Support Women Cross DMZ this AAPI Heritage Month
May 5, 2025
Posted in: Newsletters
Gail in her Korea Peace t-shirt in her garden
Dear Friend,
As we mark the beginning of AAPI Heritage Month, we face a deeply challenging political climate, with rising attacks on immigrants and threats to democracy around the world. Building solidarity and bridges is critical. That’s why I support Women Cross DMZ, the leading feminist voice for Korea peace in the U.S. Will you join me in donating $10, $100, or $1,000 to celebrate their 10-year anniversary?
As a third-generation Korean American, the issue of Korea peace is deeply personal to me. I grew up in San Francisco in the 1950s, where my family faced racist violence and slurs during the Korean War. It took me decades to unravel the racism I internalized and the trauma I experienced and inherited from previous generations.
Inspired by the civil rights movement and leaders like Malcolm X to improve my community’s conditions, I helped organize the Bay Area chapter of the Chol Soo Lee Defense Committee, a multiracial movement to free a young Korean immigrant who was sent to prison for a murder he did not commit. I also worked as an educator for 30 years, creating equitable, anti-racist classrooms in Oakland public schools.
While active in my community, I never forgot my family’s commitment to Korea’s liberation. My grandfather was an activist in the independence movement in Korea and in California, alongside leaders like Ahn Chang Ho. I keep my grandfather’s advice close to my heart:“Even if you are a perfect American citizen, you have to remember our ancestors, our people.”
That’s why I have been a proud supporter of Women Cross DMZ since their founding in 2015. This year marks the 10-Year anniversary of their historic crossing of the Demilitarized Zone to call attention to the ongoing impacts of the unresolved war. In the past decade, they helped draft and introduce the very first Congressional resolution calling for an end to the Korean War, have been covered by every major media outlet, and have educated countless people through their groundbreaking reports — including, most recently, Women’s Rights Under the Division System in Korea and the Feminist Peace Playbook.
As peace activists face rising attacks, supporting their work is more important than ever. Please join me in supporting this women-led movement for peace in Korea.
You can also purchase Korea Peace Now! merchandise, with all proceeds going to support Women Cross DMZ.
Thank you for helping to continue the Korean American legacy of organizing for peace and democracy.
In peace,
Gail Whang