I felt a natural high watching the Poongmul group. Many saw the performance as a call to recognize Korean history and culture. Achieving academic recognition was the conference's goal. A panel discussion led by Kyung Moon Hwang, assistant professor of history at the University of Southern California, and Donald Baker, founder of the University of British Columbia's Korean-studies program, argued for the implementation of Korean studies. People argue that Korea is too much of a specialist field but it's really not.
Korean history is tied to Japanese and Chinese history.
She pointed to a void of Korean artists and urged students not to be afraid of filling that void. A workshop on queer sexuality led by Dredge Byung'Chu Kang from the Asian and Pacific Islander Wellness Center in San Francisco told of the existence and experiences of gay Korean men. Mark Lee Keam, assistant chief counsel in the Office of Advocacy of the United States Small Business Administration, gave a talk about political mobilization among Koreans. By the end of the whirlwind weekend, Collins seemed pleased and dizzy. I'm very happy that there was participation and that people found the conference informing.