Due to circumstances beyond our control, this program has been cancelled.
We apologize for the inconvenience.
Koreans are known for their keen interest in genealogy and, long before there was ancestry.com, many Koreans kept detailed records of their ancestral lineages in their family jokbo. Twenty-five years ago, Dr. Eugene Y. Park, Korea Foundation Associate Professor of History and Director of the James Joo-Jin Kim Program in Korean Studies at the University of Pennsylvania, set out to find his own roots. His research tracing his patrilineal ancestry back to a Miryang Pak lineage of Chungin (“middle people”) class is the basis for Dr. Park’s new book, A Family of No Prominence, a remarkable historical account of the Pak family over three hundred years and the birth of modern Korea.
Dr. Park discusses researching his family history and the many challenges surrounding tracing one’s Korean roots, including a critique of invented traditions. His research also raises fascinating issues around identity, class, colonialism, modernity, and memory.
Tuesday, August 12, 2014 | 6:30 PM
Members and Students: $10
Nonmembers: $20
