I Am Korean American Blog

What They're Doing Now: Sunny Y.

Note: What They're Doing Now is a series on our blog that shares updates from participants who have submitted to us in the past. If you were featured on I Am Korean American at least six months ago, we'd love to hear from you! Please email info@iamkoreanamerican.com.

Sunny writes:

It has been over 2 years since my original post and LOOK how my hair has grown!!!

Well first and foremost, I must add another "occupation" to my list of things I do for a living.  A counselor! I am now a Christian counselor to many and am having a blast, learning SO much, and am eternally grateful to God for every aspect of it.  Another major change is that I have moved to New York!! As of yet, I am working in the city and living in Westchester County.  However, I will be moving into the vibrant island of Manhattan in March (lease signed yesterday!! woot!!) and I am so very very excited to see what adventures await.

Something that I have come across in life in NY that has been on my mind as of late is that many Korean Americans believe I am "too Korean".  Probably because I speak Korean better than most and I do tend to bust out my Korean to anyone and everyone (Korean or not) whenever and wherever.  The irony here is that when I am around the Korean-Korean friends (meaning, born and raised in Korea and only have come to the US for their studies, etc. or aka "FOBs") many believe me to be "too American".  But what do those views mean to me?  They just mean that I am perfectly Korean yet perfectly American.  With a mix of German and French in there also.  I am totally fine with that and NYC is treating this little melting pot (with Asian features) VERY well.

 HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL MY FELLOW KOREANS, AMERICANS, KOREAN-AMERICANS, AND MELTING POTS EVERYWHERE!! 

'Innovative Minds Endless Possibilities' KSEA Business Venture Challenge!

What They're Doing Now: Jane K. Chun

Note: What They're Doing Now is a series on our blog that shares updates from participants who have submitted to us in the past. If you were featured on I Am Korean American at least six months ago, we'd love to hear from you! Please email info@iamkoreanamerican.com.

Jane writes:

Wow, I can't believe it's been more than a year since my face was on this site. Since then, I've launched my official photo website: http://janekchunphotos.com/. But what's really keeping me and my partner Anthony busy is our lovechild, AmerAsian Fashion. We were surprised to find no existing Asian-American fashion street blog out there. I guess it's because there already tons of blogs from the streets of Korea, Japan, and China. Because of this, our love for fashion and style brought our thinking caps together and after several months of planning, we gave birth to the very first Asian-American fashion street blog: AmerAsian Fashion. We really want to showcase what Asian-Americans or Asians in America are rockin on the streets from the east coast to the west. We even travel to New York and California to collect more footage just for this blog. Just to be clear, we don't consider ourselves experts in any way. We are just fashion anthropologists who capture and provide a glimpse into the lifestyles of our fellow Asian-Americans. We truly love being a part of something bigger than ourselves. Hint-hint: we would really love to hear from you.

A few other highlights in my life: I visited Israel for the first time in my life (amazing experience), thanks to a friend, I got dragged into Juarez, the most dangerous city in Mexico during our summer road trip and my pastor appointed me as co-leader of my church's dance & drama performing ministry (think of Will Shuester from Glee). Oh and I got more camera stuff which is always nice. Not a bad year for this gal.

What They're Doing Now: Amber Field

Note: What They're Doing Now is a series on our blog that shares updates from participants who have submitted to us in the past. If you were featured on I Am Korean American at least six months ago, we'd love to hear from you! Please email info@iamkoreanamerican.com.

Amber Field was featured on March 31, 2010. Click here to read her original profile.

Amber writes:

I just found out I received funding for a collaborative performance arts piece that explores transracial adoption, mixed race identity, and blended families (interracial) for the 2012 Queer Arts Festival in San Francisco. I am in the process of seeking more funding. My piece will explore racial and queer identity as a Korean American adoptee and use poetry, music, and movement. In addition to that, I am focusing on helping people free their voices through classes that incorporate meditation, call and response devotional Sanskrit chanting, gospel, spirit songs, improvisational singing, body percussion, and vocal expressive arts. These classes have the goal of helping people sing and also express themselves vocally in the world (speak their truths). I am currently studying movement-based expressive arts at Tamalpa Institute. I'm in a sweet period having moved back this year to the Bay Area after a very difficult and wonderful year in Peru.

www.amberfieldmusic.com

Watch Kimchi Chronicles: A New PBS Show About Korean Food & Culture

We've been watching the show ever since it first aired and we cannot stop raving about KC! (Last Sunday's episode had Jean-Georges diving with haenyeos in Jeju-do and Marja sharing her haemul jeongol and ganjang gyejang recipes!) 

But, aside from exploring some of Korea's treasured dishes, Marja—who is half-Korean and was adopted by an American family at the age of three—adds heart to the show as she invites viewers along on her journey of self-discovery.

That said, the show will resonate with anyone who has a shared throb for Korean food, culture, and roots. 

Again, New Yorkers are getting an early viewing (the show airs every Sunday at 4p.m. on WNET), but it will airing on PBS stations nationwide in July.

In the meantime, check out these clips we found on Kimchi Chronicles YouTube channel:

Marja also has a cookbook in the works called The Kimchi Chronicles: Korean Cooking for an American Kitchen, and it will be released on August 2nd. Lock in your copy here!

The Kimchi Chronicles website hasn’t launched yet, but you can check out their Facebook page for updates.

[photo: Frappé Inc.]

What They're Doing Now: Maria Yoon

Note: What They're Doing Now is a series on our blog that shares updates from participants who have submitted to us in the past. If you were featured on I Am Korean American at least six months ago, we'd love to hear from you! Please email info@iamkoreanamerican.com.

Maria writes:

One year later, Maria Yoon's project "Maria the Korean Bride," (almost) a 10 year odyssey of a first generation Korean-American who marries in all fifty states provides the window for this unique look at the evolving institution of marriage. This project has created a great deal of feedback from all across America. I have been witness to some of the best of America and unfortunately some of its worst too.   My final and 50th Wedding is scheduled to take place on Sun, May 22nd in Times Square, NYC with a Mystery NY Groom. Jimmy McMillan, Rent is Too Damn High Party, will officiate the Wedding. Please go to my website for more.

Click here to learn how you could be Maria the Korean Bride's final groom and participate in the wedding. Or go to New York wedding to get started!

What They're Doing Now: Mayda Miller

Note: What They're Doing Now is a series on our blog that shares updates from participants who have submitted to us in the past. If you were featured on I Am Korean American at least six months ago, we'd love to hear from you! Please email info@iamkoreanamerican.com.

Mayda writes:

I continue to pursue music and work in the Twin Cities. Recently, some of my songs have been placed on television (Jersey Shore, The Real L Word, and Bad Girls). My next album is all done, so I am planning the release show in the late summer/early fall of this year. For the summer, I will be playing some fun outdoor shows and hopefully touring a bit on the coasts. On a related note, I am working more in the theater scene, so we'll see where that will lead me.

http://www.mayda.us
http://www.twitter.com/mayda

What They're Doing Now: "Follow the Leaders" Project

Note: What They're Doing Now is a series on our blog that shares updates from participants who have submitted to us in the past. If you were featured on I Am Korean American at least six months ago, we'd love to hear from you! Please email info@iamkoreanamerican.com.

Eric of "Follow the Leaders" writes:

"Since our project launch, we have continuously been pursuing leaders of various disciplines/industries. In 2010, we successfully interviewed 8 inspirational Korean-Canadian/Korean-American leaders, ranging from a lawyer to a senator. We have been fortunate to interview these leaders and spread their inspirational life stories and advice to the young generation of our beloved community. We will continue to expand our network to interview more motivational leaders in the near future.

In addition to our "Follow The Leaders" project, we recently launched another project called "Lead By Example." "Lead By Example" strives to promote philanthropy and self-development through community volunteer opportunities, charity activities, and opportunities to attend different leadership conferences. Our most recent example includes a fund-raising effort called "Love For Japan" (http://www.jointheleaders.com/page/Love-For-Japan.aspx).  Please join us in helping our neighbor!"

KA Roundup #3

Note: To help raise KA consciousness, we launched KA Roundup, a new column on our blog that will highlight some of the most interesting Korean and Korean American-related links we found on the web. So, click through these links, share them with your circle and, most importantly, be in the know.

• Please Look After Mom makes it on the NYT bestseller list Shin Kyung-Sook's Please Look After Mom (translated by Chi-Young Kim ), a "story of a family’s search for their mother, who goes missing one afternoon amid the crowds of the Seoul Station subway," is on The New York Times bestseller list—a first for a Korean novel!  [subjectobjectverb - Jae Won Chung did a great interview with translator Chi-Young Kim (read parts 1 & 2). By the way, SOV is an awesome blog - it should definitely be one of your daily reads!]
• KA Detained in NK  [KoreAm]
• Korean-American writer shares Pulitzer for local reporting "John J. Kim of The Chicago Sun-Times received the award in the local reporting category for their documentation of crime-ridden Chicago neighborhoods." [The Korean Times]
• “I Wear Shirts as Dresses” Gina Kim meets with Doris Jeong, a 3'7'' fashion blogger and UW student who "shares how, though she falls short, she stands tall."  [The International Examiner]
• Watch attorney-turned-"nerdcore"-rapper Adam WarRock's winning performance at Kollaboration Altanta 4  [KollaborationATL]
  
• Bookmark this blog: KoreanHapa Beautiful photography and whimsical "Koreanese" bentos.

And, if you haven't already, please check out our other project, Korean Food Gallery. We just added a "101" section this week!

Please feel free to suggest a link by sending us an email at info@iamkoreanamerican. Thanks!

What They're Doing Now: Ellice Park

Note: What They're Doing Now is a series on our blog that shares updates from participants who have submitted to us in the past. If you were featured on I Am Korean American at least six months ago, we'd love to hear from you! Please email info@iamkoreanamerican.com.

Ellice writes:

Hi, Project sponsors, project viewers, and project participants...the project being I Am Korean American dissemination,

Last time I wrote, I pretty much shared that I do art, that I enjoy and really cherish certain relationships--and in light of being invited to share my (Korean American?) experience by someone I admire, I find this whole ethnic/national identity thing more complicated and confusing than it might need to be. I recognize that it's really influential in coloring people's perspectives; it's even shaken me a bit. But at the end of the conversation, it's not something that makes us who we are unless we let it be, or make it so--it's just a component of what we are given or presented with upon birth. 

Today when I write, to say what I've been up to.. I think that's the funny and interesting thing, in follow up: "you can tell us what you're up to these days", Jenny wrote. Because in that gesture, it is acknowledged that... what we are, and what we do, can never imagine being who we are; it is all the periphery, a shadow or a filler.

So--what have I been up to? 

I've taken some time off from MICA {art university}. I'm living with my parents in the midwest. I learned how to cook a little bit from my grandmother, before she flew off to ATL and now Korea. I've been picking myself up from a broken dating relationship. I've retreated into God and received a lot of spiritual, mental, and emotional healing. I've been experiencing lots of healing and bonding with my family, particularly my father. I've begun trying my feet at running with some friends. I've tried one day of the Insanity workout, and walked like a dinosaur for the following week, completely bed-ridden. I've made a handful of new friends. I'm teaching Sunday School, in particular working with sixth grade boys and girls. I've been reading, and playing the piano here and there. I've gotten into a car accident in our cul-de-sac with the curb, and a parking ticket on a dark and stormy night. I've blogged quite a bit. I've been self educating by inhaling as much of the library as I could, selectively. I've enjoyed Suze Orman quite a bit, as well as childrens' sign language books. The news is no longer something I have to do to try to keep up with the world's spin, it's something that I enjoy engaging in to reaffirm that I am a global citizen. I've spent some time in the studio, but also establishing my relationship with art--it's not who I am, it's not even what fulfills me. It is just something I do because I can, and have a lot to share. I've bonded with friends here, and am working out boundaries. 

I feel like that brings us full circle, and attention back to the "I Am Korean American" project: Boundaries. Personal, invisible geography. Somehow, the activity of doing and thinking and other verb forms with '-ing', has invited the question of what we're '-ing'-ing around. The mistake would be to say that the '-ing' is the center, wouldn't it?" I know this is kind of a loopy, thought-process'y, perhaps philosophical if we were to be bourgeois, response to "what are you up to these days?", but ...after all, the follow up is for "I Am Korean American", so doesn't it make sense?"