Hi! I’m Lauren. I am a junior at Westridge School and a Koreatown Storytelling Program participant and I want to introduce you to one of my favorite K-Town food spots, Kimbap Paradise—김밥 천국.

In February, our incredible partners at @lasfotosproject joined Koreatown Storytelling Program participants to teach us the rules of photography, discuss photojournalism, and lead a discussion about visual storytelling, ethics and narratives.

Check out our feature on the KYCC Instagram!

Koreatown Storytelling Program is an intergenerational, multilingual and multiethnic oral history and digital media program that teaches storytelling techniques to high school students and elders to document cultural practices and racial, economic inequities in our community. KSP also promotes greater understanding and respect between generations and documents marginalized narratives for preservation in public archives while cultivating wellness outcomes for all participants.

Koreatown Storytelling Program participants and staff had a great evening of cooking and learning as Ms. Cathy led us through her kimchi pancake. If you want to taste the deliciousness, follow her recipe here!

Come along with the Koreatown Storytelling Program as Ms. Cathy takes us grocery shopping at Gaju Market AND H Mart (she prefers the kimchi there) for the ingredients for 김치전 (kimchi pancakes).

Seven Koreatown narrators came out last month to our oral history recordings in partnership with @koreanamericanstory. We are interviewing people in the FOOD INDUSTRY, as well as neighborhood elders who are sharing stories about their immigration experiences, breathtaking talent, and lifelong interests and passion.

In December, Koreatown Storytelling Program participants and interns gathered for a celebration of the holidays and completion of the first half of the 2022-23 cohort! Over delicious Guatemalan food at Paseo Chapin, students and interns commemorated their work and looked excitedly towards the future. Everyone particularly enjoyed the mole de plátano and we wanted to give a big thank you to Chef Jose for welcoming us into his restaurant and preparing a beautiful meal.

Hi! My name is Chase and I’m a sophomore at Loyola High School and a Koreatown Storytelling Program participant. We are studying food in Koreatown and I wanted to highlight my favorite place, Kang Nam Restaurant on Olympic Boulevard.

KSP joined CoGenerate for an intergenerational backyard gathering on Nov. 15 in Koreatown. Based on Generations Over Dinner, a program that models and creates "an experience that connects and values all perspectives across the age continuum," we joined together over tacos and meaningful conversation that was prompted by a dinner script.

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