KAGC Intern Spotlight: Sinhyun Kim
“We should therefore advocate for the Korean American community, not by competing with other cultures, but by sharing our culture with others and having pride in who we are.”
Over the past few years, I have been attending a Korean American Youth Leadership Program hosted by Korea Corner at Auburn University. But before this program, I did not think much of my Korean heritage. After all, I had lived in the United States ever since I was a baby and spoke English everywhere outside my home. Through the course of the program, however, I’ve learned how important it is to appreciate Korean culture. Korea is a country of honor. A country that has fought to exist. It has suffered through Japanese occupation and has had inspirational leaders like Yi Sun-Sin. I realized how important it is that the beautiful Korean history and culture doesn’t get lost in history.
Korean American communities should strive to represent their beautiful background and culture. This past April, I helped run the South Korea station at the Global Community Day Festival. I helped hand out popular Korean snacks and taught people about the Korean game called Gonggi. But beyond the Korea station, there were also tents from many different countries with very distinct cultures. The harmony of different countries at the festival opened my eyes to the beauty of multiculturalism. We should therefore advocate for the Korean American community, not by competing with other cultures, but by sharing our culture with others and having pride in who we are. Imagine a world with a singular country, with the same history, traditions, and people. That is the opposite of a world in which I desire. Take part in cultural events, tell people about Korean foods, and celebrate the victories of our past leaders!
The beauty of our unique culture is not the only reason for the Korean American community to advocate for themselves. Korean Americans have struggled with discrimination throughout history. We shouldn’t accept the condescension of others on our abilities and achievements nor the stereotypes that we are merely smart people that only know how to study for a living. Certainly, some of us may be smarter than others, but we are all unique people who have our own distinct beauty. We should strive to advocate for ourselves and our diverse personalities. I’ve had the amazing opportunity to speak at two Korean American Grassroots Conferences and share my unique story of discovering pride in my Korean American identity. We should not be limited by stereotypes that are put on us. Advocate for your wonderful personality and show off your unique Korean heritage!
When I heard about the KAGC after attending one of their seminars, I knew that I wanted to be involved in their civic engagement efforts. Through the course of my internship, I’ve had the opportunity to learn many things about the United States government and the way presidential elections and the leadup to it functions. I’ve learned about the U.S. representatives of every state in the country and their unique stories. Through my KAGC internship, I’ve learned about the structure of the government and how accessible it is to reach out to your local politician and speak to them about the important needs of Korean Americans. In the future, I intend to use the knowledge that I’ve gained from my KAGC internship to speak to politicians about creating more opportunities for Korean American communities to express themselves such that they become less ostracized in the United States.
My journey as a Korean American has been an interesting one. I am proud to have been born as a Korean. I am honored to represent our beautiful culture, traditions, and leaders. I am honored that I have had many opportunities to learn about the importance of advocating for my story to be heard. I thank KAGC for the significant impact that it has had on my life and how it has changed the way I view it myself from just living as another human to living as a Korean. As much as I am proud of who I am and involved in many community activities, I hope that you too can find the importance of advocating for your community. Regardless of your nationality, you should be a part of the preservation of the beauty that is the diversity of culture in this world.
Sinhyun Kim is a rising Senior at Auburn High School. He was a 2023 Summer Research Intern at KAGC where he provided research and editorial support on the 118th Congress and the 2024 Presidential Election.
