back on the challenges of growing up mixed race and how her parents fell in love. L. Song Richardson is the current Dean and Chancellor’s Professor of Law at the University of California, Irvine School of Law with joint appointments in the Department of Criminology, Law and Society and in the Department of Asian American Studies.

Author David Yoon became a breakout star in 2019 with his critically acclaimed YA debut novel, Frankly in Love, which hit the New York Times bestseller list and has also been optioned for a movie. In a Zoom interview, Juliana and Catherine talk to David about his path to becoming a writer, the “surreal” experience of seeing his first novel take off, and his partnership in love and literature with his wife, YA superstar author Nicola Yoon. (“I feel like I won the love lottery with her.”)

To pass the time, I have started doing Pilates, taking frequent naps. For three weeks, Tom insisted I watch Pulp Fiction. I’ve eaten close to a thousand Oreos in the past month and a half. This is not hyperbole.

Dr. Yuri Doolan was born in an Air Force base to an American father and Korean mother who met in Korea during the 1980s.

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.

Facebook creative director Ji Lee is one of the most influential graphic designers working in the country today. Born in Korea and raised in Brazil, he built his career in advertising, working for Google Creative Lab, Droga 5 and Saatchi & Saatchi. But it’s his wide range of witty and subversive personal projects — like the Bubble Project and the Instagram sensation Drawings for my Grandchildren, which features the artwork of his 76-year-old father — that are dearest to his heart. Catherine and Juliana learn about his Korean-Brazilian childhood, his unique creative process and his passion for challenging the way we see the world.

Marcus Hahm, also known as Avec Plaisir, is an award-winning sound designer, mixer, and music producer who’s worked with national brands and major labels doing commercial work, songwriting and music supervising.

The process of creating a book, regardless of the target audience, is deeply involved and requires a plethora of patience and many hours of revisions.

Born in Seoul, Hyun Joon Lee grew up in Indonesia, went to Yonsei University, and ended up in the Bronx working as a medical resident.

When Ilse Marques Kim, a former model from Brazil, was laid off from Korea Air’s cargo department at LAX, she struggled to find work for over a year.

HeeSun Lee was born in Seoul, South Korea in 1983, and was adopted by a Chinese American family. You may have heard her rap on the Korean TV program Show Me the Money. Growing up as an adoptee, she felt stereotyped by other Koreans, which led her to write about what she was going through in her music. She shares how the experience shaped her journey in finding who she is.

When asked how it makes her feel to be known as the “Original Dreamer” she responded, “I’m not sure it matters… some undocumented immigrants today are saying that they think the Dreamer rhetoric is something that throws our parents under the bus because it’s exclusive to a certain number of immigrants. We have to fight this one thing at a time and eventually we will fight for comprehensive immigration reform because that’s what this country really needs.”

Artist of “One Thing” Amerie sits down with Julie Young, and talks about her future music, how she was able to break into the music industry as a senior at Georgetown University, and why she can maintain a positive outlook on life.

What would it be like for 3 generations to travel together in Korea? Walk through one family’s journey of discovering and revisiting where they come from, while passing through the natural landscapes of the countryside and modern city of Seoul.

Probably each one of us said it at some point when we were small children. Some of us said it almost every night. Some begged and pleaded. We laughed and giggled and screamed when our pleadings were granted.

In this month’s KoreanAmericanStory on 87.7 FM, Doogaji creators Charles and Victoria Thompson talk about the importance of bicultural identity, and how their books are meant to instill this value in Korean American children.

Unzu Lee, currently a Presbyterian pastor, used to have “zero confidence” in her language abilities due to a sudden move from Korea to Brazil at 14 years of age.

Growing up in a church full of political dissidents, Unzu Lee learned early on that “political activism was just one way of social transformation.”

Sarang Kang is a Korean American female pastor whose visionary and assertive character sometimes ruffles feathers.

Growing up, Charles Yoon moved country-to-country as his dad got new job assignments—interacting with many different cultures.

In this week’s KoreanAmericanStory with KRB 87.7 FM, Haewon Latorre talks about her experience as a Korean Latin-American individual, and describes the complexities of an intertwined identity.

In this week’s KoreanAmericanStory with KRB 87.7 FM, Ester Fang talks about her experience growing up as a hapa in Korea.

At 23, Aiyoung Choi fell head over heels for a Cuban man and married him—cutting ties with her parents who disapproved of the pair.

In this week’s Korean American Story with KRB 87.7 FM, Milton Washington talks about the tumultuous years of his life after his adoption to America, and how he came to resolve the inner conflicts regarding his identity.

In this week’s Korean American Story with KRB 87.7 FM, Milton Washington talks about his childhood in Korea as a half-Korean and half-African American boy. With pride, he shares about his prostitute mother – the essence of love and security up until his adoption to America at 8 years old, and the reason why he was able to endure the unfriendliness of a world that gave him birth.

Julie Young and Nina Lee (the daughter of KoreanAmericanStory.org founder HJ Lee) sit down with rapper and actress Awkwafina at Maru Karaoke Lounge in New York. Awkwafina, or Nora Lum, born to a Chinese-American father and a Korean mother, talks about losing her mother at a young age, her grandparents, her acting career, her passion for making music, and more.

Fred Warnick was a young American working in Korea in the 1960s.

This is the story of Thomas Park Clement, an abandoned bi-racial Korean War orphan, who was adopted by a white American family in 1958. He overcame many obstacles to become a successful entrepreneur and a humanitarian.

Artist, music producer, and entrepreneur Chino (Kyu Min Lee)is “Seoul-born, Bogotá-raised, L.A.-grown, Brooklyn-aged.” He’s dined with diplomats and considers Erykah Badu a friend.

At age twelve, Dong-Jin Eastern Kang Sim huddled in a tiny cell in Mexico City with his mother and thirteen-year-old brother. They were the only Asians in the jail.

Sulja Lee was born in Japan in 1942 during WWII and her family moved back to Korea after Korean independence from Japan in 1945.

Growing up, my mother did not teach my sister and me about Korea. She did not teach us Korean. She did not feed us Korean food, and by middle school, my sister and I balked at her stinky jars of kimchee.

Susan Knight (birth name: Yim Hee Jung), 37, was born in Seoul and currently lives in Cumming, Georgia with her husband and three children. This is her story of resilience of growing up in poverty and moving to the U.S. at age eight to join her mother and stepfather, a U.S. soldier.

Late one evening while mourning her late husband, Pega Crimbshin (nee Ock Soon Lee), 81, of Cabot, Pennsylvania, found a box that he had handcrafted and shown to her in January 1954. He had informed her that they contained important papers.

“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.

Haewon Latorre was born in Korea, moved to Argentina as a toddler, then moved to NYC as a teenager.

In popular culture, Asian Americans always seemed concerned with building bridges from old country to new country, first generation to second generation.

As a child, comic books were Kim’s gateway to art. Some of his favorite comics included Akira (“the greatest work of graphic fiction ever!”), Blade of the Immortal, Ghost in the Shell, Dragonball, X-Men and Generation X. Kim states, “Comics remain my main inspiration. I’m equally interested in storytelling and writing fiction, and comics are a synthesis of those two.”

Ever since I left Southern California for college in Connecticut, my mother has always waited while I wind through the airport security line. She smiles and waves wildly until I make it past screening and turn around to wave goodbye one last time. Except once.

Legacy Project video of Yong-Hee Silver interviewed by her son, Adrian Silver in New York.

This is a video I made about my mom for my two quappa (quarter Korean) kids. It sums up that special relationship between a Korean grandma and her grandkids. The central figure is Grandmother…and yes, I know I spelled Halmoni wrong but that is just how we roll with it in our family. Harmonie fits our multiracial family better since it is close to “harmony” which is a combination of things that are pleasant together – that’s us!

“I have to say – and I say this with a record of unblemished heterosexuality – Will Demps is smokin’ hot.”

Robots may once have been reserved for the world of science fiction, but they exist among us now and, more quickly than we realize, are becoming a more prevalent and vital part of our society. Today, around the globe, there are robots that dismantle bombs, aid surgeons and even fight wars.

Never in a million years did Marja Vongerichten think she would become the unofficial ambassador of Korean food to the United States. Her story is well known at this point. Born to a Korean mother and an African-American serviceman father, at the age of three she was adopted by an African-American couple, Colonel James Allen and Margo McKay.

I was born in 1971 to a Korean mother and an African-American father. My parents met in Germany while my mom was in nursing school.

Ameriie is a popular Grammy nominated singer who is half Korean and half black, and this music video is a companion piece to the Profile of Ameriie written by Julie Young.

I have said this many times and I am here to say it on record.  Ameriie is one of the most under-appreciated singers – ever.  Full stop.  Girlfriend can truly sing.  She is blessed with a voice that, for the life of me, I can not grasp why it has not brought her the same notoriety as those other less.

What makes Myong Feiner identify herself as Korean?

I posed this question to Myong Feiner, owner and chef of Myong Gourmet, a Pan-Asian restaurant that recently opened in Mt. Kisco, New York.   Myong Feiner, simply known as Myong, identifies first as Korean, and second as Jewish.

Born in Seoul of a Chinese father and a Korean mother, people have always tried to locate my identity in fractions, particularly in America.