Independence activists’ granddaughter brings Korean history to US classrooms

California school board member Kim Hyun-ju has turned her grandparents’ diary into a foundation for teaching Korean history in the United States, according to The Korea Times. The granddaughter of Korean independence activists is also seeking a third term on the Fremont Union High School District board in the Nov. 3 election.

Her work connects a family account of Korea’s independence movement with classroom discussions, teacher seminars and a summer academy. Kim’s educational efforts also reflect her concern about how Korean American students understand their heritage, the newspaper reported.

Kim learned about the journal in 1998, when her grandmother entrusted it to her, and published it in 1999, according to The Korea Times. Written by independence activists Yang Woo-jo and Choe Seon-hwa, Jessie’s Diary follows eight years of family life beginning with the birth of their daughter, Jessie, in 1938. It also documents the Korean Provisional Government in exile and people involved in the independence movement.

After moving to San Francisco in 2000, Kim began teaching middle school history at a Korean school in 2007. She used discussion-based lessons and later served as vice principal and principal, the newspaper reported.

Kim also joined teachers and community members in seeking the removal of So Far from the Bamboo Grove from instructional materials. According to the report, a school district board voted to remove the book in 2008 at the publisher’s request, following that advocacy.

Her outreach expanded to Korean history and culture seminars for American teachers in 2009. She helped establish Echo Korea around 2012 and runs a summer academy. Kim won election to the school district board in 2018 and was reelected in 2022, according to The Korea Times.

The diary has also reached audiences through a graphic novel adaptation, which was exhibited at the first Korea Book Festival in Vancouver, running through Oct. 31. A reading session took place Oct. 8. The Korea Times said its article originated in the Hankook Ilbo and was translated using a generative AI system before being edited by The Korea Times.

The graphic novel has been introduced in French, Chinese and Japanese, according to The Korea Times. An English edition of the original diary is being prepared, extending the family record’s reach alongside Kim’s educational work.