Oral History Archive
Est. 2026 · Chino Hills, California
The stories that brought us here.
kept as they were spoken, not as they were meant
These are the stories of your grandmothers. Of the elders in your community. Of the people who came before you — an archive preserving the immigration and faith journeys of our first-generation Korean elders, for the generations who came after them.
No. 001
First recording underway
Korean & English
Every transcript, both tongues
Recording
In progress this season
On the collection
Every elder carries a story worth telling.
Korean Elder Stories strives to honor the lives of our first-generation Korean elders by preserving their stories of immigration, resilience, and faith for the next generation.
We sat down with our elders — individuals who built new lives in a foreign land, never let go of their faith, and kept God close — and asked them to share their story. Through recorded interviews and transcripts, you'll find real voices, real memories, and real testimonies unique to each and every elder.
Read our full storyThe reading rooms.
Interviews
Video conversations with our elders — their lives before immigration, the journey to America, and how faith carried them through it. Every story includes a Korean and English transcript.
Watch the archiveThe Elders
Short introductions to the people behind the stories — who they are, where they came from, and what they carry with them.
Meet the eldersShare Your Story
Know an elder whose story should be heard? We would be honored to sit down with them.
Sign up to be interviewedPartner Organizations
Every dollar raised through this project goes directly to organizations serving the Korean elder community — we keep none of it.
See where it goesWhy this matters
Korean elders carry decades of history — colonization, war, immigration, the building of new lives in new countries — and most of those stories have never been recorded. We are running out of time to listen.
Founders, Korean Elder Stories
Visitor's notes
Before you dive in.
How do I nominate an elder to be interviewed? +
Fill out the short interview sign-up form — for yourself or on behalf of someone you love. We'll reach out to schedule a conversation at whatever pace and location feels comfortable.
Do I need to speak English to be interviewed? +
No. Interviews are welcome in Korean. Every published story includes a transcript in both Korean and English, so nothing gets lost in translation.
Will my story be made public without my say-so? +
Never. Every interview is recorded with the elder's consent, and nothing goes on this site — video, transcript, or photo — until they're ready to share it.
What actually happens during an interview? +
It's a one-on-one, unhurried conversation — about life before immigration, the journey to America, the challenges of building a new life here, and how faith carried an elder through it all. Every interview is recorded on video, and every story gets a full transcript in both Korean and English.
Where does money raised through this project go? +
One hundred percent of funds raised through Korean Elder Stories go directly to our partner organizations — senior centers, care services, cultural preservation, and language programs serving the Korean elder community. We keep none of it.