UM AAPI Commencement 2023

Congratulations to all the graduates!

This year I was honored to join the platform party for the University of Michigan Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Commencement ceremony. I am very grateful to be a part of the APID/A community here. Even as a member of the platform party, it is so affirming to be a witness to the accomplishments of so many AAPI students and to sit amongst those who came before me. Thank you!

And thank you to Dr. Melissa Borja for an inspiring commencement address.

Camp Naru 2022

This year I joined Camp Naru as the Chief-of-Staff. Thank you to April Bang and Ben Oser for the opportunity to be a part of Camp Naru’s inaugural year. And of course, I am overjoyed to continue working with Program Coordinator Paige Bly.

I am grateful for the opportunity to be a part of such an incredible community of Korean Americans who share the vision and goal of creating a camp. Even though camp is only for a short period each year, we each make lasting relationships and powerful memories that stay with us for a long time after we return to our regular worlds.

Shout out and thank you to all Camp Naru staff members.

From the Camp Naru website:

Our mission is to equip our youth and future generations with an ability to navigate life as individuals and members of the Korean American community with a sense of belonging and rich cultural heritage.

We envision a world where kids and youth feel safe and celebrated for who they are with their distinct cultural and personal identity as they integrate and engage with other cultures.

Click here to learn more about Camp Naru

Sejong Camp 2022

I am beyond happy to return to Sejong Camp 2022 working with Camp Directors Joy Liberthal Rho and Benjamin Oser and Program Coordinator Paige Bly.

Thank you to Joy and Ben for your work and service as Camp Directors. You have been an important part of many young people’s lives. I am grateful for the opportunity to be a part of such a powerful experience these past few years and will always hold a love for Sejong Camp.

The mission of Sejong Cultural Education is "To foster a sense of Korean-American cultural identity for families formed by adoption, birth, marriage, or choice; through education, mentorship, and community building,” and camp is one dimension if this larger goal. To live and walk and learn and grow alongside Korean Americans who are embracing and celebrating their identities while thriving in a community that holds them, loves them, and cheers for them has been a powerful experience for me. Thank you to the camp directors, the camp staff, the counselors, and the families who make Sejong Camp the culture and community that loves us for who we are and who we hope to become.

Farewell Sejong Camp!

Click here to learn more about Sejong Cultural Education, Inc.

Knours Skin Care Blog

Knours is a Asian-American and woman-owned skincare company. I was invited to participate in an interview for their website blog to celebrate AAPI Heritage Month.

The interview/blog post is titled: “Celebrating AAPI Heritage Month with LA: Korean-American Adoptee, Educator, Traveler”

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The interview is posted in printed form on the blog and includes questions such as

1. Could you tell us about your adoption story and where you grew up? Have you always considered yourself to be Korean-American?

2. How have you explored your Korean culture?

3. Have you been able to connect with other adoptees?

4. What does being Korean-American mean to you?

5. Have there been times when you faced prejudice or felt like you didn’t belong because of your race?

6. Can you tell us about the kind of work you do and what led you to this path?

7. How do you hope to change the education system through this new kind of teaching and research? What do you hope teachers will be able to gain from this teaching method?

8. How do you hope AAPI youth now will view their culture and their identities as Asian-Americans?

9. What is one piece of advice you would give to your younger self in terms of navigating your identity?

10. Is there anything else you would like to share?

NCTE 2021

On Friday, November 19 from 1:15-2:30pm EST via Zoom, I will be presenting on a panel titled “A Different Mirror:” Linguistic Histories of Being Asian/American (in the English classroom).

Proposal Description

For Asian/American students, mother tongues link family, heritage, identities. Yet students must often give up their language in school, perpetuating White supremacy. Drawing on Latin American testimonio, six Asian/American educators will share (auto)ethnographies that explore the confluence of identity and language history, with implications for the classroom.

Thank you to my fellow panelists!

Naitnaphit Limlamai, University of Michigan Ann Arbor
Laura-Ann Jacobs, University of Michigan Ann Arbor
Diana Liu, Teachers College, Columbia University
Grace Player, University of Connecticut
Reshma Ramkellawan-Arteaga, Teaching Matters
Byung-In Seo, Chicago State University

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Sejong Camp 2021

This year I had the opportunity to work alongside Dean Kim as the Staff Coordinator for Sejong Camp 2021 with Camp Directors Joy Liberthal Rho and Benjamin Oser and Program Coordinator Paige Bly. Working with this phenomenal team has been an incredible and impactful experience for me.

The mission of Sejong Cultural Education is "To foster a sense of Korean-American cultural identity for families formed by adoption, birth, marriage, or choice; through education, mentorship, and community building,” and camp is one dimension if this larger goal. To live and walk and learn and grow alongside Korean Americans who are embracing and celebrating their identities while thriving in a community that holds them, loves them, and cheers for them has been a powerful experience for me. Thank you to the camp directors, the camp staff, the counselors, and the families who make Sejong Camp the culture and community that loves us for who we are and who we hope to become.

Click here to learn more about Sejong Cultural Education, Inc.

Click here to see the 2021 Staff Appreciation video (via Facebook)

Sejong Camp 2019

I had the opportunity to volunteer this summer for Sejong USA as a staff member for Sejong Culture Camp. This experience has been deeply meaningful and truly precious to me, and I will always be thankful for this amazing opportunity.

Special thanks to camp directors Joy Lieberthal Rho and Ben Oser. You make an inspiring team and I have loved learning with you and working with you this summer.

See the Staff Appreciation Video for a brief view of some of our fun times!

For an experience that defies words, check out the music video made by the Leading Ladies of the camp.

A/PIA Panel: A/PIAs in Academia

I have been invited to participate on a panel for Asian/ Pacific Islander American (A/PIA) Heritage Month at the University of Michigan. The panel will be moderated by Paulina Fraser and features scholars Dr. Amy Stillman and Dr. Bernard Ellorin and graduate students Monique Ellis, Laura-Ann Jacobs, Sarah Trinh, and Carmen Ye.

A/PIAs in Academia: Addressing Issues of Representation, Accessibility, and Visibility in Higher Education.

Click here to read an article about this event in the Michigan Daily