No. 46 | June 1, 2025 - August 31, 2025 | |
Celebrating 50 Years of Service — advancing health, navigation, advocacy, and leadership for stronger communities!
Welcome to the Jaisohn Center Newsletter!
This year, the Jaisohn Center (Philip Jaisohn Memorial Foundation) proudly celebrates 50 years of service to Asian Americans and underserved communities in Greater Philadelphia. Inspired by Dr. Philip Jaisohn’s legacy as a pioneer in activism and service, we provide health and human services that strengthen families and build unity across communities.
Thank you for supporting our mission and being part of this milestone year!
Warmly,
George J.S. Choe
President & CEO
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A HISTORIC MOMENT
AT THE PHILIP JAISOHN MEMORIAL HOUSE
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On August 26, 2025, we were deeply honored to welcome President Lee Jae-Myung and First Lady Kim Hea-Kyung to the Philip Jaisohn Memorial House. Their visit marks a momentous occasion, recognizing the enduring legacy of Dr. Jaisohn—the first Korean to become a naturalized U.S. citizen, a pioneer for democracy, and a tireless advocate for Korean independence.
This is the second time in history that both the President and First Lady of Korea have visited the Memorial House. President Kim Dae-Jung and First Lady Lee, Hee-Ho visited in 1999 following his Liberty Medal Award, and now President Lee’s visit continues this important tradition of honoring Dr. Jaisohn’s legacy.
This visit reaffirms the bridge of friendship and shared history between Korea and the United States, and it inspires us to continue Dr. Jaisohn’s mission of service, advocacy, and community empowerment.
Official video courtesy of the Office of the President Republic of Korea
| | Photos courtesy of The Kyunghyang Shinmun | | |
Join us on Saturday, November 8th to celebrate our 50th anniversary at the 2025 Annual Jaisohn Gala! For our partners, the Gala offers a meaningful sponsorship opportunity as we expand our services and strengthen our relationships with the new Jaisohn Community Wellness Plaza and the expanded Jaisohn Center in Philadelphia.
You won't want to miss out on this special night honoring 50 years of serving the community, so make sure to RSVP before October 24th!
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UPDATE ON TRANSFORATIVE INVESTMENT AT JAISOHN COMMUNITY WELLNESS PLAZA (TOTAL BUDGET $10 MILLION)
| | After securing the Jaisohn Community Wellness Plaza building space at 1180 Welsh Road, North Wales at $4.5 million in 2024, we are ready to begin construction in order to accommodate our Lansdale Medical Center, Jaisohn Home Health Care, Home Care, Social Services, and Jaisohn Wellness Center. We hired kd2 Architects to help us complete a design that properly fit all of our needs while creating a comfortable atmosphere for our clients. In August, we contracted MidAtlantic Construction and the Phase 1 permitting process is almost complete. | | |
On August 21st and 27th, our Jaisohn Medical Center staff assisted patients to get screened for breast cancer at Jefferson Einstein Elkins Park and Jefferson Lansdale Hospital with language and scheduling support. Jefferson Health recently implemented a new software called "Mammo + Heart AI software" which utilizes AI technology to detect breast arterial calcification which has been linked with an increased risk for cardiovascular disease in women. Patients received mammograms using this software and bone density exams to detect for osteoporosis.
According to the CDC, about 270,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer each year in the United States. Due to the prevalence of breast cancer, preventive screening starting at age 40 is key for early detection.
To learn more about the Jaisohn Medical Center, please call our Philadelphia office at (215) 224-2000 or our Lansdale office at (215) 997-2101.
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Jaisohn Home Health Care staff and our interns performed fall prevention screenings at the Community Health Fair, co-hosted by the Jaisohn Center and Jefferson Health, on June 28th. Visitors to the fair participated in sit-down tests, balance tests, blood-pressure screenings, and more in order to gain insights into their current health.
To learn more about Jaisohn Home Health Care, please call (215) 866-0103 for more information.
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Melissa Chung contacted us about her father, Mr. Yick Chung Chung, who had recently suffered a fall that resulted in a neck injury and a broken leg. His doctor had scheduled him for neck surgery and advised that recovery could take 6 to 12 months, during which he would require daily physical therapy. Melissa expressed her worries of not being able to properly care for him. We immediately began the application process and Mr. Chung was approved for home care services, along with home-delivered meals. He was overjoyed and deeply appreciated the services, especially the language and cultural support that helped make the process smooth and stress-free.
To learn more about Jaisohn Home Care, please call (215) 224-2137.
| | Jaisohn Wellness Center - Senior Community Center | |
At the Jaisohn Wellness Center, a special MBTI (Myers-Briggs Type Indicator) assessment workshop guided 15 senior participants in discovering their unique personality traits and how those traits impact their lives.
In July, our five high school interns provided 1:1 technology lessons, for both English speaking and Korean speaking seniors as part of the Intergenerational Learning System we are developing.
We would like to thank Ms. Laura Byun for her services since 2008 when she joined our organization through the Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP). In 2019, she began teaching ESL at Jaisohn Life Academy and continued to expand her impact by teaching ESL classes at the Jaisohn Senior Community Center in 2022. We wish you happiness, good health, and continued success with your new chapter in Seattle.
To learn more about the Jaisohn Wellness Center and how to participate, contact (267) 639-9500.
| | 2025 New America Initiative-PA Internship | | |
In continuation of the New America Initiative (NAI) internship, we were elated to receive our fourth cohort of interns. This internship placed 9 college students across Jaisohn Center, Esperanza, and Senator Art Haywood’s office, with 3 diverse interns at each site. The NAI internship aims to support Asian, Black, and Latine undergraduate students with a special opportunity for professional growth, diverse cultural learning, and community outreach.
To learn more about the NAI internship program, please visit https://jaisohn.org/racial-equity-and-justice-education-and-experience-internship/.
| | Independence Blue Cross Foundation Nursing Internship | We partnered with the Independence Blue Cross Foundation to host the Independence Blue Cross Nursing 10-week internship program. This program gave two nursing students clinical experience at the Jaisohn Medical Center Philadelphia and Lansdale locations. We extend our gratitude to our interns for their commitment to providing care for underserved communities with patience and compassion and IBX Foundation for this wonderful opportunity. | Jaisohn Center Internship and Scholarship Programs | | |
The Jaisohn Center welcomed its largest cohort of interns totaling 17 students this summer. Our 5 high school interns held over 70 sessions of one-on-one technology classes with seniors, helped to digitize ~3000 pediatric files, and organized a food drive for MontCo Anti-Hunger Network. Our 12 college interns created diabetes video series in different languages using AI, supervised high school interns, supported Youth Leadership Institutes, updated our website, conducted research, worked on the newsletter and assisted in the Jaisohn Medical Center, Jaisohn Home Care, Jaisohn Senior Community Center, plus the social service and accounting departments.
The 2025 Jaisohn Scholarship and Internship Award Ceremony was held at the Jaisohn Community Wellness Plaza on August 16th. With 12 internships and 14 scholarships, this was the largest ceremony yet! $65,000 were awarded to college and graduate students. We are forever grateful for our donors who have continued to support this program throughout the years and for all of our interns and their exceptional work and contributions this summer.
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David Lee, Esq. joined Jaisohn Center in July, 2025 as Legal & External Affairs Consultant. David is licensed in PA and Washington D.C. and we are looking forward to the things he will accomplish at our organization.
If you are interested in joining our team at PJMF, please visit https://jaisohn.org/career/ for more information.
| | Recognition of the Jaisohn Center and Asian American Coalition for Health and Human Services (AACHHS) | | The Jaisohn Center along with the Asian American Coalition for Health and Human Services were recognized twice at Montgomery County’s National Immigrant Heritage Month Celebration. This event honored ten local organizations for their dedication and contributions to the community. It was a pleasure to gather with local leaders including Asian American Coalition leaders Francis Jeyaraj and Rose Hanh Yuan. We are thankful to be part of a movement working towards equity and care for all. | | Dr. Phillip Jaisohn - The First Korean American | | |
June 19th is recognized as a federal holiday in celebration of Juneteenth, a symbol of Black liberation in the United States. Within the Asian community, June 19th is also a significant day, marking the day Dr. Philip Jaisohn received his US citizenship in 1890—becoming the first Korean American. Because of this, we celebrate this day as Korean American Citizenship Day!
These two communities are intertwined with Dr. Philip Jaisohn giving an eloquent anti-slavery speech in Korea in 1897 where he criticized the slavery system in the United States and drew parallels to the class system in Korea, effectively calling for its abolition. After his speech, over 100 people within the Nobi (slave) class were liberated in Korea. For these reasons, we celebrate both Juneteenth and Korean American Citizenship Day on June 19th each year.
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Community Leader Visits to the
Jaisohn Community Wellness Plaza
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We are thrilled to welcome leaders to the Jaisohn Community Wellness Plaza as we share our vision and future plans to better serve the community!
Among our visitors were: PA Majority Leader in the House of Representatives Matt Bradford and PA State Representative Melissa Cerrato; Montgomery County Director of Commerce, Steve Forster with Jade Utz, Strategic Partnership Coordinator; Hope Elizabeth, Central Michigan University Professor with K-A Media Korea Times President Jun Min and Jugan Philadelphia Reporter Elsie Shin; Independence Blue Cross Public Health Specialist, Helen Konstance and Lia Scalzo; Members of the Gyeonggi Women's High School Cheer Association Philadelphia; and Esther Hio-Tong Castillo, PhD.
| | Chinese American Seniors Visit to Jaisohn Wellness Center | | As the only AAPI organization affiliated with the MontCo Office of Aging Services, Jaisohn Wellness Center (Senior Community Center) is striving to strengthen its coalitions with local partners. A small group of our Asian American Coalition partner Chinese American seniors visited Jaisohn Wellness Center. President/CEO George Choe led the senior program overview and the partners had the opportunity to partake in a Line Dancing Class, a simple AI technology exercise of converting our discussion photo into animated formats, and Manna on Main lunch with Korean seniors. We look forward to better supporting the Chinese senior community. | | JAISOHN MEMORIAL HOUSE AND VISITS | | A descendant of Philip Jaisohn's older brother, Tong S. Suhr, Esq., visited the Philip Jaisohn Memorial House, Little Theatre, and Jaisohn Community Wellness Plaza. We also hosted Delaware County Historical Society Executive Director Paul Hewes and his team’s board meeting, Dr. Won Kwang Paik and Peter Yoon from Michigan, and the Bucks County Korean Church Senior Group at the Memorial House. The New America Initiative interns also visited the Philip Jaisohn Memorial House and learned about the history and impact of Dr. Philip Jaisohn and discussed the similarities of historical figures in different communities of color and the importance of advocacy. We were honored to welcome Antioch Church Kindergarten students, members of The Philadelphia Kyunggi Girls’ High School Alumni Association, and the K-Sori Philadelphia Society’s inaugural meeting. | | Not only do we educate the younger Asian American generation about Asian and Korean American history utilizing the Philip Jaisohn Memorial House, but we also host Korean youth during their vision trips to America. This summer, 3 youth groups were able to visit and learn about Korean American history and Dr. Philip Jaisohn. These visits will help them to guide their own leadership development with global sensitivity. | | 2025 DelCo AANHPI Festival | | |
On Saturday, May 31st, the 2nd annual Delaware County AANHPI Heritage Festival was held at Rose Tree Park, co-hosted by Delaware County’s Workforce Development and Chamber of Commerce and the Philip Jaisohn Memorial Foundation. The festival included performances representing Koreans, Chinese, Filipino, Indian, Native Hawaiian, and Master Cheng Martial Arts.
Notable guests who attended this event included Pennsylvania House Speaker, Joanna McClinton, Senator Tim Kearney, Mayor Bob McMahon, and Razin M. Karu of the PA Governor’s Advisory Commission on AAPI Affairs, along with key partners such as Khalsa, Delaware County Chinese School, Philippine American Chamber of Commerce, Master Cheng Martial Arts, the Khaw Family Foundation, and CBS Reporter Madeleine Wright served as emcee. This collaborative effort between community organizations, county agencies, and elected officials highlighted the strength and diversity of the local AANHPI community.
| | On June 28th, the Jaisohn Center and Jefferson Health hosted a Community Health Fair with various health screenings, performances and food. Many notable guests helped in preparing this event including PA State Senator Art Haywood, Senator Sharif Street, Representative Darisha Parker, Oak Lane Community Action Association, and Korean United Church of Philadelphia. We hope to continue to broaden our partnerships with local East Oak Lane communities, where Jaisohn Medical Center Philadelphia is located, to better serve our neighbors in the future. | | AAPI Coalition and Leadership Meetings | | This summer, the AAPI Coalition and Jaisohn Center held two bi-monthly leadership meetings, welcoming 24 leaders in June and 25 in August. Both meetings showcased strong engagement from the Mental Health for Youth and Families and Youth and Young Leadership Development Committees, sharing progress and plans. Partner spotlights highlighted community organizations empowering diverse populations through cultural programming, youth development, immigrant integration, and wellness. The meetings also included guest presentations with a legislative update and action needs. | | The Philip Jaisohn Memorial Foundation collaborated with the National Association of Korean Schools (NAKS) for the First National Contest for Korean School Teachers on Dr. Philip Jaisohn curriculum . We congratulated the 7 national contest awardees at the NAKS National Conference in Dallas for their creative curriculum. This educational addition will help young Korean Americans to learn about Dr. Philip Jaisohn, better connect with their roots and thrive within their dual identity. | | Youth Leadership Institute | | In July and August, the Jaisohn Center and AAPI Coalition launched the Youth Leadership Institute with two sessions bringing together 32 high school students representing diverse communities across Greater Philadelphia. The program featured interactive workshops, group projects, and leadership panels designed to develop leadership, communication, and advocacy skills, and inspire students to become changemakers in their broader communities. Both sessions received local media coverage, highlighting the visibility and impact of the program - North Penn Now, Bucks County Herald, and Patch covered the first session, while North Penn Now and Patch also featured the second session. We are proud to amplify our mission of empowering youth and strengthening community leadership. | | We invite you to follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/jaisohncenters to stay informed about the work we are doing to uplift Asian Americans through programs, volunteer work, and coalitions. Follow and spread the word: your engagement supports our mission! | | We are excited to announce that the Philip Jaisohn Memorial Foundation was awarded an additional 70 laptops from the Pennsylvania Broadband Development Authority, making our total count 125. These laptops will be used for senior tech training at the Jaisohn Wellness Center as well as six community partner organizations. We would also like to thank The Sarah Ralston Foundation and the Montgomery County Foundation for supporting the growth of our senior center and health services and our efforts to replicate these programs in other AAPI communities in both Philadelphia and Montgomery County, respectively. Additionally, we are grateful to the Independence Blue Cross Foundation for supporting our health centers and giving us the opportunity to host two interns this summer. | | The Jaisohn Center's work would not be possible without the generosity of our partners: | | | | |
