Legacy Project

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.

Michael Song moved to Korea at the age of 22 after experiencing difficulty finding employment in the US. Born and raised in LA, Michael was immediately immersed in Korean culture upon starting full-time work in the country. This experience went beyond culture shock, providing Michael with an understanding of his parent’s immigration experience in the US and a new context for decisions they made when he was younger. Now, Michael strives to find a balance between his personal journey and cultural and societal expectations.

Born and raised in San Jose, Aaron Choe always knew he wanted to reconnect with Korean culture. In high school, he discovered 90s K-pop, which sparked a curiosity that eventually led him to visit his sister who lived in Korea. Aaron fell in love with the country and ended up moving there permanently in 2008. Since then, Aaron’s been living in Korea as a film director and DJ. Making sense of his identity, Aaron has fully embraced his Koreanness and encourages others to move there to truly experience the country.

Born in Busan, but raised an adoptee in Iowa, Zach Benson grew up looking and speaking differently from his mainly white peers. Zach struggled with fitting in and participating in class until he discovered a passion for breakdancing in high school. When Zach was 23, he came to Korea to learn more about his heritage and search for his birth mother, with whom he was finally able to reconnect. Zach later moved to Daejeon, where he worked as an RA at a Korean international school, to spend more time with his birth mother.

Born a Korean American expat in Korea, Denny Hong grew up in various international and military schools in Korea, the U.S., and Germany. Denny’s family finally settled down in Memphis when he was in high school. While living in the states brought its own set of struggles, including racism, Denny has never let the challenges of his past define him. After returning to Korea to reconnect with his family and roots, Denny found himself enjoying life in Korea, keenly observing its shifting culture. Denny continues to live in Korea, and he now works as a radio broadcaster.

Born in Flushing, Queens, Albert Kim was raised speaking Korean by his grandparents throughout his time in elementary school. Even after his grandparents moved out, Albert maintained a connection to his Korean heritage through the practice of Samul Nori, traditional Korean drums. These connections grew stronger after Albert and his family moved to New Jersey while he was in middle school, and Albert found himself surrounded by even more Korean Americans in his community. Upon moving to Korea in his adulthood, Albert grappled with living with alopecia in a culture highly sensitive to physical appearances. Having moved around a lot throughout his life, Albert has learned to enjoy life by living in the moment.

Christine was raised as an American in a white family— far from where she was originally found, a train station in Daegu, Korea. Despite feeling fortunate for her loving adoptive family, she still felt and looked different, influenced by classmates that bullied her.

Years later, in 2018, Christine saw an online post about a welcome home program. Inspired by the documentary Lion, in which a man found his family on Google, she discovered the Korean American Adoptee Facebook group and was able to travel to Korea for the first time. The feeling of being home removed an unknown tension she had felt in the US.

The following year, she received confirmation from a DNA test that she has a sister living in Belgium. Reunited through the internet, they immediately felt a connection. They met for the first time in Korea, in an emotional reunion that prompted monthly trips to Belgium before COVID. Having reunited with her homeland and family, Christine has found satisfaction and peace in her Korean American identity.

Born in Korea and moved to the U.S. by age 8, Namjun Cho’s parents wanted to provide a better education for their children. Seeing how much diversity that the States provided, Namjun’s parents decided to lengthen their stay to see their kids graduate. Along the way, Namjun had a hard time in school, feeling little sympathy from the community as he would find himself in conflict with other students; never being able to share his side of the story because of the language barrier. After years of adjusting to America, Namjun then returned to Korea in late-July of 2020 to fulfill his military duties. Because of his need to learn English to get by in the States, Namjun found himself now struggling with his native-tongue and self-proclaimed American identity, which earned him no support yet again. Caught in between, Namjun went into training and service feeling Korean, and has come out on what feels like the distant other side of being American.

One night in Seoul, Tae Kim found himself in a Burger King, struggling to order his meal. Despite being able to speak Korean fluently in his home of Koreatown LA, he quickly found that it just did not translate so smoothly in his new home of Korea. As he tried paying for the meal he didn’t even want, Tae felt the realness of culture shock. Doubt and fear permeated as he began to settle into the new city, leading him to ask friends about finding mental health counseling. To his surprise, his struggle was met with judgment. Certain that he couldn’t be the only one, Tae took action. Starting with a Facebook group to provide a safe outlet for people struggling with their mental health in Korea, it became clear that he really wasn’t alone. So he made an app called “Gideb” where people could remain anonymous and find the right resources and access to the mental health support they need. Now, Tae is grateful to be living in Korea with his wife and son, happily running his company.