Since 2021, KAYAT has seek to bridge the growing divide between Korean American children and their Korean ancestry. This is achieved through exploring contemporary and traditional Korean art forms and sharing Korean culture with the community.
The Haenyeo (해녀), translating to “women of the sea,” are female free-divers from Jeju Island, South Korea – a centuries-old coastal community that lives off shellfish, seaweed, and other marine life. The Haenyeo keep the community going by diving in groups, sometimes reaching depths of 20+ meters by holding their breath for up to 3 minutes, and harvesting abalones, sea urchins, octopus, sea cucumbers, and kelp to sell or eat.
Dust plumed around me as I darted through the triangular-roofed, imperial hanoks of Gyeongbok Palace. To gain speed, I lifted my ballerina-pink hanbokskirt, revealing my not-so-dainty tennis shoes. I arrived in the main square, shaking beads of sweat off my face, as a distinctly off-tune drum beat began.
