Dear Subscriber,
Welcome to our December newsletter!
See below for member updates, upcoming events, and our new section dedicated to highlighting the various
Korean American organizations across the country.
This month, we featured the work of
Korean Community Services of Metropolitan New York
led by CKA Member
Linda Lee
.
Remember to like us on
Facebook
and follow us on
Twitter
for more news and updates about CKA.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
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Paul Park
Program Manager
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Edward Chang
was
interviewed
by Arirang TV's
Heart to Heart
program where he spoke about his background and current research on Korean American history.
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Bobby Cho
launched his new company,
CMS Holdings
, a principal investment firm focused on making investments across the cryptoasset ecosystem. The firm was
featured
by the digital currency news site, CoinDesk.
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Sam Cho
was
elected
as the Commissioner of the Port of Seattle on November 5, making him the youngest Port Commissioner and the only person of color serving on the commission.
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David Choi
gave a keynote address at Yonsei University’s Venture Innovation and Startup Program (YVIP) Global Conference in Seoul on November 22.
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David Y. Kim
transitioned to the U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) in Camp Humphreys as its Senior Communications Strategist.
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Catharina Min
was featured in a spotlight
interview
by the University of Virginia (UVA) School of Law's
alumni magazine
as they celebrate 100 years of women at UVA Law.
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T. James Min
was one of the three main speakers at the Mongolian Bankers Association's 2019 Compliance Forum in Ulan Bataar, Mongolia on November 5. James spoke on de-risking for Mongolian banks in the context of U.S. secondary sanctions law. James also had private discussions in the Mongolian Parliament on U.S.-North Korean relations.
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Nancy Yoon
hosted
the closing ceremony of the Asian World Film Festival on November 14.
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Suzanne Yoon
was
selected
by the
Wall Street Journal
as one of the 17 leading female deal makers who are shaping private equity’s present and future.
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Organization Spotlight:
Korean Community Services of Metropolitan New York
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Linda Lee
Executive Director of Korean Community Services of Metropolitan New York
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What is Korean Community Services and what types of services does it provide to the Korean American community in New York?
Founded in 1973, KCS is one of the oldest and largest Korean American serving non-profits in the city. Since its inception, KCS has served as an advocate and provided numerous culturally competent services for Koreans, Asian Americans, and other immigrants living in the NYC metropolitan area. Many of our programs are targeted towards our most vulnerable community members; namely, seniors, immigrants, and individuals with limited English proficiency. Endeavoring to be a “one-stop shop” capable of offering multiple services at our six locations, KCS in the past year provided a diverse range of services for the community.
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When did you first hear about KCS and how did your own Korean American experience shape your decision to lead the organization?
I found out about KCS while I was working at the New York State Health Foundation. KCS had applied for a grant for their Hepatitis B program, and I had no idea that there were Korean or Asian non-profits out there in the community. It was both a proud moment and a shameful one: proud because I learned of all that first-generation immigrants did to create a foundation for our community, but shameful because I had no knowledge of the work that was being done in my own community. That helped push me towards this opportunity - I had always been interested in non-profit management, and I wanted to be a voice for my community and give back for everything that my parents and their generation had done for me. As we continue to develop programs at KCS, I always do so with the first generation in mind.
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What are some of the key initiatives and programs under your leadership?
One noteworthy example is our New York State-licensed mental health clinic, the first outpatient mental health clinic operated by a Korean non-profit in the state. Furthermore, we offer job training and internships for unemployed seniors along with computer classes through the workforce development program, two senior centers in Flushing and Corona, adult day care for impaired seniors providing SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) enrollments, homebound meals for disabled individuals, and immigration assistance. In addition, the education program offers literacy classes, ESOL, test prep courses, and a young adult service program, while the Public Health and Research Center provides healthcare navigation, free screenings, patient navigation, care coordination, and linkages-to-care. These programs are designed to support and empower marginalized community members, many who lack access to vital services due to cultural, physical, or socioeconomic barriers.
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What is a typical day like for you?
Coffee, more coffee, meetings, calls, more meetings, events, putting out fires (sometimes literally), the occasional cleaning of toilets, fixing copy machines, more events, having meaningful conversations over drinks/dinner, and seeing clients’ lives changing daily. I definitely enjoy the conversations with others the most - it fuels ideas and helps in advancing our community.
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What are some of the challenges in running a community service organization?
Oftentimes, one of the most frustrating aspects is feeling like you’re in the middle between government, private and public sectors, each of them having their own interests, but not necessarily aligning towards what’s best for the community. There are metrics we are supposed to meet that don’t necessarily make sense in the real world; there are policies that are not friendly towards the immigrant community; the funding given is never enough and often don’t cover necessary overhead costs; and talent is hard to find because of cultural and language needs of both the organization and the community being served. There is definitely a need for a pipeline to encourage the younger generations to consider careers in the social service sector.
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What is your future vision of KCS? What other areas or new issues would you like to see KCS get involved in?
I would love to see KCS develop new programs in each of our program areas, but more immediately I would like to develop more programs for the aging population because it is the fastest growing demographic. In NYC, there is a tremendous focus on the youth, which is of course very important. But there is a large discrepancy in resources for the aging population. Also, we have been working on a strategic plan for the past few years, and we would like to create homecare services, work on senior affordable housing, expand our outpatient mental health clinic services, and further develop our youth and inter-generational programming. I also would like to see us be at the table when it comes to policy and legislative work. We need to make sure that our voices are heard and that we are counted.
How can CKA or the broader Korean American community further assist the work of KCS?
I see CKA playing a crucial role in helping us to create local and national policies that will actually take our communities into consideration. We have not always been great speaking up as a community, and I believe that CKA can help our community have that larger voice. CKA has a broad network of Korean Americans in so many fields across the nation - that is a huge asset and resource that can be used to advance our community in so many aspects. We need to learn from each other and from there see how we can leverage each other’s voices. I look forward to seeing how CKA will grow and be that voice for the Korean American communities across the nation!
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Forum on Current State and the Future of the Korean Peninsula
December 11, 2019
Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art,
University of Oregon
5:00 - 7:00pm PST
On December 11,
CKA
and
Holt International
will co-host a talk and reception at the
University of Oregon
. CKA Member
Kee Park
and
Kathleen Stephens
, President & CEO of the Korea Economic Institute and former U.S. Ambassador to Korea, will discuss the state of the U.S.-ROK alliance and U.S.- North Korea relations.
Email your
RSVP
by
December 6
to attend
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What's Happening on the Korean Peninsula?
December 12, 2019
World Affairs Office
San Francisco, California
6:30 - 8:00pm PST
CKA Board Member
Philip Yun
, CKA Member
Kee Park
, and former U.S. Ambassador to Korea
Kathleen Stephens
will speak at the
World Affairs Council
on the outlook of U.S.-North Korea nuclear negotiations and its impact on the daily lives of North Korean citizens.
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Security Risks and Challenges on the Korean Peninsula
January 30, 2020
Asia Society Texas Center
Houston, Texas
6:15 - 7:30pm CT
In partnership with the
Asia Society
Texas Center
, CKA is hosting a talk on January 30 with CKA Member
Jean Lee
and Prof.
Victor Cha
of the Center for Strategic & International Studies
to discuss the security challenges and associated risks on the Korean peninsula.
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The Council of Korean Americans (CKA) is a national nonprofit organization. Our mission is to advance the national voice, interest, and influence of the Korean American community through education, collaboration, and leadership development.
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Copyright © 2019. All Rights Reserved.
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