Our Story

Al is a second generation American of Korean descent from the New York metro area, who truly believes in Gandhi's teaching that we must be the change we wish to see in the world. Al began her career working at the United Nations HQ, which helped her appreciate cultural diversity, before switching to a thrilling career in environmental sustainability and crisis management in the utilities and transportation sector. At work, she enjoyed managing hazard wastes and responding to environmental emergencies, such as oil spills. And off hours, Al would go off to lead clean up efforts in cities, remote trails and beaches across the planet. You can still find Al volunteeering with local environmental groups, but these days, Al spends more time learning to homestead with her family and working with The Bittermelon student leaders. Floating in this massive space of our collective Asian American identities has allowed Al to process her own experiences growing up in New York City with immigrant parents and is honored to provide support she wished she had as a child to Asian American youth today through The Bittermelon. Fun fact: Al lived in a Buddhist temple in New York and monastery in Korea for several years as a young adult, and hopes to start her own sangha for Buddhist families in Westchester.

Kim is a fourth generation Japanese American and a fourth generation Eastern European Jewish American. Kim works primarily in the arts, including being a company member of La MaMa’s Great Jones Rep since 1996. Kim is one of the founders of The Trojan Women Project, a community arts program. Other credits include The Interlude, a play about her American-born Japanese American father and his childhood in a Japanese American concentration camp during WWII; Within The Silence for Living Voices; The Seven Deadly Sins at The New York City Opera and A Midsummer Night's Dream with the National Asian American Theatre Company. Kim produced films for the filmmaker and comic book writer, Greg Pak, both the feature film, Robot Stories, and some short films. ​ Kim served on the board of the SITI Company and is a current member of the New York Day of Remembrance Committee. The NYC DOR Committee organizes annual Day of Remembrance events and participates in community projects and events throughout the year with the purpose of promoting and  protecting the civil liberties of all people.  Fun fact: Kim was the owner of The Treats Truck, a Vendy Award winning food truck in NYC, and is the author of the cookbook, The Treats Truck Baking Book, published by HarperCollins.

Amy has worked for clothing brand EILEEN FISHER for over thirty years, where she founded and led their signature Social Consciousness work (human rights, environmental sustainability, philanthropy, and policy advocacy). Today, Amy serves as the Social Consciousness Strategic Advisor for the brand. She also owns and operates a mission- driven independent bookstore - Hudson Valley Books for Humanity - in her hometown of Ossining, NY.  Amy, a fourth generation Chinese-American, reconnected with her roots by studying Chinese language at Georgetown U. and East China Normal University (Shanghai) and later visiting her ancestral village in Toisan. She also has Scottish/English ancestry that one day will be explored. Fun fact: Amy plays the bassoon in various musical ensembles throughout the Hudson Valley.