The Korean-American student organization at Yale University, KASY, celebrated its 40th anniversary with a big event.
Founded in 1984 by students to promote the cultural, social, and political interests of the Korean and Korean-American communities, the organization has been holding annual events to celebrate Korean culture.
According to the Yale Daily News, the 40th-anniversary celebration began on the afternoon of April 11 with the theme ‘A Mid-Seoul Night’s Dream’. It was followed by a performance that showcased various aspects of Korean culture prepared by students on April 12. The performances included a skit about the KASY board of directors, a taekwondo performance, and traditional dances.
The skit was inspired by Celine Song’s film ‘Past Lives’, exploring the love, resistance, and identity of Yale students.
On the third day, students explored and discussed the history of South Korea. The final day, on April 14, was organized to celebrate Korea’s unofficial holiday, Black Day, for those without a significant other in Korea. Students enjoyed jjajangmyeon (black bean sauce noodles) and other Korean delicacies such as Korean BBQ chicken.
The KASY 40th-anniversary event attracted hundreds of attendees, not only Korean-American students but also those who are interested in Korea.
“This year, we raised the Korean flag and the Korean unification flag together for the first time to honor Korea’s diasporic identity and the hopes for global decolonization and liberation,” said Mark Lee, co-president of KASY.
Korean-American student organizations at Yale University are growing, according to the Yale Daily News. Besides KASY, Yale Unity, a traditional Korean drumming group, started performing again this year, as well as Hanppuri, Hangarak, Baram, and Movement, all of which are promoting Korean culture on campus.
BY NICOLE CHANG, HOONSIK WOO [chang.nicole@koreadaily.com]
