Tteokbokki is Korea’s most famous street food and has now become well-known not only in Korea but also in the United States. I'm very happy to have Yupdduk in Koreatown. It’s especially known for it’s heat. 🔥🔥🔥

This month, Koreatown Storytelling Program students Dale Lee and Ava McCollum interviewed two of our older Koreatown foodmakers—Mrs. Lucia Jeong and Mrs. Young Sook Kim. Over shared snacks and drinks, the KSP students spoke to the older adults about their life stories, immigration experiences, and their food memories around kimchi.

KYCC is excited to share that Colorado-based @NextFiftyInitiative has awarded us $50,000 to support our aim to establish connections across generations, languages, and cultures in Koreatown.

This award will help us keep doing what we love: serving our community members who are 50 and older. Koreatown Storytelling Program is OVER THE MOON that the NextFifty funds will help support our engagement and interviews with older adults in the food industry.

On Sept. 28, Koreatown Storytelling Program director, Katherine Kim, was featured in a LA Times article on Korean Americans and mental health. The article centers around the struggles of finding appropriate resources and support that Korean Americans face.

Koreatown Storytelling Program presents a six-week Screenwriting Workshop Series for high school students where you can transform your truth into the most powerful form of expression.

Taught by David Joohun Lee, Sundance Lab fellow and doctor, and Amy Anchi Li Chen, Academy Gold Rising alum and the finalist of the 2021 De Anza Screenwriting Competition. 

On Thurs., August 25, Koreatown Storytelling Program alum Kimberly Espinosa (@FotosByKimberly) hosted a presentation and conversation about intergenerational storytelling and the oral history process. The event was a part of @lasfotosproject’s Sister Circle programming. Kimberly invited KSP Director Katherine Kim and facilitated a conversation about the ethics of storytelling and explored the process of storytelling in different mediums. Kimberly also presented and led guests on an exhibition walkthrough of Memories That Make Home, her residency exhibition. 

This summer, KYCC Middle and Elementary School Students enjoyed journalism and critical thinking workshops hosted by @publishedpointsofview. In addition to engaging in a curriculum curated alongside professionals, students had the opportunity to have their works published on @theoutspokenpaper and heard a keynote presentation from Khan Tran, a renowned journalist who has written for the LA Times, USA Today, and the Chicago Times.

Koreatown Storytelling Program is happy to announce @LAcountyarts is supporting our program through their Community Impact Arts Grant program! 

Congratulations to Koreatown Storytelling Program Student Jina Kang who is the new Distinguished Young Women of California 2023! Jina will be headed to the National Finals next summer as DYWCA’s state representative. We are super proud of you! Go Jina! @ca.distinguishedyw

Come celebrate Koreatown Storytelling Student Kimberly Espinosa at her first solo photo exhibition! As an artist resident with the Las Fotos Project (@lasfotosproject) for over a year, Kimberly will be debuting her project Memories that Make Home on Saturday, August 13th. 

Koreatown Storytelling Program is SO proud to announce that @CalArtsCouncil is once again supporting our intergenerational program through their Cycle A Grant program.

KSP aims to establish connections across generations, languages, and cultures in Koreatown and is looking forward to furthering this work with CAC’s continued support. KSP’s summer has been full of meaningful events and we are excited about our upcoming programming.

KSP Program Director Katherine Kim presented a short video on the #KoreatownStorytellingProgram at the #Gen2Gen Innovation Showcase hosted by Encore.org. The showcase highlighted 15 Gen2Gen Innovation fellows and their #intergenerational work in programs from around the country. Using the Citizen University model, the showcase practiced “cogenerational mutual aid” and called upon the 1,100+ members of the audience to commit to partnering with the programs.

On Sat., June 25, KSP joined partner organizations @gyopo.us and @ssiyagi at the @cultivala1 Westlake Community Garden for a sit-down listening party celebrating and honoring our elders, their stories, and their food memories. Dinner was provided by @shikulosangeles and was inspired by the stories and recipes the elders shared.

On Fri., June 17, KSP hosted a kimchi making demonstration as a part of LA Opera’s Arts and Health Week programming which aimed to explore the intersection between arts and health on wellness across LA County. LA Opera, KYCC staff, and KSP students joined each other in learning the process and technique of our foodmaker’s, Mrs. Jeong, Napa Cabbage Kimchi 배추김치.

On Sat., June 11, KYCC and KSP joined the Getty Museum’s celebration of Koreatown in honor of their 25th anniversary at Liberty Park. KSP students and interns teamed up to promote our program and talk to community members about the project goals and objectives of KSP.

On the night of May 31st, Koreatown Storytelling Program students and interns came together to commemorate the work of the W/S 2022 student cohort and to wish our Program Associate Sarah Jho a warm goodbye. Old and new faces enjoyed the Oaxacan cuisine at Guelaguetza as we said goodbye to some of our own, met incoming interns, and enjoyed each others company.

One of our longtime participants in the Koreatown Storytelling Program, Abbi-Hope Jihye Park made AAPI Lessons and Activities as a part of a project to teach AAPI curriculum. Thank you for your hard work @abbi.hope.park!

KSP partnered with Korean American Story to produce and interview Los Angeles community members who were deeply affected by the violence in our Los Angeles community in 1992. Legacy Project - Sa-I-Gu LA Riots is an important collection of Korean American oral history narratives and will be archived at the Korean American Digital Archive at the University of Southern California.