Legacy Project

Professor Scott McLaughlin went to Korea to learn about the culture, his background, and most importantly, to find his biological family. After two years of searching, he concluded that finding them wasn’t meant to be. Since then, he has been residing in Korea for the last 15 years teaching and connecting with people with similar mindsets and backgrounds. In this Legacy Project interview, Professor Scott recognizes that he is still navigating what that means to be Korean. As he continues to explore who he is and the person he wants to become, he hopes that people create special moments for themselves to find a little jeong in their life.

Tony Chung has always dreamed of being an architect, but after going on a mission trip with his church in high school, he found his calling. Tony attended Wheaton College and majored in Bible Theology. After one summer at Yonsei University’s Korean language program, his heart for Korea and fellow gyopos(Koreans of the diaspora) grew. Tony learned that many Korean Americans who have fallen out of the church are also deeply hurt by them. By showing grace and being gracious, he hopes to build space for Korean Americans to explore their faith and be more inclusive of one another.

Janet Russell was a military kid born in Germany to a Korean mother and a Belizean father. She didn’t grow up seeing any Koreans around her, and since she was more acquainted with her father’s family, they told her that she was Black and needed to identify with her father’s race. So she lived her life identifying as Black.

Joseph Kim left Korea at four years old and grew up in Colorado Springs. His father felt strongly about their Korean heritage and emphasized the importance of speaking Korean. Joseph currently resides in Korea and shares his unexpected journey into the Korean music industry as a songwriter and producer. With many songs and hits under his belt, Joseph recognizes the large range of talents in Korea. He is now at a point in his career where he wants to nurture and guide the next generation of creatives in the Korean music industry and hopes to showcase their skills to the world.

Born in 1968 in Gimpo, South Korea, Peter Han recalls his mother bringing home food, ingredients, and even leftovers from her job to provide for the family. At ten years old, Peter’s father becomes sick and passes away. Two years later, his mother remarries a white American man she met at the military base she worked at and soon moves everyone to the US.

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.