A new initiative is taking root to preserve and maintain the graves of Korean independence activists buried across the United States. Led by the Korean National Association Memorial Foundation in partnership with the Hwarang Youth Foundation, the project aims to connect future generations with the sacrifices of their ancestors.
Clara Won, chair of the Korean National Association Memorial Foundation, emphasized in an interview on May 21 that the graves hold more than just names—they hold stories. “When students hear about the lives of the activists buried here, some cry,” she said. “Some of them worked 10-hour days and lived on just over $26 a month, sending what they could to support Korea’s independence movement. These stories must continue to be passed on.”
Project sparked by article on neglected graves
Won said she had been exploring ways to strengthen historical awareness among younger Korean Americans for the past three years. A March 1 article in Korea Daily highlighting the neglect of independence activists’ graves pushed her to act. The Foundation is now officially launching the project to document and care for those sites.
The first cleanup and documentation will take place at 9:30 a.m. on May 24 at Rosedale Cemetery near Koreatown, Los Angeles (1831 W Washington Blvd), where 31 independence activists are currently buried.
Grave adoption system for students
Students from the Hwarang Youth Foundation will join the Foundation that day to clean gravestones and learn about the activists’ lives. Each student team—organized in groups of three—will be assigned a specific grave to care for on an ongoing basis.
Small American and Korean flags will be placed at each grave, tagged with the names of the student caretakers. If a student graduates, another Hwarang member will be assigned to continue the care, ensuring the system remains sustainable.
The organizations plan to expand the model to include other local cemeteries where Korean independence activists are buried, including Hollywood Forever, Forest Lawn in Glendale, and Inglewood Park Cemetery.
Nationwide expansion planned
Won noted that there are still many undocumented activist graves in cities such as San Francisco and Washington, D.C. “We hope to expand this nationwide so that Korean Americans across the U.S. can help preserve this vital part of our shared history,” she said.
She also called for active participation from other Korean American organizations and emphasized the importance of education and outreach. “Honestly, before working with the Korean National Association, I didn’t realize how rich and overlooked the history of Korean independence activism in America was,” Won said. “Many Korean Americans are unaware, and we hope this project will spark deeper historical awareness.”
The initiative is jointly organized by The Korea Daily, the Korean National Association Memorial Foundation, and the Hwarang Youth Foundation, with support from Bank of Hope, the first regional Korean American bank and the largest of its kind in the United States.
BY YEOL JANG [jang.yeol@koreadaily.com]
