This month KSP celebrates Pride by sharing and highlighting participants in our 23-24 cohort. We spent the last year documenting stories from Koreatown's LGBTQIA+ community, while learning history in our monthly workshops.

Check out our highlights here.

Today we would like to share our conversation with someone who celebrates QTBIPOC year-round, Jordyn Sun. She is the creator of K-Town's best QTBIPOC parties at Love Hour called HOT POT.

Director Katherine Kim, Program Associate Dilan Askew, and Tony Morales spoke with Jordyn about her religious upbringing, underground organizing at a Christian college, and creating a dancefloor for K-Town's QTBIPOC community.

Cover by KSP student, Cira Mejia

Produced by Tony Morales

[Spanish Interview]

Hoy hablamos con Vanessa Sarmiento, leder del programa de negocios en KYCC. En esta conversacion  hablamos sobre los servicos del programa y el proceso para obtener permisos para vendedores ambulantes.

Para mas infomacion sobre el programa de negocios en KYCC visite esta pagina:

⁠⁠https://www.kyccla.org/services/community-economic-development-ced/small-business-assistance/⁠⁠ 

Para ser cita, contacte a [email protected] o llame a:

[English Caption]

Food Vendors are an undeniable part of Los Angeles history and culture. As part of our food cohort last year, we highlighted the experiences of Koreatown street vendors at the Salvadoran Corridor. Next week we will share a couple of those interviews by our KSP students.  

Until then, we would like to share our Spanish conversation with KYCC’s Small Business Lead, Vanessa Sarmiento.

Vanessa tells us the support KYCC provides street vendors, and breaks down the process in obtaining permits.

Find more information on KYCC's Small Business Program

at this page:

https://www.kyccla.org/services/community-economic-development-ced/small-business-assistance/ 

To schedule a free business counseling session, please email [email protected] or contact:

Today on the show, KSP Intern Janice Yun interviews journalist Jeong Park. Jeong has written for the Orange County Register, Sacramento Bee, and was an Asian American Communities Reporter for the L.A. Times. He currently works at the Seattle Times as the Assistant Metro Editor. 

Janice spoke with Jeong on his journalist journey, his reporting on the 2023 Monterrey Park Shooting, and the state of journalism & why it is needed to bridge connections. 

The interview portion in this episode is in Korean.

This week marks 34 years since Los Angeles’s 1992 Civil Unrest. An event in Los Angeles history that put the light on the city’s tensions. In 2020, KSP interviewed community members on their experience on April 29th of 1992. To learn more about the 1992 Civil Unrest and community stories, head over to koreatownstorytellingprogram.org.

https://www.koreatownstorytellingprogram.org/ws-2022-30th-anniversary-of-the-la-civil-unrest

Today we have a special interview in Korean by our intern Jonah Lee. Jonah interviews his aunt Amy Lee, a radio host  who was live bradcasting the civil unrest, informing the Los Angeles Korean community as events unraveled.

We begin with a short roundtable with our interns on how they first heard about the civil unrest. It is then followed by our interview with Amy in Korean. We hope you enjoy.

Episode produced by Jonah Lee and Tony Morales

Guest: Amy Lee

Interns: Janice

Yun, Jane Lee and Jonah Lee

Program Associate: Dilan Askew

Program Director: Katherine Kim

Today we are highlighting Koreatown Students!

We interviewed 4 Koreatown high school students about their experiences in the city. First we hear from Brianna Rizo and Diana Kim, two students who participate in KORYO, Koreatown Organizing to Reduce Youth Opioid Use. They talk about the changes and connection they have with Koreatown. Also why do they enjoying walking the neighborhood so much? 

We then hear from KSP students Emily Morales and Nathalie De Mata. Two longtime friends in their senior year now approaching graduation! We hear on their experiences in senior year and some advice for our student listeners!

We hope you enjoy this episode with our students on the microphone seat! 

Guests: Brianna Rizo, Diana Kim, Emily Morales, Nathalie De Mata

KSP Team

Audio Producer: Tony Morales

Director: Katherine Kim

Associate: Dilan Askew

Interns: Janice Yun, Jane Lee, Jonah Lee

Today we look back at one of our cooking workshops from the 2023-2024 cohort.

In this workshop, community member Ms. Cathy leads us in a cooking workshop making Miyeok Guk or seaweed soup. In Korean tradition, this meal is commonly eaten during pregnancy or at birthday celebrations. It is a meal that marks birth and celebration!

In this episode, producer Tony Morales takes you between conversations and steps. How well do our students follow steps? How is the food tasting? Enjoy this tasteful episode on food, laughter, and celebration!

KSP Team

Producer: Tony Morales

Director: Katherine Kim

Associate: Dilan Askew

Intern: Janice Yun, Jane Lee, Jonah Lee

SPECIAL EPISODE!

This episode was made for our culmination on March 15. In this episode we highlight the voices of our students! From our food making events to our sit down conversations.

This week we are sharing an interview part of our 2023-2024 KSP Cohort. In this cohort we are focusing on highlighting the LGBTQIA+ community in Koreatown. 

Today, we are happy to share our interview with multi-disciplinary artist, activist, Drag performer, consultant, and Koreatown resident Sydney Rogers also known as Miss Barbie -Q. KSP cohort students Nadia Cho and Nathalie De Mata interviewed Sydney this semester. 

We hear from Sydney speak on her journey from Ohio to Pomona. The complex feelings about Koreatown, homelessness to sobriety, being introduced to Drag and how it’s changed over time, and lastly some advice to queer youth! 

TRIGGER WARNING: 

It is important for us to share trigger warnings on the topics discussed and mentioned in this episode, addiction, homelessness, and assault. If you are experiencing any of these issues  and would like confidential free help or some one to speak with. The national helpline for substance abuse and mental health services is 1-800-662-4357. Additionally,  LA’s LGBT Center also has a warm line for those facing violence and assault at 323-860-5806. Please Know that you are not alone. 

Episode Transcript HERE

KSP Student Participants: Nadia Cho and Nathalie De Mata

Produced by Tony Morales

KSP Team: 

Director: Katherine Kim

Associate: Dilan Askew

Interns: Janice Yun, Jane Lee, Jonah Lee 

Welcome to another episode of the KSP Podcast! Vicky Tesorito is a trans woman from El Salvador who has lived in Koreatown since her teens. Tesorito shares with us how she has built community at the Guatemalan Resturarant Paseo Chapin , found opportunity, difficulties and love in Koreatown. 

This interview was conducted by our summer intern Kimberly Espinoza, with a few questions from myself and KSP student Lazar Johnson. It is a Spanish interview, but transcripts and translations are found here. 

This episode was produced by Tony Morales

The KSP Team is

Director: Katherine Kim

KSP Associate: Dilan Askew

Interns: Janice Yun and Jane Lee

We are starting something new on the show! Before every interview episode, we will be having a round table conversation with the KSP team. 

So today’s conversation is food. The KSP team shares our semester on food, TV dinners, what foods remind us of home, and the labor of love that goes into it! 

The conversation is followed by Tony’s interview with Carmen Perez a food street vendor in Koreatown. Our interview with Carmen is in Spanish but translations are included in our show transcript here. 

This episode was hosted and produced by Tony Morales

The KSP Team is 

Director: Katherine Kim

KSP Associate: Dilan Askew

Interns: Janice Yun and Jane Lee

Photo by Kimberly Espinosa