The Korean American Institute aspires to be the go-to source for accurate, credible, and discerning analysis on issues facing Korean American communities and the larger global Korean diaspora.
We welcome every interested person or organization to meet with our network of stakeholders, discuss diverse thoughts, and advance these issues together in the public sphere.
Vision.
A democracy where Korean Americans matter.
Mission.
The Korean American Institute produces insightful and actionable research to improve decision-making on issues facing Korean Americans.
Values.
The Institute Informs with Integrity and Independence.
About Korean Americans.
The Korean American experience spans over 120 years, from faceless migrants who landed in Hawaii in 1903 to celebrities streaming on videos and walking the halls of Congress. Korean Americans, numbering approximately two million people, continue to make American history.
The Korean American Institute (KAI) collects, catalogs, and analyzes their histories, data, experiences, achievements, and challenges to better understand this growing population.
Through expert curation and original research, KAI seeks to become the authoritative source of information, educating policymakers and the general public.
We are in Phase I of an ambitious set of projects, so please check this website often for updates and insights.
Korean American History
Korean American Data
Korean American Issues
> U.S. Birthright Citizenship
> Education and Income
> Health and Welfare
Korean American Organizations
> Korean and Korean American Studies Programs
> Relevant Research Organizations
Council of Korean Americans Report
In 2020, the Council of Korean Americans (CKA) published an informative research paper titled “The National Korean American Community: Promises, Perils, and Paradoxes,” which was updated in 2023 as “The Multiple Faces of the National Korean American Community: Progress and Paradoxes.”
Led by the Korean American Institute’s co-founder and board member Dr. Taeku Lee, this comprehensive report gathered and analyzed insights from existing data to explain the current state of the Korean American community.
Korean American Community Foundation Study on Seniors
In 2023, the Korean American Community Foundation (KACF), in collaboration with the Judith Ehm Foundation and the Southpole Foundation, funded a survey and published an insightful report titled “Toward Better Aging – A National Study of Korean Older Adults.”
The study, which was conducted by Asian American Federation, reveals the unique challenges and needs of the growing population of Korean American seniors based on survey and focus group findings. The study also identifies areas for future policymaking to close current gaps and improve support for this population.
About Us.
The Korean American Institute (KAI), established in 2022 as an independent nonprofit organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, aims to add value to the Korean American community by addressing existing gaps.
The founders and leaders of KAI have decades of experience working on a wide range of causes and issues within the Korean and Korean American communities. While recognizing the work of numerous organizations currently representing the interests of the approximately two million Americans of Korean descent, KAI leaders actively participate in and support these existing organizations.
KAI’s unique approach focuses on collaborating with experts to gather relevant data and conduct original research and analysis. The organization’s goal is to produce factual, evidence-based, and actionable datasets, information, and recommendations. By doing so, KAI aims to assist policymakers, advocates, and the public at large in understanding and promoting the interests of this diverse population.