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The largest Korean American education organization needs support

February 5, 2015

The Korean American Educators Alliance (KAEA) aims to bring back yearly conferences

Korean American Educators Alliance Vice President Leonard Choi (back row center), President Grace Lee (third, front row), Treasurer Park Ga-young (right, front row)

Korean American Educators Alliance Vice President Leonard Choi (back row center), President Grace Lee (third from left, front row), Treasurer Park Ga-young (right, front row)

By Peter Pak

The Korean American Educators Alliance (KAEA) is the oldest Korean non-profit comprised of educators from across the U.S., founded by late Mary Sohn and the current Third Street Elementary School principal Dr. Suzie Oh of Los Angeles, Calif.

As recently as the mid-1970s, the number of Koreans working in American elementary, middle or high schools as an educator could be counted on five fingers. But that number has since grown to over 200 in just Southern California alone. Back then, now retired third-generation Korean Bill Chun was the only Korean principal in the U.S. to speak of, but now, more than 10 can be found just within the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD).

Last year, Marian Kim-Phelps of Westminster, Calif., became the fourth education district superintendent of Korean descent. The first was Patricia Lee-Hamamoto in Hawaii, followed by Michelle Lee and Temple City’s Chelsea Kang-Smith.

Still, the KAEA is not a well-known organization in Korean American community, perhaps because for most of its members, Korean is not their first language.

The alliance, founded in 1978, held an annual education conference for 25 years. It continues to provide free information courses for parents in local communities.

Its financial support from the South Korean government was cut off five years ago, halting its yearly conferences. Therefore, the alliance is planning a fundraising dinner.

For more information, contact drsuzieoh@gmail.com.

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