{"id":2916,"date":"2025-03-13T01:22:31","date_gmt":"2025-03-13T01:22:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/ksi\/?page_id=2916"},"modified":"2026-03-17T03:02:03","modified_gmt":"2026-03-17T03:02:03","slug":"koreatown-and-the-korean-american-experience","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/ksi\/koreatown-and-the-korean-american-experience\/","title":{"rendered":"Koreatown and the Korean American Experience"},"content":{"rendered":" \n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
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Located in proximity to Los Angeles\u2019 historic Koreatown, KSI sponsors and organizes academic and cultural events that are aimed at advancing the public\u2019s understanding of the Korean American experience. Our faculty offer courses that explore a range of subjects, including the oral history of Koreans in Southern California, Koreatown\u2019s role as a hub of culture and identity, and Korean American literature, film, and arts.<\/p>\n

In addition, the institute collaborates with USC\u2019s Korean Heritage Library, supporting its mission to collect, preserve, and promote the historical records of the Korean community in Los Angeles and the surrounding region. Through these efforts, KSI not only fosters academic inquiry but also actively contributes to the preservation and appreciation of Korean heritage in contemporary society.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n \n\n <\/div><\/div>\n\n\n \n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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\n Upcoming Events\n <\/h2>\n\n\n<\/div>\n \n <\/div>\n \n \n\n <\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n \n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
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\n\n \n Alumni Spotlight<\/span>\n\n\n<\/div>\n \n \n
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\n \u201cBetween Export and Inheritance: Korean American Identity in the Age of K-Beauty,\u201d Talk by David Yi\n <\/h2>\n\n\n<\/div>\n \n \n
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\ud83d\udd57 Date: April 15, 3:30-4:50 pm<\/p>\n

\ud83d\udccd Ahn House<\/p>\n

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Meet David Yi, a USC alum, co-founder of Very Good Light<\/a> and the gender inclusive beauty brand good light<\/a>. He is the author of Pretty Boys<\/em>, the history of men, masc-identifying folx, beauty and masculinity. In this talk, he will focus on discussing a central paradox of the present moment: as Korean culture \u2013 through K-beauty, K-pop and media, and overall Korean capitalism \u2013 achieves unprecedented global visibility, Korean Americans often remain culturally peripheral to that success. Drawing from his work as a writer and founder in the K-beauty industry, the talk explores questions of belonging, authorship and power at the intersection of diaspora, capitalism, and cultural export. Co-sponsored by the East Asian Studies Center.<\/p>\n

RSVP Here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n \n <\/div>\n\n

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\n\n \n Spotlight: K-Trail<\/span>\n\n\n<\/div>\n \n \n
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\n Steps into History: An Immersive Walk through USC\u2019s Korean Heritage!\n <\/h2>\n\n\n<\/div>\n \n \n
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\ud83d\udd57 Date: Friday, February 27, 2026, 9:30 am – 12:00 pm<\/p>\n

\ud83d\udccd USC Libraries Korean Heritage Library (DML 206)<\/p>\n

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This annual program is designed to visit and discuss notable spaces related to Korean heritage at USC campus and surrounding areas. The walking tour will start with the USC Korean Heritage Library which showcases unique collections on Korean American history, media studies and other Korean language sources. Other sites include the University Club, Ahn House, USC Dive Tower, Korean National Association Memorial Foundation, Hung Sa Dahn and Florence Sherman\u2019s Church. See\u00a0Daily Trojan\u2019s report<\/a> on the event from last April. Open to all students with priority given to students taking Korean language and other Korean subject courses as well as students majoring or minoring in East Asia. The RSVP is now closed.<\/p>\n

The K-trail is more than just a walking tour \u2014 it is an immersive historical journey rooted in the rich, carefully curated resources of the Korean Heritage Library (KHL). From rare archival photographs and oral histories to community newspapers and government documents, the KHL\u2019s collections provide a vivid window into the Korean American experience. These unique materials form the foundation of this program, allowing us to connect physical spaces with the remarkable stories, struggles, and contributions of the Korean American community across generations.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

See the student report on K-trail prepared by Max Nguyen<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n \n \n
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\n Past Events\n <\/h2>\n\n\n<\/div>\n \n <\/div>\n \n
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\n Wylde Pak Screening and Conversation<\/a>\n <\/h3>\n\n\n<\/div>\n \n \n
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\"\ud83d\udd57\" Tuesday, October 7, 2025. 5:00-6:30 pm<\/p>\n

\"\ud83d\udccd\"School of Cinematic Arts, SCA 112. Albert & Dana Broccoli Theater<\/p>\n

KSI hosted the screening and the creative team of\u00a0Wylde Pak, <\/em>Nickelodeon\u2019s 2D-animated series about a blended, multigenerational Korean American family. Inspired by the real-life experiences of co-creators and executive producers Paul Watling and Kyle Marshall, the 26-episode series follows half-siblings Lily and Jack as they adjust to life under one roof.\u00a0Check out the event highlight video!<\/a><\/p>\n

The event featured a behind-the-scenes conversation with the show\u2019s creative team and cast. Moderated by Professor Esther K. Chae, the discussion explored creative collaboration, cultural authenticity, and representation in children\u2019s animation. Here is the link to the bios of the speakers – Link to the Bios<\/a><\/p>\n

Students, faculty, and community members discovered how Wylde Pak<\/em> brings vibrant and relatable characters to life for audiences everywhere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n \n <\/div>\n\n\n \n \n \n

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\n Margaret Juhae Lee – Across the Ocean: Digging the Archives and Remembering the Korean Past\n <\/h3>\n\n\n<\/div>\n \n \n
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\ud83d\udd57 October 16, 2024<\/p>\n

\ud83d\udccd Doheny Memorial Library (DML), 240<\/p>\n

In Starry Field: A Memoir of Lost History, former The Nation editor Margaret Juhae Lee recounts her travels in Korea in search of the lost traces of her grandfather Lee Chul Ha. While the elder Lee was an important historical figure\u2014an anticolonial activist and a prisoner of Imperial Japan\u2014Lee\u2019s journey eventually opens her up to a recollection of the events, the generations, and the history of her entire Korean family. It is an experience of self-discovery that, in heartfelt prose, offers a rare account of the Korean past as it is seen, remembered, and imagined today from across the sea.
\nIntroducing and framing Lee\u2019s discussion of Starry Field will be a presentation of the print collections and the digital archives that are held at USC\u2019s Korean Heritage Library. Part of Lee\u2019s journey was completed through this library. And it will again be from this library that new generations of historians, researchers, and regular citizens will move to discover their Korean heritage along with the richness and depth of the Korean-American experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n \n <\/div>\n\n\n \n \n \n

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\n Continuing Programs \n <\/h2>\n\n\n<\/div>\n \n
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\n \n \n Korean American Digital Archive\n\n <\/a>\n <\/h3>\n \n \n
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KSI collaborates with USC’s Korean Heritage Library to digitize and maintain the documentary record of Korean experiences in America. The Korean American Digital Archive (KADA) brings more than 13,000 pages of documents, over 1,900 photographs, and about 180 sound files together in one searchable collection that documents the Korean American community during the period of resistance to Japanese rule in Korea and reveal the organizational and private experience of Koreans in America between 1903 and 1965.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n\n <\/div>\n \n

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\n \n Steps into History: An Immersive Walk through USC\u2019s Korean Heritage!\n\n <\/h3>\n \n \n
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This annual program is designed to visit and discuss notable spaces related to Korean heritage at USC campus and surrounding areas. The walking tour will start with the USC Korean Heritage Library which showcases unique collections on Korean American history, media studies and other Korean language sources. Other sites include the University Club, Ahn House, USC Dive Tower, Korean National Association Memorial Foundation, Hung Sa Dahn and Florence Sherman\u2019s Church. Open to all students with priority given to students taking Korean language and other Korean subject courses as well as students majoring or minoring in East Asia. Stay tuned for RSVP details.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n\n <\/div>\n \n

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\n \n \n Heroes and Legends\n\n <\/a>\n <\/h3>\n \n \n
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KSI collaborates with Dir. Christopher HK Lee \u00a0(CARE Projects) and the Korean Heritage Library to host a special lecture series honoring our Heroes and Legends for their lifetime achievements, service, and generosity in making a positive impact on our youth and future generations within the Korean American community.<\/p>\n

This series also serves to preserve and highlight the vital oral and visual history of our Korean American legacy. Attendees will have the opportunity to meet, listen to, and engage with remarkable individuals, drawing inspiration from their stories and deepening our connection to a shared heritage \u2014 all while advancing research into the rich history of Korean Americans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n\n <\/div><\/div>\n\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":132,"featured_media":3298,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-2916","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nKoreatown and the Korean American Experience - Korean Studies Institute<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/ksi\/koreatown-and-the-korean-american-experience\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Koreatown and the Korean American Experience - 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