Dr. Eugene Kwak By Jieun Li (李吉恩)

In order to celebrate Asian Heritage, I had the opportunity to interview professor Eugene Kwak from the Architecture department. Professor Kwak was born in South Korea and moved to the United States in the 8th grade and is currently a professor in Farmingdale State College. Not only does he represent the Asian heritage, professor Kwak views himself as an architect that can make a difference in the world through design. Being an Asian person, professor Kwak sees it as an opportunity to spread diversity, allowing him to share his culture with other people. He views it as an opportunity to share different cultures with others. Professor Kwak’s favorite cultural tradition is Seollal (Korean New Years). At this time of year, families gather to eat rice cake soup and perform Sebae for elders. Sebae is the tradition of wishing elders a happy new year by performing a traditional bow. Professor Kwak views this time as a good opportunity to get together with family members, being able to share wisdom and offer blessings for the new year. An Asian dish that Professor Kwak recommends to others is Korean barbecue. It’s a trending dish these days and there are a lot of great spots in Manhattan for Korean barbecue. It is a popular dish that involves wrapping lettuce with meat, mixed in with different ingredients.  An Asian figure that professor Kwak wishes more people knew about is a man named Jim Yong Kim. He was the president of the world bank and was appointed by president Obama. He was also the president of Dartmouth College. Professor Kwak wishes to provide a greater impact in the world like Mr. Kim. 

Professor Kwak believes that recognizing Asian heritage is important because it is important to connect to our roots. Not only for the Asian community, but for every other culture, it is important to know what values you hold. Sharing these cultural differences is important for diversity and it can bring communities together. In the coming years, Professor Kwak hopes that people can embrace the past. Over the past couple of years, it has been hard for the Asian community because of polarization. Professor Kwak hopes that people can work together in order to increase diversity throughout the community, he also hopes that the Asian community works together in order to contribute to the future.