WHO WE ARE
The Korean-American Next Generation Council (KANGC) is a student-led organization based in the Greater Washington area. We were founded in 2022 with the goal of giving Korean-American middle and high school students the opportunity to participate in civic engagement through politics.
WHAT WE DO
We uplift Korean youth.
The KANGC is devoted to giving Korean youth the opportunity to engage in government and politics. We host field trips and tours to government buildings like the White House, United States Capitol, and the Virginia State Capitol. We also invite Korean politicians and influential figures to come and speak with our members.
Additionally, we help organize the annual K-Kimchi Washington DC Festival, an annual Korean culture festival hosted in Northern Virginia. With over 250+ attendees, the festival aims to introduce and celebrate our culture with our communities.
President's Statement
Elena Davis, 2024
We rarely see Korean faces in American politics. As the Korean-American Next Generation (KANG) Council, we work to rectify that.
The KANG Council is a student-led organization that engages in two major activities. The first is organizing and managing the annual K-Kimchi Washington DC Festival, where attendees learn to make authentic Korean-style kimchi. The second activity is slightly different. Through recognizing the lack of Korean representation in American political spaces, we work to give Korean-American middle and high school students the opportunity to participate in civic engagement through politics—all while proudly representing their culture and heritage.
As a Council, we've organized a variety of opportunities for our youth to learn about the legislative process and step into political roles. We’ve toured governmental spaces such as the White House and the United States Capitol. We’ve met and conversed with a range of Korean-American policymakers, like Irene Shin, Young Kim, Ilryong Moon, and So Lim. We’ve participated in “Go Vote!” and “Souls to the Polls” campaigns, distributing translated sample ballots to encourage voter participation within the Korean community for upcoming elections.
Most significantly, last February we embarked on an unforgettable trip to the Virginia State Capitol in Richmond, Virginia. There, our students sat-in on a session of the Virginia General Assembly and were formally introduced and recognized for our work by Delegate Irene Shin. Soon after, members met with active Virginia delegates and senators to advocate for issues important to our community, such as translation and education policies. Not only did the KANG Council members experience first-hand the inner workings of Virginia politics, but they also had a platform to voice their unique opinions, ideas, and suggestions.
Through our work in the Council, we've come to understand citizenship and social justice as an active commitment to shaping a more inclusive society. Asian-Americans have historically made up some of the smallest percentages of Congress and other facets of our government. By giving Korean-American youth the opportunity to explore roles in civic engagement, our hope is to help make American politics more inclusive and representative. Encouraging diversity in political spaces is key to fair representation. Our goal is to create a society where future generations of Korean-Americans can see themselves reflected in our country’s political leaders.
Our Team
Meet the students behind the impact!