Welcome to the Korean American church!

Michael Heesup Kimm

Understanding of the unique social and cultural role engraved in the Korean American church society.

This installation is a part of INTER\VIEWS: an inter\active oral history exhibition, showcasing multimedia projects and stories recorded by the 2018-2019 cohort of Columbia University’s Oral History MA program. Register here!

After receiving a warm welcome in a place so far from their homeland, many Korean immigrants consider Korean American churches to be a religious place and a home away from home. However, problems have emerged within church communities between church-members and non-believers who feel isolated and discriminated within the church due to their different identities and backgrounds. Through a website created from interviews with church members, visitors will be able to reflect and respond to some of the problems and conflicts that church members face within the church.

Michael Heesup Kimm is a current resident in New York City since 2014 and is originally from South Korea. Like many other first-generation Korean immigrants in the U.S., Michael has participated in a number of different Korean American churches. Through his church experiences, Michael found answers to his questions and learned many life lessons. He strongly believes that the experiences he had at the Korean American churches played a significant role in who he is today. Through his website Michael hopes visitors can freely participate and share their unique thoughts and opinions about the current Korean church system and the community within.