Interview of Ok-hi Lee

Interview of Ok-hi Lee

In 1930, Ok-hi Lee, was born in Seoul, Korea. For several years she experienced what life was like under Japanese occupation until the Japanese surrendered in 1945. Not long after, she witnessed the chaos and destruction of the Korean War. America, with its abundant resources and opportunities for education, became her goal. With the help of a department head at Evanston University, she immigrated in 1957 and finished out a degree in art education. After moving around the New York area, she finally settled down in State College, Pennsylvania with her husband. Together, they raised a family of three sons in a small town they could proudly call their slice of the American dream. This was the new Korean-American family.

Harrison Lee

This interview was conducted as part of an undergraduate final project for the University of Maryland, College Park course Hist 428M: "Foreigners as Citizens: Recording Oral Histories of Immigration" (Fall 2015). This course was led by Professor Anne Rush of the History Department, College of Arts and Humanities, and was sponsored by the Center for the New America.

Center for the History of the New America

October 24, 2015

The full rights of this oral history interview were given by the interviewee to the University of Maryland, College Park. This interview may be quoted from, published, or broadcast in any medium that the University of Maryland, College Park shall deem appropriate.

English

Oral History

Born Digital Materials

Interviewer’s note: This transcript was authored as closely to the original recording as possible. Some words or phrases will appear grammatically incorrect. Mid-sentence interjections or notes are in parentheses.

To access the recorded oral interview, please contact the Center at newamerica@umd.edu

Harrison Lee

Ok-hi Lee

State College, Pennsylvania, Centre County, U.S.A.