Welcome

A Letter from KAUSE's President

Greetings! My name is Soo Yon Suh, and I am 2005-2006 President and co-founder of Korean Americans United Serving Equality (KAUSE). I want to thank you for taking interest in our organization, which was established recently in fall 2004. Even though KAUSE is a new organization, we have great ambitions and goals for this school year.

KAUSE has two key goals: 1) to raise Korean American visibility on the UIC campus, and 2) to empower and educate students about Korean American issues and history. Through activism and community service, students in KAUSE gain a voice and an opportunity to make a change in the world. On top of this, students gain leadership. The greatest thing about KAUSE is that anyone with enough determination has the potential to take on leadership opportunities within the organization and community.

In the past year, we organized outstanding workshops and panels. And with the strong alliance of other UIC student organizations and community organizations, we were able to collaborate on great programs. For instance, we hosted a career panel in the fall of 2004. Members from the Korean American Coalition came out and imparted their wisdom on becoming young Korean American professionals in society.

Additionally, I am proud to declare that KAUSE took a fifteen member delegation to Seattle, Washington this past spring for the Korean American Student Conference (KASCON). At KASCON, many of our members were empowered and became aware of the issues Korean Americans face on an everyday basis. One seminar that we took to heart was K.W. Lee's speech about Sa-I-Gu (4-2-9), or the LA riots. Consequently, we administered a truth commission of our own regarding the LA riots during Asian American Awareness Month. We had a full house and were given the great opportunity to listen to UIC's very own professor, Helen Jun.

This year will be even better. We will continue to put on educational workshops as well as incorporate social activities. And we will actively participate in UIC's push for Asian American studies.

KAUSE has so much to offer to the students of UIC and the community of greater Chicago. I am greatly empowered and driven to be involved in an organization that sees no limits. Knowing that our organization solely exists to serve the Korean American community gives me great encouragement. I hope that you, too, will take part in our KAUSE to unite the Korean American and Asian American community and spread knowledge about ourselves and others.

Sincerely,
Soo Yon Suh