The ‘Heroes and Legends’ booklet, published by second-generation Korean-American students, has recently been released.
According to Christopher Lee, who spearheaded the project, 11 individuals have been chosen as the 2023 Korean-American Heroes and Legends, and their stories are compiled in this book.
For this project, participating youth met weekly over the past year to discuss and interview their chosen heroes. This year marks the second publication of the project, following its inaugural edition in 2022.
Lee describes the hero as “an ordinary person who provided an extraordinary contribution and service to the community” and the legend as “a person with a lifetime achievement for higher professional works that provided a greater impact on the society.”
This year’s “Heroes and Legends” of the Korean American community include Dr. Chester Chang, a legendary pilot who donated hundreds of Korean artworks to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA); author So Hyun Chang; Dr. Teddy Choi; Rubben Hernandez, founder of Unification of Disabled Latin Americans (UDLA); and Angela Killoen, chairman of CJ ENM America; Gloria Kim, homeless missionary; Tiajuna Legosky, founder of HAPA Day; Emile Mack, former deputy chief of the Los Angeles City Fire Department (LAFD); Dr. Suzie Oh, former principal of Third Street Elementary School; Monica Ryoo, president of the Foundation for Korean Language and Culture in USA; and Jin Rok Wi, a senior KBS announcer.
“Although the history of Korean immigration to the United States is over 120 years old and 3 million Koreans have established themselves in the U.S., we have long since lost interest and had no cultural space to represent the Korean community, preserve our culture, and foster identity in our descendants,” said Lee. “Through this project, second-generation Koreans are discovering their own identity.”
“The heroes and legends are ordinary people from our parent’s generation, but who provided extraordinary service. This project is to honor and express gratitude for their efforts. We look forward to seeing more interest and participation from the youth in the future.”
The books produced by the Heroes and Legends project are set to be distributed to major universities and libraries throughout Southern California and across the country. Private copies will be made available as well.
Additionally, the project will host a book launch event on January 20, to which all 11 heroes have been invited. For more information, contact (213)925-3003, or chris.careprojects@gmail.com.
BY NICOLE CHANG, HOONSIK WOO [chang.nicole@koreadaily.com]
