han ma um summer camp
for the past three years, my summers
have included camp han ma um. han ma um, which is korean for "one
heart," is a summer camp in the bay area dedicated to korean american kids
aged 7-17. in '97 i was a camper. in '98 i was a counselor-in-training.
and in '99 i was a counselor. here is my page dedicated to this very
special and important summer camp experience.
~camp history~
"In 1986 the United Korean Students of
Northern California had the vision to help guide Korean American youth
to explore and reclaim their heritage, culture, language, and self-identity
through a camp atmosphere at an affordable cost. That first year,
twenty college volunteers and seventy-nine youth participated in a camp
specifically focused on their shared experiences as Korean Americans.
With the Korean Community Center of the East
Bay [KCCEB] now as its fiscal sponsor, HMU has grown tremendously through
the community and its volunteers. This non-profit organization has
provided services to over 2,000 youth from the Bay Area over the last thirteen
years, with many of its campers returning year after year."
~HMU mission statement~
"Han Ma Um is dedicated to developing
young people into caring, productive members of a multicultural community
through learning about Korea and Korean America, fostering lifelong friendships,
and encouraging self-empowerment."
~what do we do at camp?~
han ma um is similar to other summer
camps in that we engage in activites such as campfires, cabin competitions,
rec activities [e.g. basketball, swimming], group games, and a dance.
but more importantly, the counselors lead workshops and discussions on
many topics such as immigration, power, parent/child relationships, korean
history, and substance abuse. in addition, they lead classes in korean
and korean american culture which includes korean etiquette, folklore,
food, games, language and the tae-gook-ee [the korean flag].
~why is han ma um so special?~
there are many reasons why han ma um is so special and cool.
one reason is that it is a place where korean americans of all different
ages come together to find out how much they have in common. they
also can experience how vast and diverse the korean american experience
is. as a result, a sense of community and family is created during
the short amount time that campers and counselors spend together.
in addition, many friendship are started and continued as campers and counselors
alike come back year after year.
han ma um is also special because of the people that come together
to plan it. all of the counselors are not paid and devote a lot of
their time simply out of their love of kids and the community. thus,
a different vibe is felt among the counselors as they are working towards
a common, agreed upon goal and they all want to create a camp that is both
fun and worthwhile...they are not in it for the money or fame.
~how to contact HMU~
are you interested in being a counselor,
being a camper, or sending a child to camp?
webpage: http://welcome.to/camp_hanmaum
e-mail: hanmaum99@yahoo.com
or feel free to e-mail
me if you have any questions
