The I Am Korean American project, which started a year ago, is to create a multi-faceted understanding of the Korean-American identity. Jenny, who helps run the project, writes:
Started in October 2009, our goal is to collect as many profiles as possible in order to give a rich and varied look at the many different individuals who identify themselves as Korean American.
Recently, I Am Korean American launched a new Entrepreneurs and Musicians section, which vastly expands the site. The Entrepreneurs section asks Korean-American business owners to give tips about starting a new business, whereas the Musicians section gives aspiring artists a venue for uploading and distributing their music. Jenny writes:
We’re hoping that these two sections will spotlight the many talents and ambitions of the Korean American community and help entrepreneurs and musicians gain more exposure via our site.
This seems like a great project to help diversify our collective perception of Asian Americans in general, and Korean-Americans in particular, while simultaneously helping struggling artists and business owners. The pan-ethnic Asian American term is a broad tapestry that is grossly undersserved by the one-dimensional stereotypes that plague us; that truth is no more evident than when considering the diversity of folks who self-identify as Korean-American in the I Am Korean American project. So, please, take a minute to go check out the I Am Korean American website, and maybe even submit a story.
