HANA Center

05/28/2026

HANA Center's Executive Director Danae Kovac and Chicago community leaders on building intersectional solidarity across the city on WBEZ In the Loop.

“There is no such thing as a single-issue struggle because we do not live single-issue lives,” the Rev. Jaime Fluker quotes activist and writer Audre Lorde.

05/27/2026

Something special is waiting for you at this year's 2026 MODU Gala. ✨

🖼️ Collaborative Jogakbo Art Making
Add your story or wishes for the community to a collective hanji jogakbo celebrating the diverse beauty and strength of our community.

🛍️HANA Center Youth Merch
Limited-edition prints featuring original artwork by Youth in Action awardee, Fardowsa Duhulow Janow. Every purchase supports youth leaders at HANA.

Come create, celebrate, and bring your story to this year's MODU Gala: A Night of Community Power!

🔗 Join us and get tickets at hanacenter.org/gala-2026

05/22/2026

🎟️ Early Bird ticket sales have been EXTENDED until Monday, May 25 at 11:59 p.m. CT! Get your ticket now and swipe to see exciting raffle prizes that we just added.

Join us at the 2026 MODU Gala as we celebrate the power we create when we show up for one another. This year, we’re proud to recognize:
🔸Alice Cottingham for her decades-long leadership and support of HANA
🔸Organized Communities Against Deportations for their innovative work to protect multiethnic immigrant communities in Chicagoland
🔸Our incredible Youth in Action Awardees, Fardowsa Duhulow Janow & Hannah Yang

Your ticket includes cocktail hour, networking, dinner, cultural performances, and a powerful program uplifting our immigrant communities!

Don’t miss your chance to save and be part of something meaningful.

Get tickets today: hanacenter.org/gala-2026

05/12/2026

🎉 Congratulations to Johanne Cabrera and Yongsu Song, winners of the 2026 Mr. Sei Won Kim & Mrs. Ae Nyou Choi Scholarship!

This scholarship invests in the next generation of Korean, Asian American, and multiethnic immigrant leaders who will approach challenges with an open and innovative mind, lift up our communities, and advance equity and justice for all people.

Swipe to read more about this year's winners and join us on June 5 at Chateau Ritz to honor them, along with our 2026 Committed to Justice Awardees!

Get your tickets now! Visit: https://hanacenter.org/gala-2026

05/08/2026

This year, in a record-breaking turnout, more than 70 HANA community members took action for AAA Day in Springfield, IL to "Protect Our Futures."

Together with almost 500 Pan Asian Voter Empowerment (PAVE) Coalition members, HANA urged lawmakers to protect A2J, ISLI, Funding Inclusive Histories, Progressive Budget, and other legislation supporting immigrants and low-income communities in IL—meeting with 19 different legislators (State Representative Sharon Chung, Representative Jennifer Gong-Gershowitz, Rep. Grasse, Rep. Huynh, Rep. Katz Muhl, State Rep Mike Kelly, Rep. LaPointe, Rep. Mah, Rep. Olickal, Rep. Rashid, State Rep. Nabeela Syed, Rep. Ventura, State Sen. Mark Walker, Rep. Yang-Rohr, Speaker Welch & State Sen. Fine, State Senator Julie Morrison, Senator Robert Peters, and Sen. Villivalam)!

For many in our community, AAA Day is a valuable opportunity to engage in advocacy and feel more empowered in the process.

Thank you to our amazing HANA Community Navigators, community members, and staff, and all of our PAVE Coalition partners for making this annual event possible.

05/08/2026

It was great to meet with members from HANA Center in Springfield today. They were at the Capitol for for Asian American Action Day (AAA Day) with the Pan-Asian Voter Empowerment (PAVE) Coalition. Their theme this year is "Protect our Futures." HANA's Northwest Center in Prospect Heights provides services that help empower residents, focusing on the immigrant community.

05/07/2026

**Update: deadline to apply has been extended to Friday, May 29!**

🤔Curious to know what's it like participating in HANA's Civic Leaders Fellowship (CLF)?

Swipe to read last year's CLF fellow testimonials and apply today to get hands-on experience in community organizing and civic engagement. A $599 stipend will be provided upon completion of the fellowship!

Apply by May 13 at bit.ly/HANACLF26

05/06/2026

💫 Have you ever wanted to deepen your connection to your Korean heritage and the Chicago-area immigrant community?

HANA Center's adult pungmul group Ilgwanori (일과놀이) is the perfect way to do that! Ilgwanori, which means "work and play" in Korean, aims to empower our community by playing traditional Korean drums and working towards social justice together.

Come to our upcoming Ilgwanori Open House to meet current members, learn about our mission, and get hands on with the drums. Light dinner will be provided.

📆 When: Wednesday, May 13, 2026 at 6 p.m.
📍Where: HANA Chicago Center (4300 N California Ave Chicago, IL 60618)
🔗 RSVP at https://partiful.com/e/ZNl40ikvHHWVhp79GOGJ

No prior experience with pungmul, drumming, or music necessary! Our group centers adults with Korean heritage in any form, including but not limited to immigrants, Korean Americans, Korean adoptees, or their descendants.

Questions? Please contact Hahrim Choi at [email protected]

**If you can't make it to our Open House but are interested in IGNR, we encourage you to still connect with us by emailing Hahrim or filling out the RSVP with your name and contact info.

05/05/2026

Every piece of fabric has a story. So do you.

This year’s gala logo was inspired by jogakbo, a traditional Korean patchwork art that transforms different pieces of fabric into something breathtaking and one-of-a-kind.

Jogakbo isn't just a nod to HANA's Korean roots. It reflects who we are: a community built from different stories, backgrounds, and experiences—each piece adding strength and beauty to the whole.

Your story completes our jogakbo.

Join us at our 2026 MODU Gala or donate to help us keep our community strong: hanacenter.org/gala-2026

05/04/2026

📢 Calling Chicago & Suburban youth!

Are you a high school student in Chicago or the Northwest Suburbs interested in art, social justice, leadership, and community organizing? HANA Center is offering two different youth programs this spring designed to help you build skills, meet new friends, and make an impact.

📍Chicago
Arts for Justice Program
Apply: https://tinyurl.com/arts4justice

📍Northwest Suburbs
Suburban Youth Council (SYC)
Apply: https://tinyurl.com/syc-2026