Bumonim is Korean for the word "parents." Hanji is a Korean traditional form of paper making made from the bark of mulberry trees. It is known for its natural resiliency, there’s a saying that says silk lasts for only 500 years, while hanji paper can survive for a thousand.
As someone who is a part of a generation of Korean Americans with aging immigrant parents and elders, we have lived our entire lives navigating not only a cultural barrier, but a deepening language barrier.
My goal for this project is to continue that lifelong effort to bridge the generational divide by creating space for participants to write a series of letters centering the question: “What is something you always wished I asked and knew about you?” that will be translated, handwritten on hanji paper, and (postal) mailed to a beloved elder, including a return envelope as an option for the recipient to respond.
It is imperative we continue to steward intergenerational dialogue to create and hold space for anti-racist and cross-racial solidarity within our communities.
Timeline: TBD
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