Community Service
KACSF is committed to volunteering time and resources to the Korean American and broader Bay Area community. In the coming year, KACSF aims to strengthen ties with the community by providing service opportunities and collaborating with other various organizations in the Bay Area. Planned events include working with the San Francisco Food Bank, providing tax filing assistance for Korean American senior citizens, and giving ballot translation services in cooperation with the Korean American Community Center of the East Bay.
Leadership Development
One of KAC's missions is to develop the next generation of Korean American community leaders. KAC has sponsored over 125 college internships and graduated 600 participants through the KAC National College Leadership Conference. Through the summer internship program and leadership conference, KAC aims to provide personal and professional development opportunities for Korean American college students and encourage them to take on future leadership roles in their community. Students learn essential leadership skills as well as build an awareness of current and past issues facing the Korean American community.
For more information about student opportunities with KAC, contact Louis Hong at louis.hong@kacsf.org
Voter Registration
Voter registration is a primary cornerstone in KACSF’s efforts to promote and advocate the interests of Korean Americans and increase the community’s awareness and participation in civic affairs. Over the course of 20 years, KAC has registered more than 75% of Korean American voters nationally. Statistics show, however, that still only 10% of eligible Korean Americans are currently registered to vote.
One of KACSF’s main focuses in the past year was to prepare Korean Americans for the 2002 November elections. Working closely with various community and religious organizations, KACSF successfully registered over 100 Bay Area Korean Americans to vote in 2002 and developed lasting relationships for future collaborations.
"Why It Matters" Community Issues Forum
When events happen, we have to ask ourselves why it matters. Why it matters to me, to you, to us, to our community, to our society. The “Why It Matters” series was initiated in hopes of raising awareness facilitating discussions on important political and community issues that impact Korean Americans.
Thus far, the forum has touched on topics of civil liberties following September 11, revisited the impacts of Sa-I-Gu on minority communities, and raised questions on the role of Korean churches in promoting civic involvement. Distinguished panelists and speakers have included K.W. Lee, a Pulitzer Prize nominated journalist; Marisa Chun, President of the Korean American Bar Association; and Harry Kim, San Francisco City Commissioner.