OUR NETWORK

NAKASEC was founded by local Korean community-based organizations from across the United States. These organizations felt the need for a strong, progressive voice that could impact federal policy and build a national movement. NAKASEC remains strongly connected with and informed by the local groups that originally formed us. Our affiliates serve as our channel to learn more about the issues impacting our community members at the grassroots level. This local-to-national channel directly informs NAKASEC’s national campaigns, policy agenda, and other projects.

NAKASEC’s affiliates are HANA Center (Illinois), Woori Center (Pennsylvania), MinKwon Center for Community Action (New York), Hamkae Center (Virginia), and Woori Juntos (Texas).

Learn more about our network by viewing the We Are NAKASEC publication on the right or read more about our affiliates below.

Read We Are NAKASEC

HANA Center

Launched in February 2017, the HANA Center of greater Chicago is a merger of Korean American Community Services (KACS, founded 1972) and Korean American Resource and Cultural Center (KRCC, founded 1995). Meaning “one” in Korean, HANA Center is the culmination of a vision held by key stakeholders of KRCC and KACS. These leaders recognized the potential of establishing a single, united organization that combined KACS’ rapid response to the critical needs of the Korean American and local resident communities and KRCC’s powerful community organizing, advocacy, and celebration of cultural heritage. 

MinKwon Center logo

MinKwon Center

Established in 1984, The MinKwon Center for Community Action empowers the Korean American community and works with the wider Asian American and immigrant communities to achieve economic and social justice for all. We envision a just and equitable society where all people can live in harmony, dream and achieve their full potential.  Visit their website by clicking here.

Hamkae Center

Hamkae Center (formerly NAKASEC Virginia) began working with community members in Northern Virginia in 2012, soon after the announcement of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. Through community organizing, public policy advocacy, civic engagement, youth leadership development, service provision, and community education, Hamkae Center works to build a future in which low- and middle-income, immigrant, people of color, and marginalized communities in Virginia can fully participate in U.S. society and work together as makers of lasting change.

Woori Center

Founded in 2019, Woori Center’s mission is to organize multi-generational Korean and Asian Americans to provide access to services, promote discussion of diverse ideas, cultures and perspectives, and provide a voice for the immigrant and low-income community. Meaning “us” or “we” in Korean, Woori Center runs programs in five key areas: community organizing & advocacy, civic engagement, youth leadership, immigrant services, and arts & culture. We engage community members in the Greater Philadelphia area and will do our best to assist Korean and Asian American community requests statewide. Learn more about Woori Center by clicking here.

Woori Juntos

Woori Juntos is a grassroots-based organization founded in 2021 by local community members to project a progressive voice and promote the full participation of Asian Americans and all Texans within the social justice movement.  Our name, Woori Juntos, reflects the founding of our organization, as one with both Korean and Latino roots, as well as our values of solidarity, inclusion, and collaboration. It combines the Korean word, woori, meaning “us” and the Spanish word, juntos, meaning together, to mean “we rise together.”  Today, Woori Juntos continues to serve the Asian American community in Houston through our immigrant justice, racial justice, and civic engagement.