Hi there!

I'm Yewon Patricia Jung, an aspiring researcher and social activist committed to preserving marginalized narratives through innovative methods like oral history interviews and film from Chadwick International School in Songdo, South Korea.

My passion extends to exploring narratives and understanding their powerful influence on shaping cultural understanding and the impacts of intersecting identities. Alongside this, I firmly believe that learning from the past is crucial for more effective activism.

By immersing ourselves in historical narratives, comprehending past struggles, and extracting valuable lessons, we can inform our current activism. This approach contributes not only to positive change but also fosters a deeper understanding of human rights and intercultural dynamics, paving the way for a more inclusive and enlightened future.

How did Woven Threads begin?

The summer after my freshman year, I attended a pre-college program at Brown University where I took the course “Introduction to Women’s Studies.” As our final project, we were asked to collect oral histories of women in our families and we shared these different stories while sitting in a circle on the green in front of the Pembroke Center. I still remember how interconnected all of our stories felt, regardless of our backgrounds.

After I returned to Korea, for my MYP personal project, I decided to investigate and share how identities affect the experiences of members within my school’s community. Once I completed my project, I wanted to take action as I had learned about the dire need to promote inclusivity and belonging on campus. This eventually led me to begin the student DEI committee on campus, aided by the teacher DEI committee. However, beyond campus, I also wanted to spread my impact.

One afternoon, I was looking at an online database listing different celebrities who were part of the same surname clan as me (“Dongrae Jung”). I looked into other surname clans such as that of my friends. Suddenly, I realized how migrant women and their multicultural children would likely not have access to such resources. As a result, I decided to create a database for migrant women to document their stories and legacies for future generations.

What medium did I choose? You guessed it. Oral history.