Korean Students’ Association’s Efforts for Anti-Racism

Graphic Courtesy of Minju Kim

Ellie is a former staff writer for The Talon. She…

President of the Del Norte High School Korean Students’ Association Minju Kim (‘23) shares her perspective on the Asian hate crimes that have increasingly surfaced. This includes a shooting at a spa in Atlanta on March 16th that killed eight people, six of whom were Asian women. As a Korean-American, Kim and other members of the KSA have taken action to advocate against the racism Asian-American communities face, including Korean-Americans.

Kim said, “My initial response to the Asian hate crimes was outrage. The video that rose up on social media about an elderly Asian woman getting kicked in a wheelchair especially stood out to me and it really blew my mind that this was even a real event”.

Kim uses her Instagram platform to post awareness videos and posts. She also spoke as a panelist in the Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders panel set up by the Anti-Racism and Equity Taskforce. Along with other panelists, Kim shared her experiences, hopes, and worries about her future as a person of Asian-descent who has grown up in the United States.

Along with Kim, other members of the KSA created infographics about Korean culture and recent events to raise awareness on Korean traditions and the sufferings of Asian communities. In honor of AAPI Heritage Month, the KSA aims to spread awareness through their Instagram page and an additional newsletter. Students can follow their Instagram page @dnhsksa for updates.

Kim created the KSA at Del Norte to educate and advocate for Asian American voices that are not heard enough, and she says representation is the first step to empower the oppressed.

“As Koreans, we’re basically a ‘minority in a minority.’ What I mean by that is that in the Asian minority, we’re yet another minority (Korean), making it even harder for our voices to be heard,” Kim said.

She encourages all students–regardless of their ethnicities–to educate themselves on others’ backgrounds and experiences, including Asian-Americans.

“I really do think that looking at something from another person’s lens really puts into perspective the enormity of racist events such as ones the AAPI community is facing currently. I encourage everyone to also speak up against such acts, especially if you’re Asian. Participating in panels like the BIPOC panel that’s coming up, taking a stand on social media, are all important as well as effective ways to support the AAPI community right now,” Kim said.

“Looking at something from another person’s lens really puts into perspective the enormity of racist events such as ones the AAPI community”
Minju Kim (’23)

Kim has suggested referencing the resources below that provide information on both the history and current events on racism towards the AAPI community: