Acknowledgements
The story behind Urikkiri and the people who continue to make it possible.
“I wish Mom were here to read your book. She would have been very happy and said it was the best present of her life. Thank you, Alice. You did a great job.”
My dad’s words confirmed what I already knew in my heart: this was something my mom and I were meant to make together.
Preserving my mother's story inspired me to create Urikkiri, a trusted home for Korean American stories. Through translation, artistic collaboration, and public storytelling, Urikkiri invites readers to better understand themselves, their families, and the stories they inherit.
On-Hi Lee, Writer & Mother
On-Hi Lee immigrated from Seoul to the United States in 1966, where she and her husband built a life in Chicago and raised three daughters. She became an active part of the Korean American community, helping establish organizations that fostered connection and belonging.
A graduate of Sookmyung Women's University with a degree in Korean Literature, she published forty-two essays in Chicago's Korea Daily News and the Korea Times, reflecting on immigration, family, and life in a new country.
Alice Lee-Osborne, Creator & Daughter
Alice Lee-Osborne, the youngest of On-Hi Lee’s three daughters, grew up in the Chicago suburbs with the stability her parents built through years of hard work and sacrifice. Immersed in North Shore culture, she assumed she already knew who her mother was, never imagining there was so much more to discover.
Rediscovering and translating her mother's essays changed that. As her mother revealed herself through her own words, Alice came to understand not only her more deeply but herself as well. Alice lives in Alameda, California, with her husband and their two sons.
Acknowledgements
Jennifer Halverson, Translator-Interpreter
Jean Tom, Translator
Erica Hwang, Editor
Chun Park, Reporter, Chicago Korea Daily News
Support the Work
Urikkiri exists because of a community of readers, artists, translators, and collaborators who believe these stories matter. Your subscription helps preserve Korean American stories, support Asian American artists, and connect generations through storytelling.
For a spam-free, ad-free reading experience, plus audio and community features, get the Substack app.
