Developing a strong, well-rounded Korean-American identity
Developing a strong, well-rounded Korean-American identity
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On March 26, 2011, Gi-Wook Shin, director of the Stanford Korean Studies Program (Stanford KSP) and the Walter H. Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center, presented the keynote address "Teaching Korea to Korean American Students" at a gathering of two hundred Korean-language instructors organized by the Korean Schools Association of Northern California (KSANC).
Shin pointed to the connection between language and identity, emphasizing the
importance of developing Korean-language skills in children of Korean ethnicity
growing up in the United States. He noted the dual significance of having a
strong, well-rounded Korean American identity: one rooted in a solid understanding
of Korean language, culture, and history, with also a firm sense of being American.
KSANC is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing Korean-language
instruction and programming about Korean culture and history to children and
adults. Through its outreach activities, Stanford KSP helps to support the
mission of KSANC and numerous other non-profit education organizations throughout
Northern California.