((PKG)) KOREAN CULTURE CAMP
((Banner: Korean Culture Camp))
((Reporter/Camera: June Soh))
((Adapted by: Philip Alexiou))
((Map: St. Paul, Minnesota))
((NATS))
((Elain Ekstedt, Director, Korean Culture Camp))
My name is Elain Ekstedt and I am the director of Korean Culture Camp, which is held in Minnesota every summer and has been around for over 40 years. The camp was started in 1977 by parents, mostly Caucasian parents who had adopted children from Korea. And they wanted their children to feel good about their Korean heritage and to experience Korean culture. So, they began a summer camp.
((NATS))
((Peter Yellick, Teen helper, Korean Culture Camp))
I was adopted when I was eight months old. So, I was always self-conscious about like being a Korean adoptee. But, when I like came here, I got to hear and see a bunch of other people who have the same story as I do. And it was really cool because it then helped me accept who I am and it made me proud to be of Korean Heritage.
I kept volunteering because I wanted to help other kids who may have been like me and it was also really fun.
((NATS))
((Elain Ekstedt, Director, Korean Culture Camp))
We had families coming from all over the United States and we still have families that come from out of state. It’s a family event. The whole family comes. The parents pay for their children to come and they come and volunteer. So this year we have 235 campers but we have 250 volunteers to take care of them. Most of the volunteers are the parents of the campers. It becomes a whole family experience. Those campers grow up. After they’re no longer campers, then they become teen helpers. We have a hundred teen helpers in our camps this year. And then after they’re teen helpers, they can become young adult volunteers, and we actually have people who come back to our camp every year.
((NATS))
((Kevin Cunningham, Volunteer, Korean Culture Camp))
My name is Kevin Cunningham. I was adopted from South Korea when I was six months old. I’ve been at Korean Culture Camp for 22 years. Korean Culture Camp, when I was a kid, was my favorite week of the year. And I would say it still is as an adult because now I get to come back and see all the kids doing what I did, going to the class and learning about language, history and doing Taekwondo together and, of course, eating lunch together was always really fun.
((NATS))
((Hong Joo Lee, Education Director, Korean Culture Camp))
My name is Hong Joo Lee. I recruit teachers and most of the teachers are also current teachers at the public school or a private school. I love to see those kids who are excited about what they are doing here, what are they learning. So, that’s why I’ve been here for 14 years. That makes me really happy.
((NATS))
((Elain Ekstedt, Director, Korean Culture Camp))
My daughter now is on the board and helps with the leadership of the camp. It’s now three generations and that’s true for many. Our campers have grown up and they’ve got married and they have children and so our self-esteem classes have changed. It is not so much about adoption anymore. It’s about feeling good about being Korean, having a Korean heritage.
((NATS))
