Hamkae Center organizes Asian Americans to achieve social, economic, and racial justice in Virginia.
About
Mission
Vision
We believe that Asian Americans, low-income folks, working class people, immigrants, people of color, LGBTQ+ individuals, and other targeted people must work together in order to have a more just and equitable Virginia for all.
Theory of Change
Our work connects Asian Americans to programs and resources that meet their everyday needs and organizes them into a community base that believes in its own power and takes action alongside other groups who share our values. Together, as Hamkae Center, we will use our collective strength to push for real change in our neighborhoods and in the state of Virginia. We can create a trusted political home – a place where Asian Americans are supported, represented, and empowered.
Mission
Hamkae Center organizes Asian Americans to achieve social, economic, and racial justice in Virginia.
Vision
We believe that Asian Americans, low-income folks, working class people, immigrants, people of color, LGBTQ+ individuals, and other targeted people must work together in order to have a more just and equitable Virginia for all.
Theory of Change
Our work connects Asian Americans to programs and resources that meet their everyday needs and organizes them into a community base that believes in its own power and takes action alongside other groups who share our values. Together, as Hamkae Center, we will use our collective strength to push for real change in our neighborhoods and in the state of Virginia. We can create a trusted political home – a place where Asian Americans are supported, represented, and empowered.
Story
In 2012, the National Korean American Service and Education Consortium (NAKASEC) opened the doors of its Virginia affiliate, NAKASEC Virginia, to collectively build power with Korean and Asian American communities in Northern Virginia. Since then, NAKASEC Virginia community members have fought to make Virginia a place for all Asian Americans – including undocumented and other non-citizens, working class, LGBTQ+, and youth – to know our roots, live strong, live right, and live together. We made these successes possible by centering those most impacted and fighting alongside others who share our values. Naturally, our reach expanded greatly beyond Korean American communities. It was time for a new name.
Hamkae Center showcases the power of this unity and our growth as an organization. Hamkae (함께) is the Korean word for “together”. This name symbolizes our Korean American roots in the past, our strength as an Asian American community in the present, and our vision for justice and prosperity for all communities in the future. Our new logo, a raised fist centered in front of a drum, pays homage to this power and history. The drum is modeled after a Korean “buk,” which we play to bring attention to our communities, cultures, and power at rallies and marches. The centered fist holds a drumstick, representing solidarity within and outside of Asian Americans and our commitment to community-centered justice.
At Hamkae Center, we know true power and meaningful change come from collective action. Together, we share our joy and dreams to build a more equitable future – and we welcome you to build it together with us.
Values
NAKASEC was founded by local Korean American organizations from across the nation who saw the need for a prominent, national voice for the Korean and Asian American communities in the United States. To shape this work and community, the founders created a set of core values designed to be dynamic—meaning there’s no single, fixed way to interpret them. Instead, these values are meant to grow and evolve with us. And what truly matters is how we bring these values to life through our actions every day, fueling the passion and purpose that drive us forward.
Values
NAKASEC was founded by local Korean American organizations from across the nation who saw the need for a prominent, national voice for the Korean and Asian American communities in the United States. To shape this work and community, the founders created a set of core values designed to be dynamic—meaning there’s no single, fixed way to interpret them. Instead, these values are meant to grow and evolve with us. And what truly matters is how we bring these values to life through our actions every day, fueling the passion and purpose that drive us forward.
