Eric Kim + Cathy Park Hong
WORDS Russell Motter
This past fall, the Keables Chair committee was proud to help celebrate ‘Iolani School’s initial offering of Korean language in our World Languages curriculum. N OCTOBER, we welcomed New York Times food writer Eric Kim to campus. On his first day, Kim visited Dr. Eddie Lee’s Korean language class to discuss Korean culture, cuisine, and his experience as a writer who followed his passions. Reflecting on Kim’s visit, Emily Galindo ’28 was inspired by connections he drew between food, culture, and the written word. “He shared his deep passion for cooking, emphasizing how food is not just about making something to eat, but also about connection and storytelling,” said Galindo.“His advice to experiment and not fear mistakes was particularly encouraging, reminding us that cooking is a journey of discovery and joy.” In Dr. Hannah Lim’s Asian American Experience class, Kim shared his thoughts on Asian American identity with an explanation of the title of his bestselling book, “Korean American: Food that Tastes Like Home.” Kota Oikawa ’26 learned that matters as seemingly insignificant as a hyphen can carry great weight. I “My biggest takeaway from Mr. Kim’s talk with us was his point about the term ‘Korean American,’ which is different from Korean-American,” said Oikawa. “Korean-American defines a group of people and objectifies, but Korean American is inclusive.”
VOL.63 I NO.3 I 2025 I 43
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