Grace K., was born and raised in Orange County to Korean parents, who moved here in their 20s. Growing up, she was immersed in Korean culture, learning everything from work ethics to family values and cultural cues.
“My parents instilled a tough work ethic growing up, deeming it was important to work hard for everything and understand that nothing is easy. Family values were also engrained in me, and this meant that we should always consider and help each other when needed, without expecting anything in return. I like to think that my mom is as kind and considerate as she is because she was raised in Korea with the same expectation.”
Sometimes, being a child to Korean - American parents left her caught between two cultures. Grace had to navigate the expectation of knowing her heritage, but also the country she resided in.
“I don’t speak Korean very well, and I’ve also never been to Korea, so sometimes I feel disconnected and that I’m not Korean ‘enough’. It sort of feels like an identity crisis that I still wrestle with at times. I was also taught that actions are more telling than words, so I was raised to be pretty quiet, focusing on showing rather than telling.”
Grace learned so much about her Korean heritage through food, and that’s how she celebrates it today, too!
“I might be biased, but I think Korean food is the best. I love introducing it to others and watching them fall in love with it too. I also feel like I don’t know a ton about the history of Korean food, so I love learning more about it through documentaries, shows and videos to learn more about it because I’ve always been fascinated by the connection between food and culture.”
Not only has food been a big part of her culture, but also her career. She graduated from Cal State Long Beach with a degree in nutrition and dietetics in hopes to become a dietitian. But three months after getting her undergraduate degree, Grace was recruited by a third-party company to work at Taco Bell as a quality assurance lab coordinator on the Food Innovation Team.
“After two years of working in the quality assurance lab, testing all of Taco Bell’s ingredients, I was offered a position on the team supporting sustainability and nutrition."
Now, Grace works on a variety of initiatives ranging from tracking packaging and recycling legislations to supporting ingredient formulation review and menu board calorie calculations for both the U.S. and Canada markets.
Looking to the future, she hopes to approach the world around her with the same kindness her mom did.
“I’d love to be remembered for being kind and considerate, just like my mom. I think these two traits really show someone’s character, and my mom is one of the kindest and most giving people I know. I’d be honored if someone thought I was similar to her in such a way.”