What is the purpose of the Liberation Archive?
Growing up as a second-generation Korean American, I realized how little I knew about South Korea’s modern history. I knew the country my family came from, but not the people who organized labor movements, challenged authoritarian rule, risked imprisonment, and fought for the democracy that exists today. I recognized a critical lack of knowledge about the histories I inherit.
Because of this, I founded the Liberation Archive from the belief that remembrance is a form of responsibility. As a Korean American, I research and write about Korean history, allowing me to carry forward the stories that shaped my lineage and community.
That same belief extends beyond my mother country. The Liberation Archive brings together students from different diasporas, cultures, and backgrounds to write about the histories they have inherited—from movements for liberation and resistance to moments of cultural resilience that are often overlooked. There is something uniquely powerful about history told by those who carry its legacy. These stories are a collection of family memories, cultural inheritances, and living histories that continue to shape who we are.
We are not professional historians or scholars, simply students committed to learning, researching, and sharing these histories with genuine passion. We know no archive can ever be complete, but we believe every act of remembrance pushes back against forgetting.
The Liberation Archive is an invitation to learn the histories that shaped us, to recognize that their impact continues today, and to remember that liberation starts with ordinary people who refuse to stay stagnant.
About the author:
Caroline Shin, based in Southern California, is the founder of the Liberation Archive. Often fueled by obscene amounts of caffeine, she spends her time taking hip-hop dance classes, working on her poetry, and scouting for the best matcha. Her favorite time of day is when the streetlights just begin to turn on.
The Liberation Archive 