Soon-Kyung Hong
Korean Center, Inc.
San Francisco, CA
Soon-Kyung Hong was instrumental in the creation of the very first Korean American Community Center in San Francisco more than 30 years ago. At that time, Koreans were not recognized as a distinct ethnic group, but Hong helped organize a march to City Hall in 1974 to petition for recognition, and they got it.
Since 1974, the Korean Center, Inc. (KCI) has been helping Korean Americans and other residents, especially low-income residents, realize their full potential through education, training and social services. Its mission is to encourage all communities to learn about the Korean American culture and to promote meaningful ties between younger and older generations of Korean Americans.
In 1995, Mr. Hong recognized the critical need to educate the general community in a multi-cultural society and founded the Intercultural Institute of California (IIC). The organization promotes cross-cultural education that fosters understanding and provides a forum for intellectual and cultural exchange. IIC, a subsidiary of KCI, has become a recognized academic institution providing accredited degrees on Korean American studies. KCI and IIC continue to offer public forums, seminars and lectures designed to give Korean Americans educational opportunities to better understand their history and heritage.
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