Dear CKA Supporters and Friends,
Happy Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month! We were delighted to see many of our members at our National Membership Breakfast last month in Los Angeles. We hope you had an opportunity to connect and meet new members. Following the breakfast, our distinguished speakers and young professionals reflected on the impact of SAIGU’s 30th anniversary by engaging in panel discussions and breakout sessions at our SAIGU@30 Leadership Conference co-hosted with KAC-LA. Thank you for joining us for these important conversations.
As we head into summer, we are excited to make two announcements. The first is to extend our welcome to So Yeon Kang, CKA’s new Director of Development. We can’t wait for you to meet her at our upcoming events. Secondly, CKA will begin its Emerging Leaders Scholarship and Network of Korean American Leaders (NetKAL) XI Fellowship in June. Look forward to an official announcement soon with all of our selected scholars and fellows.
As always, we are proud to share the work of our CKA Members. Please read about our members’ accomplishments in advocacy, policy, art, technology, healthcare, and business.
Thank you all, and take care.
Warm Regards,
Abraham Kim, Ph.D.
Executive Director
Council of Korean Americans
The Role of SAIGU in Mobilizing the Korean American Community
Former LA City Councilmember David Ryu and CKA member Edward Chang discuss the impact of SAIGU on unifying and integrating the Korean American community.
Celebrating AAPI Women – Women’s Entrepreneurship Panel
CKA celebrated AAPI Heritage Month with a panel discussion featuring Coral Chung, Founder & CEO of SENREVE; CKA Board Member Susan Kim, Former CEO of Edmodo; Anna Lee, Founder & CEO of Lioness; and moderator Gloria Lee, Rutan & Tucker. See more here.
Hyundai Opens Research and Development Lab in Bozeman, Montana
On May 5, Executive Director Dr. Abraham Kim attended the welcoming ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Hyundai New Horizons Studio Bozeman with Montana officials and Hyundai Kia America Technical Center, Inc. (HATCI) executives. The new headquarters will bring $20 million of investment and create 50+ jobs in Montana. CKA was instrumental in introducing and bringing New Horizon Studio R&D Lab to Bozeman, MT.
Tina Kim Gallery Exhibits Minouk Lim’s Fossil of High Noon (May 19 – July 1, 2022)
Tina Kim Gallery is presenting Fossil of High Noon, Minouk Lim’s second solo exhibition from May 19 – July 1, 2022. Fossil of High Noon holds personal vignettes alongside the political models of witnessing that informed Lim’s celebrated earlier work, offering a poetic meditation on generational life.
Google Doodle Honors Stacey Park Milbern, Korean American Disability Rights Activist
Milbern’s life and legacy as a co-founder of the modern disability justice movement were recognized on May 19th, 2022, which would have been her 35th birthday. She and other activists challenged the mainstream disability rights movement for marginalizing people of color and nontraditional gender identities.
Free Chol Soo Lee Documentary Opens the 40th Annual CAAMFest
Los Angeles filmmakers Eugene Yi and Julie Ha recount Lee’s terrible saga in their invaluable debut Free Chol Soo Lee. The documentary follows the story of Chol Soo Lee, who was wrongfully convicted of the 1973 San Francisco Chinatown murder based on numerous criminal justice errors.
Fullerton’s Muckenthaler Cultural Center Exhibits Embrace (May – July 3, 2022)
Drawing together Korean American artists, Embrace is a collaborative exhibition that features varied work from photography and textiles to ceramics and paintings. The exhibit runs until July 3 and promotes inclusivity through the harmonious coexistence of the diverse cultures working and living in the region.
The CKA Team Welcomes So Yeon Kang!
So Yeon Kang is the latest addition to CKA staff as the new Director of Development. She has over ten years of experience in fundraising, strategic planning, and community engagement.
Congratulations to Daniel for being awarded the Harold W. Rosenthal Fellowship in International Relations! He will be serve as a Summer 2022 Fellow with the U.S. House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee.
Frank was consulted by Yonhap News regarding a stronger US-South Korea alliance and enhanced deterrence against North Korea.
Joe was honored at the Korean American Community Foundation’s 20th Anniversary Gala, alongside fellow honorees actor Lee Jung-Jae and author Michelle Zauner. Congratulations!
Rev. Cho recently signed a joint letter to Congress asking for the inclusion of $5 billion in the Ukraine aid bill to address the global food and malnutrition crisis. Congress has included the emergency food, nutrition, and humanitarian assistance.
Chloe recently interviewed Matt Spielman, founder and head coach of Inflection Point Partners, about his journey into coaching and the philosophy of his work.
Equilar expanded its Equilar Diversity Network by partnering with the DCRO Institute. The network focuses on driving board diversity and changing how organizations identify diverse board talent.
Marie delivered the convocation address to the Class of 2022 at Northwestern Pritzker School of Law, where she received her Juris Doctor degree.
On May 12, FiscalNote hosted an evening to celebrate AAPI Heritage Month with special guests like Emma Broyles, Miss America 2022; U.S. Representative Andy Kim; and Elaine Chao, former U.S. Secretary of Transportation and former U.S. Secretary of Labor.
Sam was named to the Top 40 Under 40 List for The National Association of Asian Pacifics in Politics and Public Affairs. Congratulations!
Hyepin was featured on the cover of the Los Angeles Times on healing with the Latasha Harlins Family. The FACE SAIGU 30 Campaign was also recognized in the Congressional Record by Congressman Andy Kim and the U.S. House of Representatives for its efforts to unite Los Angeles in commemorating the 30th anniversary of the 1992 riots.
InnovatorsBox was one of the 10 companies selected to participate in Morgan Stanley’s inaugural Small Business Academy and was featured in Comcast as a trailblazing small business. Monica also published her first article in Korean in the Forbes Korea May issue.
Alyson was selected to attend the U.S. Army Medical Department Junior Leaders Course / AMEDD Junior Leadership Course at Fort Belvoir, VA, a very competitive course promoting, educating, and supporting junior leaders in the U.S. Army. Learn more here.
Congratulations to Anika for her new position as Senior Consultant of Government & Public Services at Deloitte Consulting!
Congratulations to Jay for being named one of the Kansas finalists for the 2022 EY Entrepreneur of The Year award!
Soo was consulted for her expertise on Korea’s decision to participate in the U.S.-led Indo-Pacific Economic Framework. She also analyzed the recent US-South Korea Summit and its meaning for North Korea relations.
Jean was quoted in a May 14 WMUR article on North Korea’s limited medicine supply during their COVID-19 outbreak.
Council Member Linda Lee joined advocates and fellow Council Members in calling on the New York City government to better support Asian communities, especially in policy-making around mental health, language access, and education. Additionally, her office held a free community health fair at Alley Pond Park, encouraging education about neighborhood and citywide services and even offering on-site services.
Congratulations to Senator Min for passing the California Bar Exam! He also spoke in a Town Hall discussion highlighting California’s gun violence prevention movement.
In celebration of AAPI month, Margaret Park moderated the May 14 program titled “A Community Dialogue on Leveraging Human-centered and Humanizing Approaches to DEIJ Work in International Education”, sponsored by the East Asia Regional Council of Schools. Speakers identified the changes and challenges they experienced and how their identities, narratives, and contexts motivated them in this work.
Kate was named to The Consulting Report’s 2022 Top 25 Financial Service Leaders in Consulting. Congratulations!
Dr. Shin co-wrote The Diplomat article on what policies and stances to expect from South Korean President Yoon at the US-South Korea summit.
Jenny published an editor’s column about managing instability in North Korea and was consulted by Axios about North Korea’s current COVID-19 outbreak. She was also interviewed by NPR about North Korea’s increasing pace of missile tests.
In The Hill, Andrew discusses South Korea’s potential role and benefits as a close ally in the US-Indo-Pacific strategy.
Suzanne was named to Better’s 2022 List of Most Powerful Women in Chicago. Congratulations!