The found family making history out of a K-town strip mall

The Korean diaspora has a analyzable narration with the connection “gyopo.” In the astir literal sense, it refers to Koreans surviving successful different state arsenic immigrants. David Kang, erstwhile USC Korean studies director, erstwhile told The Times that the connection carries this ancestral presumption of “Koreans arsenic our humor overseas, almost.”

In a taste sense, gyopo is an insult.

Think of it arsenic the Korean “no sabo”: a derogatory word for a idiosyncratic surviving extracurricular of the motherland and frankincense disconnected from their culture.

Despite and due to the fact that of these definitions, successful 2017, a radical of L.A. Koreans lovingly named their caller enactment Gyopo.

“We started Gyopo due to the fact that we each knew that this mode of convening was missing from our lives,” says co-founding subordinate Yoon Ju Ellie Lee.

At its heart, Gyopo is precisely that — a convening. It’s getting unneurotic to speech astir historical Korean protestation movements, the taste value of the chili capsicum successful Korean food, the meteoric emergence of K-pop, anti-Asian racism successful 2020, practice of transgender Koreans successful movie and thing and everything that affects L.A.’s Korean American community.

Following the 2016 statesmanlike election, Lee was searching for this community. As a Korean American increasing up successful L.A., she felt astir understood erstwhile surrounded by chap first- oregon second-generation Koreans, who knew the “not-quite-fitting-in” and the tendency to reconnect with their roots. Soon, she and a radical of friends recovered themselves organizing impromptu events.

Koreans began immigrating to Los Angeles successful the aboriginal 1900s arsenic Korea mislaid independency to Japan, with a ceremonial subjugation successful 1910. In hunt of freedom, Koreans near for farming communities successful the Imperial Valley, metropolis beingness successful San Francisco and eventually, Los Angeles. Koreatown came to beingness and blossomed successful the precocious ’60s arsenic a caller migration enactment permitted thousands of Koreans to immigrate and articulation their families successful L.A.

In this past of pursuing independency and gathering up assemblage from scratch, Gyopo is pursuing a agelong bequest of diasporic Koreans gathering and restoring their relationships to identity.

“Using [Gyopo] arsenic our organization’s sanction is decidedly a reclamation of the term,” Lee says. “The crushed wherefore ‘Gyopo’ was a derogatory connection is due to the fact that there’s an wide benignant of weight, complexity and adjacent grief astir the diaspora due to the fact that of things similar Japanese concern and the Korean War. Just a decennary ago, it was hard to find Korean things, truthful we had to specify our ain narration to Korean culture.”

Today, Gyopo organizes and invites Korean Americans, and anyone curious, to panels, screenings, creation galleries and different cross-cultural programs that item the divers creation of the Korean diasporic community. Some telephone it a “found family.”

In the benignant of accepted household photos, Gyopo’s committee of directors and assemblage members gathered 1 caller play greeting successful the parking batch of their historical Koreatown portion promenade headquarters. Strip malls person played a nostalgic relation successful the Korean community, serving arsenic places of communion, feast, enactment and dialogue. For the photo, the members joyously held up pieces of cloth from their charye table, a customary shrine that Gyopo and spouse programme Ssi Ya Gi acceptable up astatine their astir caller Chuseok payment to retrieve ancestors.

Chuseok is 1 of Gyopo’s accordant yearly gatherings successful solemnisation of the accepted Korean autumn harvest holiday. On this year’s Chuseok, Gyopo honored “Beef” and “The Walking Dead” histrion and shaper Steven Yeun. As helium stepped onstage, Yeun recognized Gyopo’s contributions to L.A.’s Korean arts scene.

“I consciousness similar our assemblage has travel a agelong way,” Yeun said. “I thought astir that a batch implicit the people of my idiosyncratic career, implicit the people of the past decade, and arsenic fantastic organizations similar Gyopo person been made. I see, and I privation for, and I’m hopeful for and I’m emboldened to spot everyone present and the mode that we amusement up for the adjacent generation.”

As Gyopo continues to bring the champion of Angeleno Korean creation and assistance together, the radical who marque it imaginable bespeak connected the past of Gyopo. Their memories papers Gyopo’s maturation from backyard sketch to taste mover.

2016–2017: ‘It felt similar determination was an opportunity’

Ann Soh Woods, Gyopo committee of directors: “It was aft the 2016 predetermination that we archetypal started talking astir coming unneurotic successful this way. It was a pugnacious time. We were internalizing a batch of the negativity successful the satellite and we wanted a spot to unfastened up and share. There wasn’t an enactment similar Gyopo. I’ve ne'er been portion of thing similar that, truthful shaped by the assemblage with arts and enthusiasm and need. That’s what I ever liked — it wasn’t hierarchical but astir uncovering abstraction to belong.”

Yoon Ju Ellie Lee, founding subordinate of Gyopo: “During the earlier years, we were conscionable a clump of volunteers with a imaginativeness for a spot for our diaspora to gather. (Former steering committee member) Nancy Lee and I sat successful my backyard and sketched retired the Gyopo logo. We sent it to our person Jeanha Park, who was moving astatine the Hammer Museum, and asked if she could marque it into a vector. It’s our aforesaid logo today. That’s conscionable an illustration of however scrappy and interdependent we were backmost then.”

Cat Yang, Gyopo steering committee member: “There is this infinitesimal successful time, successful the 2016 era, erstwhile Asian Americans had [greater visibility] successful the wider creation scenery successful Los Angeles and nationally. It felt similar determination was an accidental to galvanize our originative communities. It was successful this that Gyopo was starting out, specifically made for Korean folks and diaspora successful L.A., successful a clip erstwhile it felt similar determination weren’t galore depository exhibitions oregon galleries that were considering Asian Americans arsenic much.”

Ju Hui Judy Han, UCLA prof and Gyopo panelist: “I archetypal met Gyopo, which was Ellie and a mates of different folks, close astir the clip they were deciding connected the name. Gyopo, arsenic you know, means a Korean American oregon a subordinate of the Korean diaspora, and it’s a connection that has immoderate antagonistic connotations. So I retrieve being a small spot hesitant astir it and talking to them astir the group. I knew that they were artists and curators and radical successful the creation world, but I truly wasn’t definite what to expect.”

Lee: “We ever worked with the volition that this would grow. I deliberation that everyone ever knew and believed that Gyopo would spell somewhere. The lone crushed we beryllium present is due to the fact that of the goodwill of the assemblage backmost then. Everyone conscionable chipped successful for creation galleries, aquarium trips and fried chicken.”

2018: ‘We laid the groundwork and expectations that we wouldn’t shy away’

Woods: “I archetypal heard astir Gyopo earlier I adjacent knew their name. My person said, travel to this New Year’s event, beryllium portion of this group, we’re gonna devour Korean nutrient and ticker K-dramas and marque kimchi and signifier Korean. It has surely evolved from there, but astatine its halfway I deliberation it’s inactive conscionable a radical of like-minded radical trying to connect.”

Lee: “At our archetypal Lunar New Year event, radical talked astir issues they wanted to woody with successful the future, sharing abstraction with each other, and for maine successful 2018, I hadn’t antecedently paid overmuch attraction to the Lunar New Year. It was the archetypal clip that I spent it surrounded by friends.”

Anicka Yi, Gyopo committee of directors and artist: “I retrieve reasoning that it seemed wholly earthy and integrated that L.A. would person an enactment similar this, particularly astatine this time, due to the fact that there’s specified a precocious attraction of migrant communities. It was conscionable truly affirmative to spot thing uplifting and galvanizing. It wasn’t ever truthful affirmative among these communities successful L.A., remembering the L.A. riots, determination was a batch of strife and struggle with marginalized communities. This felt similar a affirmative direction.”

Lee: “Looking backmost astatine these archived programs, similar our archetypal collaboration with LACMA connected knowing K-pop’s crossover success, I consciousness similar it is wholly applicable now. Early on, we were funny successful each forms of creation and issues that we are inactive dealing with. We laid the groundwork and expectations that we wouldn’t shy distant from hard issues.”

UCLA prof and pedagogue Judy Han, left, moderated a queer movie screening of “Coming to You,” a documentary astir mothers and their queer kids with manager Byun Gyu-ri, 2nd to right. At the screening, Han says the consciousness of transportation was emotional.

(Ruthie Brownfield)

Han: “The lecture that I gave with Gyopo, ‘Resistance successful Precarious Times,’ was connected protestation cultures successful South Korea. I’m utilized to lecturing, like, I plug successful my computer, I person immoderate visuals and I mostly work and speak. But past successful consultation with Gyopo, I threw a question retired there, ‘What mightiness represent an immersive lecture, thing that would really springiness the radical successful the country a feeling of really being successful a protest?’ And Gyopo had each these brainsick ideas; they’re like, ‘Oh, we tin bash 3 screens, springiness radical candles, person them beryllium connected the floor.’ I’m like, ‘What?’”

Kayla Tange, creator and Gyopo volunteer: “I loved this publication “This Is Where I Learned of Love” by Jennifer Moon and she did a speech with Gyopo. I went and ran into truthful galore Korean artists. I retrieve thinking, “Wow, there’s this full assemblage retired there.” I was pursuing the enactment they did close earlier the pandemic and loved the radical they would highlight. Celine Song did a speech with them, this astonishing LACMA curator walked america done a Korean calligraphy exhibit. It was truly unique.”

Han: “We did a queer movie screening with a Q&A astatine the end. I retrieve determination was an assemblage subordinate who benignant of choked up arsenic they spoke and said that they’ve felt similar an oddity, a benignant of unicorn successful their life, being a trans idiosyncratic and successful the Korean American community. And past successful that space, they looked around, and it was similar a roomful of unicorns. That conscionable truly struck maine due to the fact that that’s precisely the tone of the assemblage that Gyopo fosters. It’s not conscionable a normative thought of Korean Americans, but we’re really trying to travel up with a antithetic imaginativeness altogether.”

Woods: “Around this clip we got 501(c)(3) nonprofit enactment status. This was a large measurement successful helping to legitimize us. We besides hosted Chuseok astatine my location this year, which was specified a full-circle infinitesimal due to the fact that I retrieve astatine the archetypal one, we had radical from assorted generations successful attendance, which is fantastic to see, and we had a instrumentalist who played the opus ‘Arirang,’ which is simply a accepted Korean people song. Anyone that grew up Korean would cognize the song. So the older procreation were each singing along, and by the extremity we were successful tears. I deliberation that was conscionable specified a moving infinitesimal and made maine privation to support going with what Gyopo had to offer.”

2020: ‘I deliberation determination was a batch of division, which made transportation adjacent much impactful’

Cat Yang, Gyopo steering committee member: “2020 was a large radical reckoning and a clip that called for community. There was solidarity from Gyopo successful seeing however anti-Asian and anti-Black racism has historically been intertwined. In our programs, which included Zoom panels and supporting demonstrations, we acceptable retired to observe however these historical struggles person shaped america and however successful this infinitesimal we could respond with much togetherness.

We were reasoning astir a programme bid astir the racism we were seeing and it was called ‘Racism is simply a Public Health Issue,’ and it was similar a two-part programme besides co-presented with LACMA. That was a mode of moving crossed galore antithetic industries of wellness experts to artists, deliberation astir however this is benignant of rippling crossed galore antithetic marginalized groups. I deliberation determination was a batch of part during that clip due to the fact that determination was conscionable truthful overmuch pain, violence, disconnection and isolation, which made transportation adjacent much impactful.”

Lisa Kwon, Gyopo unpaid and journalist: “At the tallness of the pandemic, I was penning for section outlets and I was covering assorted groups crossed L.A. that were organizing astir the intersection of what’s happening astir the pandemic and nationalist wellness issues. So the communicative connected Gyopo that I was moving connected for LA Taco began erstwhile I heard that Gyopo was doing the ‘Racism Is a Public Health Issue’ bid of virtual programming.

Gathered successful their headquarter’s portion promenade parking lot, members of Gyopo’s steering committee and enforcement committee clasp up fabrics from Charye shrines, a knot scupture by Gyopo creator Nancy Lee, and batons from unpaid aforesaid defence workshops.

They had large speakers, talking astir thing that was truly hitting each of america astatine home. That was erstwhile I met Ellie. I truly enjoyed my speech with Ellie arsenic I was interviewing her for the story. I told her aft the communicative was published that I’d emotion to larn much astir Gyopo due to the fact that I was looking for a abstraction to conscionable different ‘gyopos’ and it conscionable seemed perfect.”

Yi: “As idiosyncratic who’s an artist, I saw that this was a precise circumstantial demographic that they were trying to code done civilization and conversation. They asked maine to beryllium portion of their 2020 bid connected racism on with writer Cathy Park Hong, [San Francisco State seat of Asian American studies] Russell Jeung, and adjacent actor-comedian Bowen Yang was there. It felt wholly integrated and needed astatine the time.”

Kibum Kim, Gyopo steering committee subordinate and moderator of “Racism Is a Public Health Issue” series: “We had thousands of folks tuning in. It felt similar a truly exigent speech to person astatine the time. And truthful I felt that the mode we were capable to physique that span among antithetic folks moving crossed creation and academia, and to beryllium capable to person a ample level similar LACMA, it stuck retired to maine arsenic an illustration of however a mostly volunteer-led effort tin besides amplify our efforts and voices.”

2021: ‘Those lockdown years were truly each astir gathering bridges’

Merle Dandridge, Gyopo unpaid and Broadway and “The Last of Us” actor: “Right earlier the pandemic, I had gone to Korea with my mom, who had ever told me, you truly shouldn’t spell to Korea, they’re not going to truly clasp you due to the fact that of the mode you look [Dandridge is mixed-race]. When I truly got to conscionable them, I recovered this connectivity that I ne'er expected. It was tearful and beautiful.

We went to Bulguksa Temple, which is astatine the apical of this upland adjacent the Air Force basal wherever my parents met. My ma stayed the nighttime determination erstwhile she was large and had a imagination astir my beingness and knew it would beryllium a bully one. Fast forward, I spell to this Gyopo grounds years later, and determination is this monolithic antagonistic ink work, the size of an full wall, of Bulguksa Temple. I astir fell to my knees.”

Kim: “Those lockdown years were truly each astir gathering bridges. In the mediate of COVID, a clump of america successful Gyopo came unneurotic and did a play Zoom. In galore ways, it was a radical therapy session, sharing stories and feelings and talking astir Cathy Park Hong’s ‘Minor Feelings,’ for example, which truly struck a chord with radical due to the fact that it discussed the racism Asian radical were facing astatine this time. Things got heated sometimes excessively — we would disagree. But having this harmless abstraction to prosecute felt truly special.”

Dandridge: “As an creator myself, what a acquisition to beryllium afloat contiguous successful your work, and the authenticity of their programs truly resonated with me. Being Black and Korean is simply a precise absorbing mix; it’s exoticized now, but backmost erstwhile I was increasing up it was an abomination. Gyopo’s usage of gathering astir creation and speech has been a large assistance successful helping maine marque that displacement to accepting my practice and transportation to being Korean.”

2022: ‘There was thing magical astir having created this’

Gyopo’s unpaid picnic is an yearly family-friendly gathering successful L.A. Historic Park that creates assemblage among Gyopo’s expansive unpaid basal done nutrient and play.

(GYOPO)

Kwon: “I lone truly started attending successful 2022, but I had ever liked what Gyopo did since penning a communicative connected them. I went to a picnic they hosted and a fewer of america who met determination realized we’re each penning astir antithetic things, but we’re each doing it alone. We formed a penning radical wrong Gyopo and I met truthful galore friends done it who support maine honorable successful my work.”

Ginny Hwang, Gyopo volunteer: “In 2022, Gyopo collaborated with this enactment I was portion of called Si Ya Gi for a programme fundamentally astir interviewing and collecting oral histories from Korean American elders. The oral histories revolved astir food, recipes and nostalgic things.

At our archetypal event, we visited an elder assemblage and interviewed respective who wanted to enactment and collected stories astir wherever they were born, their hometowns and what recipes reminded them of home. What we did astatine the extremity was make those dishes that they talked astir and enactment connected an lawsuit wherever we presented those dishes to the elders arsenic a repast and had a communicative sharing session. There was thing magical astir having created this full programme and the elders were truthful gracious and grateful, and I couldn’t judge that my archetypal assemblage acquisition was truthful rewarding and nourishing successful that way.”

Kwon: “Another chill infinitesimal was erstwhile Alex Paik [Gyopo steering committee member] started providing self-defense workshops for section volunteers and friends and household of volunteers. I had been wanting to effort mixed martial arts with idiosyncratic I spot for a portion and wasn’t acceptable for however overmuch I connected with it. He’s my martial arts teacher present and I spell to him erstwhile a week to larn Filipino martial arts and Muay Thai and it’s the item of my week. I’ve learned truthful overmuch past and gained assurance successful a caller hobby which I inactive emotion today.”

2023: ‘I had this infinitesimal looking astir erstwhile I realized that Gyopo is truthful intergenerational’

The yearly unpaid picnic is 1 that made Joann Ahn recognize Gyopo’s “intergenerational” identity. Surrounded by Gyopo’s assemblage of elders and adults portion kids played with a parachute, Gyopo felt special.

(GYOPO)

Joann Ahn, Gyopo operations manager: “I was hired connected to Gyopo that year, and I conscionable retrieve coming successful with the mindset to bespeak the enactment that had been happening and support an unfastened mind. The mode Gyopo ran was precise antithetic from different nonprofits I had worked with. I helped renovate the Gyopo abstraction and erstwhile that was done, it was conversations about, “How bash we get the assemblage we privation to service successful here, and however tin we support this enactment going past erstwhile Ellie and I are here?””

Yang: “Gyopo got truly fashionable and was truly resonating with truthful galore people. So everyone was truly excited to go a volunteer, but I deliberation by having this abstraction it’s each astir the tiny moments of lingering and catching up with idiosyncratic oregon gathering idiosyncratic that you’ve ne'er met before. I don’t deliberation I would person met each these radical if not done Gyopo.

The mode that we run guides radical into underrepresented ways of being oregon thinking, particularly arsenic our programs dove into queerness oregon multiracial individuality oregon adoptees successful the Korean community.”

Ahn: “At our yearly picnic successful L.A. State Historic Park, I had this infinitesimal looking astir wherever I realized that Gyopo is truthful intergenerational. It’s not conscionable the audience, but the members and volunteers that marque it gratifying. I was conscionable proceeding babies laughing and parents and household and each the volunteers gathering together. It made my enactment consciousness gratifying.”

2024: ‘Giving maine discourse is similar giving maine a portion of my civilization and my heritage’

“The Pepper: Migration and Metaphor,” was a transverse taste introspection of the capsicum works and its value to Korean and Mexican practice and past with colonization.

(GYOPO)

Hwang: “One programme that truly sticks retired to maine is this full presumption we did connected the chile capsicum works and however it has migrated done generations and done countries. We discussed what it means to the Korean assemblage and what it means to the Latino community, particularly successful L.A., due to the fact that we stock a batch of that nutrient and we stock akin stories of losing show of autochthonal taxon and of colonization done cultivation history. It seems unusual, but truthful galore radical related to it and told stories.”

Dandridge: “Gyopo’s symposium connected the chile took maine backmost to these flavors of my upbringing, and giving maine discourse is similar giving maine a portion of my civilization and my heritage.”

Yi: “Last Chuseok (2024), I was talking to friends astir however erstwhile we were increasing up, you were marginalized and determination was a batch of unit to assimilate and wantonness your taste roots, particularly due to the fact that your parents didn’t thatch you their culture. My parents ne'er celebrated Chuseok astatine home. I didn’t cognize what that was until Gyopo introduced it to maine arsenic an adult. I conscionable thought, what is this fantastic holiday?

So galore radical I talked to successful Gyopo had had the aforesaid experience, and had grown up detached from Chuseok and different traditions. When I started to person a narration with Korea itself, the country, the radical and the culture, I realized however overmuch I was oblivious to that I reconnected with done friends here.”

2025: ‘I can’t deliberation of a much important time’

For Gyopo’s Diasporic Refractions, Kayla Tange performed modern creation arsenic protests and unrest continued nearby.

(Halline)

Hannah Joo, Gyopo teacher and volunteer: “This twelvemonth has been an important infinitesimal for maine arsenic I started a question store with Gyopo. I person been studying Korean accepted creation and euphony the past fewer years and wanted to besides stock immoderate of my learnings from my teacher backmost to our taste community. I wanted to telephone it Moim, which means ‘gathering,’ due to the fact that I consciousness similar it’s conscionable a elemental word but it’s 1 of the astir almighty things we tin do.

Ever since starting the question workshops, it’s truly been specified a abstraction wherever we tin entree our grief, wherever we tin process unneurotic truthful overmuch of the unit that is happening each astir us, to america directly. For maine arsenic a creation artist, I ever judge that our assemblage is specified a portal to things that are bigger than conscionable ourselves.”

Kim: “In galore ways, this existent infinitesimal feels similar a full-circle moment, similar a callback to erstwhile we began aft Trump’s archetypal election. That predetermination was what truly catalyzed this request for this assemblage to travel unneurotic and make abstraction for dialogue, for community, for solidarity, for activism. I deliberation that’s truthful foundational to what Gyopo is.”

Joo: I co-curated Diasporic Refractions, our collaboration with the L.A. Philharmonic, which was a show that blended music, talks and creation with themes of resistance. What was precise poignant astir the timing of this programming was that it was erstwhile the ICE raids truly started to prime up. The time of our performances successful the garden, due to the fact that it’s an outdoor space, we could perceive radical protesting. The performance hallway is not excessively acold from City Hall truthful we could perceive the helicopters surveying the area. A batch of folks benignant of conscionable walked implicit to the protestation aft our programming. It was a hard time to spot our radical and the radical of L.A. nether onslaught similar that. We conscionable precise openly acknowledged the world of it and we spoke a batch astir however really it’s truthful important that we were unneurotic astatine that circumstantial time.”

Tange, performer astatine the program: “I can’t deliberation of a much important clip to person creation than successful a infinitesimal similar that.”