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Meet Our Team
The MinKwon Center is comprised of individuals from various disciplines and backgrounds,
all who are committed to serving, educating, and developing leaders in the Korean American and the wider Asian American communities.
Ju-Bum Cha
Senior Consultant of Strategy and Special ProjectsJu-Bum Cha (he/him) is the Senior Consultant of Strategy and Special Projects at the MinKwon Center for Community Action. He coordinates all of the media outreach efforts and oversees internal communications, education, strategy, and projects. He is a 1st generation Korean American who came to the United States in 1992. He started volunteering at the MinKwon Center in 1994 and joined its full-time staff in 2004 where he directed the Immigrant Rights Advocacy Program. Prior to joining the MinKwon Center, Ju-Bum worked at an affiliate of MinKwon, Young Koreans United – New York Chapter.
Ashley Chang, Esq.
Staff Housing AttorneyAshley Chang (she/her) is the Staff Housing Attorney at the MinKwon Center for Community Action. She assists community members with housing and landlord-tenant issues, providing legal advice, counsel, and direct representation in housing court. Prior to joining MinKwon, Ashley covered consumer protection issues at The Capitol Forum, a legal and policy analysis publication based in Washington, DC. Ashley is a second-generation Korean-American who was born and raised in Columbus, Ohio before moving to New York for college. She received her J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center and her B.A. from Cornell University.
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Sandra Choi
Civic Participation DirectorSandra Choi (she/her) is the Civic Participation Director at the MinKwon Center for Community Action. She is responsible for building political power and visibility for the local immigrant community through MinKwon's civic engagement work. Her responsibilities include leading MinKwon's collaborative advocacy within local coalitions including APA VOICE. Prior to MinKwon, she served as the Director of Economic Development at the Detroit Economic Growth Corporation. Sandra was born and raised in Queens and is a former local candidate for U.S. Congress. She is a second-generation Korean American who received a B.A. with honors from Fordham University and a Masters in International Affairs at Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs.
Claire Choi
Health Outreach FellowClaire Choi (she/her) is the Health Outreach Fellow at the MinKwon Center for Community Action. She responds to initial health inquiries and works alongside the Health Policy & Program Coordinator to guide anyone needing application or renewal assistance. She also recruits and trains volunteers for the health program to assist in outreach events, designs and drafts outreach material, and conducts regular outreach efforts. Claire received her B.A. in Sociology and Korean Studies from Binghamton University. She is passionate about social justice advocacy through storytelling, finding her main modes of expression in filmmaking and spoken word poetry.
Grace Cui
Social Services ManagerGrace Cui (she/her) is the Social Services Manager at the MinKwon Center for Community Action. She assists community members with access to financial benefits, immigration service, housing and/or labor-related service. Prior to joining MinKwon, Grace worked at Womankind and provided counseling and case management to women and children that are survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking. Grace was born and raised in China and moved to the U.S. in 2008. She received her B.S. in Computer Engineering from University of Science and Tech Beijing and earned her M.S. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Syracuse University.
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Jenny Eum
Social Services SpecialistJenny Eum (she/her) is the Social Services Specialist at Minkwon Center for Community Action. Her role is assisting community members with access to public benefits and tax preparations. Prior to joining Minkwon, Jenny worked in processing medical records for Hunter College. She received her B.A in Psychology from Hunter College.
Jawni Han
Community AdvocateJawni Han (she/her) is the Community Advocate at the Minkwon Center for the Community Action. She assists community members navigate a range of housing-related issues such as eviction and tenants rights. She is also involved in Minkwon’s weekly food pantry efforts in coalition with other local community organizations. Very passionate about uplifting and empowering the marginalized, she takes great pride in the direct services she provides for the local community members. Jawni is a transgender Korean who grew up in Seoul and Beijing before moving to New York with her family. She received her bachelor’s degree in philosophy from CUNY Brooklyn College with a concentration in 19th & 20th century German political philosophy and aesthetic theories. Her primary mode of creative expressions is filmmaking. Prior to joining the Minkwon Center for the Community Action, Jawni worked as a screenwriting instructor at Brooklyn College, a video editor, and a film critic for publications like The Brooklyn Rail and Notebook Mubi.
Eunmi Ji
Intake and Administrative FellowEunmi Ji (she/her) is the Intake & Administrative Fellow at the Minkwon Center for Community Action. Her position is interacting with community members and ensuring their needs are met. Prior to joining Minkwon, Eunmi served administrative management work and has experience as a teacher for youth programs at a nonprofit organization. She received her B.B.A. in Accounting from Baruch College.
Hanna Jo
Health Policy and Programs CoordinatorHanna Jo (she/her) is the Health Policy and Programs Coordinator at the MinKwon Center for Community Action. She assists community members with access to health insurance through the NYS Marketplace. Prior to joining MinKwon, Hanna worked in healthcare as a Radiological Technologist while volunteering for various Korean community and health-related initiatives. Hanna was born in Korea and immigrated to Canada with her family in 1998. Hanna received her B.Sc. from University of Toronto and her M.A. in Bioethics and Public Health from New York University.
Jonghun Kapsong Kim
Korean American Community Development DirectorJonghun Kapsong Kim (he/him) is the Korean American Community Development Director at the MinKwon Center for Community Action. He assists in communication, fundraising, and special relationships with Korean American community members. He has a long history with the MinKwon Center and affiliate organizations. In 1986, he worked at the Korean Resource Center (KRC), a community center based in Los Angeles, CA. In 1988, he moved to the San Francisco Bay area to work as the Executive Director at KRC Northern California. In 1990, he moved to Washington D.C. to work for the Korea Information and Resource Center. In 1994, he moved to New York and worked as the Education Director at MinKwon. In 1996, Kapsong left MinKwon to work as a reporter for the Korea Daily but was still involved as a board member. He covered issues surrounding immigration for over 22 years and became Editor in Chief in 2018. In 2019, he stepped down from the Board to start his new role.
Seongwon Kim
NJ Program ManagerSeongwon Kim (she/her) is the NJ Program Manager at the Minkwon Center for Community Action. She coordinates, develops, and strengthens new and existing programs in MinKwon Center - New Jersey's site, and leads community outreach and engagement of marginalized community members in Palisades Park and surrounding areas. She also collaborates with NJ partners and coalitions to advocate for immigrant rights. Prior to joining MinKwon, Seongwon formerly worked at MinKwon's national organization NAKASEC as an Immigrant Justice Fellow. Seongwon graduated from William Paterson University with a Master of Business Administration. She believes in the united power of love and organizing in communities.
Yoon Ji Kim
Managing DirectorYoon Ji Kim (she/her) is the Managing Director at the MinKwon Center for Community Action. She assists community members with access to financial benefits and oversees the Social Services program. Yoon Ji is a 2nd generation Korean American from Queens who first became involved with the MinKwon Center as a volunteer with the Advocacy and Community Organizing Program in 2009. She received her B.A. in Political Science and English from University of Michigan.
Dahee Lee
Youth OrganizerDahee Lee (they/she) is the Youth Organizer at the MinKwon Center for Community Action. She coordinates and supervises the Youth Programs at the Center including the Youth Empowerment Program (YEP) and The Organizing Committee (OC). She empowers students through youth programming, organizing workshops, and creating community spaces. Through student-led participatory approaches to organizing, Dahee strives to develop empathic, engaged, and impactful community leaders. Prior to joining The MinKwon Center, Dahee was a middle and high school teacher and student labor union organizer. Dahee is a queer Korean American with roots in New Jersey and New York City. She received her Bachelor's in Design and Technology from Parsons School of Design and her Master's in Sociology of Education from New York University.
Huanjie Li
Civic Participation AssociateHuanjie Li (she/her) is the Civic Participation Associate at MinKwon Center for Community Action. She helps coordinate MinKwon Center’s and APA VOICE’s civic engagement efforts in underserved Korean & Chinese communities and supports senior members and young community leaders through civic education and leadership training. Huanjie was born and raised in Shenyang, China, and has a background in Computer Science and Graphic Design. After immigrating to the U.S., she has actively organized in Chinese American space to combat structural racism against people of color and stigma against individuals impacted by homelessness and incarceration. She is also vocal about the human rights struggles and democracy movement in China and actively uses her past experience in electoral campaigns to advocate for a better, more equitable future for all.
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Crystal Oh
Communications and Grant Administration FellowCrystal Oh (she/her) is the Communications and Grant Administration Fellow at the MinKwon Center for Community Action. In her role, she administers, creates, and designs social media and multimedia content. She also supports the submission of grant reports and applications. Crystal received her B.A. in Forensic Psychology from John Jay College of Criminal Justice. As an advocate of civic rights and social justice, Crystal hopes to preserve the dignity of her culture as a second generation Korean American in this profession. In her free time, she enjoys playing the guitar and reading true crime novels.
Michael Oh, Esq.
Supervising Immigration AttorneyMichael Oh (he/him) is the Staff Immigration Attorney at the Minkwon Center for Community Action. He is a first-generation Korean American who came to the United States in 2002 to pursue a college education at the University of Notre Dame, after spending his freshman year at Yonsei University in Seoul, Korea. Prior to joining MinKwon, Michael worked as a graduate fellow at Advocates for Justice, a small nonprofit organization fighting for social justice. Michael received his B.A. in Political Science and Chinese from Notre Dame and J.D. from Brooklyn Law School.
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Diana Park
Immigrant Justice OrganizerWoojung (Diana) Park (she/her) is the Immigrant Justice Organizer at the Minkwon Center for Community Action. She leads activities in regular outreach and engagement of undocumented immigrants and immigrants with temporary status including DACA, TPS, and asylum visas, with a focus on APA communities. She also collaborates with other coalition groups, advocacy efforts, and other external relationships on joint campaigns, including the NAKASEC network. Diana hopes to bring her personal experience as an immigrant to inspire and benefit other immigrants in the community. Diana first served her community by participating in KCS’s Youth Empowerment Program as an intern at Minkwon Center. An avid writer and believer in the power of storytelling, Diana explores the identity of being a Korean undocumented immigrant in the form of poetry. She is currently attending Hunter College, majoring in English Literatures & Criticism.
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Jessica Park
Community Resources & Operations FellowChaewon Park (Jessica) (she/her) is the Community Resources & Operations Fellow at the MinKwon Center for Community Action. Jessica hopes to bring her personal experience as an immigrant to inspire and benefit other immigrants in community. Jessica graduated from Columbia University with Bachelor of Arts degree for Comparative Literature and a concentration in Education Studies.
John Park
Executive DirectorJohn Park (he/him) is the Executive Director at the MinKwon Center for Community Action. He oversees MinKwon’s all program areas including Advocacy & Organizing, Civic Participation, Social Services, Development and Operations. Prior to joining the MinKwon Center, John served as the Executive Director of the Korean American Youth Foundation and the Director of Operations and Development at the YWCA of Queens. John received both his B.A. and M.A. in English at the University of Illinois at Chicago.
Yeonjeong Park
Legal Services CoordinatorYeonjeong Park (she/her) is the Legal Services Coordinator at the MinKwon Center for Community Action. She assists in immigration applications and procedures such as Naturalization, Green Card Renewal and DACA Renewal. She is a first generation Korean American who came to the United States in December 2018. Prior to joining MinKwon, Yeonjeong was an English teacher for 7 years and volunteered with youth empowerment and social justice groups in Korea. She also coordinated fundraising events for Friends of Koh Rong, which is an educational outreach organization based on Koh Rong Island, Cambodia. She received her B.A in Consumer Economics and Counseling at Sookmyung Women's University.
Matilde Recalde, Esq.
Senior Immigration AttorneyMatilde C. Recalde (she/her) is the Senior Immigration Attorney for MinKwon Center for Action. Prior to joining MinKwon Center, Matilde worked in the private sector focusing on immigration law in the areas of business immigration, family petitions and litigation (removal defense). Her nonprofit role includes her work as the Senior Immigration Attorney for Covenant House/NY in the Advocacy & Legal Services Department where she represented youth in immigration matters. She also advocated for undocumented youth living in foster care under NYC’s Administration for Children’s Services. Matilde was born in Quito, Ecuador and grew up in Connecticut. She earned her B.A. in Psychology from New York University and a Juris Doctor from Rutgers School of Law in Newark.
Rachel Son
Legal Services CoordinatorRachel Son (she/her) is the Legal Services Coordinator at the MinKwon Center for Community Action. She assists community members with their immigration cases such as Naturalization and DACA Renewals. Rachel is a 2nd generation Korean American from Los Angeles, CA and she received her B.A in Spanish from Oregon State University.
Jayoung Suh
Social Services CoordinatorJayoung Suh (she/her) is the Social Services Coordinator at the MinKwon Center for Community Action. She assists community members with access to public benefits (SNAP, HEAP and SCRIE) and with tax preparation. Prior to joining MinKwon, she worked at a corporate foundation, a community center, and a grantmaking organization in South Korea. She was born in the United States and grew up in Korea. She received her B.A. in Social Work and Political Science & Diplomacy from Yonsei University and her M.A. in Sociology & Education from Teachers College, Columbia University.
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