Heath is a Korean adoptee (KAD). < Back Heath Hyun Houghton Contributor A Korean American adoptee who grew up in rural Michigan and is currently based in Portland, OR. Heath Hyun Houghton is an actor, writer, and director. He holds an MFA in creative writing with a focus in playwriting from Goddard College and a B.A. in theatre with a focus in performance from Humboldt State University. He also studied Korean dance and performance styles in Jinju, South Korea, with USD Modern Dance. Poems and essays have been published in Spring Time Magazine and The Pitkin Review. Heath’s work has appeared online in Pif Magazine, MiGoZine, and Korea4Expats. He has also contributed lyrics to albums released by Ultraviolet Hippopotamus (“One Eye Shut,” Stop Watch Time Drop ) and The Turnips (“Move Your Ass,” Background Music ). His plays have been seen as staged readings in Jinju, Gyeongsangnam-do, South Korea, and in the U.S. in California, Michigan, and Oregon. He is currently an Ensemble Member with Theatre Vertigo and Linestorm Playwrights. He is a member of the Dramatists Guild and USA Gymnastics.

The Universal Asian is an open and safe online platform that spotlights voices of the Asian diaspora. Our Mission The Universal Asian is an open and safe online database platform in a magazine-style to provide inspiration to Asian adoptees (#importedAsians) and immigrated Asians (#hyphenatedAsians) around the world. We strive to mainstream discussions on topics related to pop culture, politics, lifes tyle, and more importantly help make our community of Asian voices universally heard . Our Val ues Anti-discrimination and abuse The Universal Asian will not tolerate racism, discrimination, violence, or abuse of any kind. We embrace diversity and are committed to ensuring a space, culture, and platform that is free from discrimination or abuse in any form. If there are any instances of racist, discriminatory, or abusive language used in deal ing with The Universal Asian or any of our collaborators, then we shall block the account immediately and call it out publicly on our platform. Honesty The Universal Asian is committed to being honest about our diverse experiences without sugar-coating or diluting the voices of our contributors and collaborators for what is shared is our TRUTH. Integrity Trust is essential to any organization. We build that trust through the actions and judgment of all The Universal Asian team — in our social media platforms, in our workplace and in what we post on the site. Respect The Universal Asian aims to build and serve a global audience that is vast and diverse representing the Asian diaspora. To do that fully and fairly, we treat our community — our readers, contributors, collaborators, and our team with the utmost empathy and respect. Collaboration The Universal Asian does not place itself in competition with others raising voices or sharing stories, but rather gives respect to and raises up the creativity and expertise from every part of the diaspora to fulfill our mission. It is our greatest aim to work together and support each other to provide a sense of community and inspiration to those who engage with us.

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Tara Footner Founder Tara, aka Om Sun Hui (OSH), is a Korean adoptee (KAD). Read More Kath Pacao Administrative Specialist Kath was born in Manila and currently lives in Tokyo. Read More Cynthia Landesburg Contributor Cynthia is a Korean adoptee (KAD). Read More Heath Hyun Houghton Contributor Heath is a Korean adoptee (KAD). Read More Lauren Burke Contributor Lauren is a Korean adoptee (KAD). Read More Samantha Der Contributor Samantha is a #hyphenatedAsian. Read More Ella Wu Managing Editor Ella is a Chinese adoptee. Read More A.D. Herzel Contributor A.D. is a Korean adoptee (KAD). Read More Erika Fisher Contributor Erika is a Korean adoptee (KAD). Read More Heather Lewis Contributor Heather is a Korean adoptee (KAD). Read More Lauren Kofalt Contributor Lauren is a Chinese adoptee. Read More Stephanie Fung Contributor Stephanie is a #hyphenatedAsian. Read More Jon Oaks Web Specialist Jon is a Korean adoptee (KAD). Read More Ana Suli Clancey Contributor Ana is a Chinese adoptee. Read More Haiku Kwon Contributor Laura is a Korean adoptee (KAD). Read More Kara Bos Contributor Kara is a Korean adoptee (KAD). Read More Lilly Schmaltz Contributor Lilly is a Chinese adoptee. Read More

< Back Heath Hyun Houghton Contributor A Korean American adoptee who grew up in rural Michigan and is currently based in Portland, OR. Heath Hyun Houghton is an actor, writer, and director. He holds an MFA in creative writing with a focus in playwriting from Goddard College and a B.A. in theatre with a focus in performance from Humboldt State University. He also studied Korean dance and performance styles in Jinju, South Korea, with USD Modern Dance. Poems and essays have been published in Spring Time Magazine and The Pitkin Review. Heath’s work has appeared online in Pif Magazine, MiGoZine, and Korea4Expats. He has also contributed lyrics to albums released by Ultraviolet Hippopotamus (“One Eye Shut,” Stop Watch Time Drop ) and The Turnips (“Move Your Ass,” Background Music ). His plays have been seen as staged readings in Jinju, Gyeongsangnam-do, South Korea, and in the U.S. in California, Michigan, and Oregon. He is currently an Ensemble Member with Theatre Vertigo and Linestorm Playwrights. He is a member of the Dramatists Guild and USA Gymnastics.

< Back A.D. Herzel Contributor A.D. Herzel is an #importedAsian from Korea. She is a Visual Artist, writer, and educator. A.D. has exhibited work nationally for the past 20 years. She trained as a painter and printmaker at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts and went on to receive her Master of Eduaction (M.Ed.) in art education at the Tyler School of Art in 2000. Her digital work has been published in the Manifest International Drawing Annual , INDA 8, and she has won several awards of recognition for her drawings. In addition to exhibiting work in numerous juried shows, she has been recognized by curators from the Amon Carter Museum of American Art , The Kimbell Museum of Fine Arts in Texas, and The Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts in Philadelphia. She has been represented by galleries in Fort Worth, TX, Nashville, TN and Philadelphia, PA. A.D. Herzel is an Asian-American artist and writer who has shared her work nationally and internationally. You may learn more about her and her work by following her on social media and visiting her website. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pseudopompou FB: https://www.facebook.com/PseudoPompous Website: https://www.pseudopompous.com Medium: https://medium.com/@pseudopompous Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/adherzel

< Back Lauren Burke Contributor Lauren (정미나) is an #importedAsian from Korea to the U.S. Her professional background is in financial analysis and management, but when the world paused in 2020, she was able to pick up her passion for writing again. She enjoys the practice of free-writing, in addition to writing song lyrics, and now, as a contributor for The Universal Asian . You can find Lauren engaged most often with the adoptee community, opening up about life as a Korean adoptee in the U.S., and what it’s like experiencing a birth family search process. She is also a Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) certified instructor and hopes to use that knowledge by returning to Korea someday, even if only for a chapter of her life. Lauren loves to connect and communicate with people, and hopes to use writing as a means to help others share their story. You can find her talking about adoption, BTS, and Korean food by following her on social media: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/itsjungmeena FB: https://www.facebook.com/itsjungmeena

< Back Jon Oaks Web Specialist Jon, aka 백승찬 (Baik Seung Chan), is a KAD currently living in the Detroit area. He is an award-winning professor of mathematics with over 17 years of teaching and tutoring experience. He values equity and believes that learning should be equitable for everyone. He is passionate about what he does, and his goal is to make sure every student knows that he cares about them. On a tour of Seoul in 2018 during his first trip back to Korea since being adopted, one of his friends gave him the nickname Prof. Seung Chan. The name has stuck with him as a reminder that he should be proud of who he is—past and present. He now uses the name Prof. Seung Chan on his weekly podcast with his friend Nick Ha. His hobbies include going to Detroit Pistons games, eating tacos, and drinking the occasional bottle of soju. One of his goals is to eventually visit every MLB Stadium and go to Paris when he retires.

< Back Haiku Kwon Contributor Haiku Kwon, aka Laura Kruis, is a Korean American #importedAsian, writer, and wanderluster, who loves dogs, weightlifting, food, and connecting with others. Through her contributions to The Universal Asian , she hopes to demonstrate the importance of storytelling and sharing one’s personal truth to build community. Haiku has held many varied roles throughout her life and travels as much as possible, which has taught her that “home” isn’t always a place. Sometimes, it’s a moment. Blog: https://haiku-kwon.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/haiku_kwon/

< Back Tara Footner Founder Her everyday identity is an English language educator, which she has done for over 20 years in Japan, the U.S., and the U.A.E. to fuel her passion for travel and experiencing the world’s vastness. However, like most, OSH holds a number of other identities including writer. With the dream of writing since she was eight-years-old, OSH has written for April Magazine and contributed to various other online publications over the years. Yet, none have quite satisfied a desire to provide our community with a platform to share our collective experiences, showcase our many talents, and inspire each other to express ourselves openly in an otherwise dominated society. Therefore, OSH’s aim as founder of this online magazine is to offer an open and safe forum for our varied voices to be highlighted and heard. You can also follow Tara’s adventures here .

Tara Footner Founder Tara, aka Om Sun Hui (OSH), is a Korean adoptee (KAD). Read More Kath Pacao Administrative Specialist Kath was born in Manila and currently lives in Tokyo. Read More Cynthia Landesburg Contributor Cynthia is a Korean adoptee (KAD). Read More Heath Hyun Houghton Contributor Heath is a Korean adoptee (KAD). Read More Lauren Burke Contributor Lauren is a Korean adoptee (KAD). Read More Samantha Der Contributor Samantha is a #hyphenatedAsian. Read More Ella Wu Managing Editor Ella is a Chinese adoptee. Read More A.D. Herzel Contributor A.D. is a Korean adoptee (KAD). Read More Erika Fisher Contributor Erika is a Korean adoptee (KAD). Read More Heather Lewis Contributor Heather is a Korean adoptee (KAD). Read More Lauren Kofalt Contributor Lauren is a Chinese adoptee. Read More Stephanie Fung Contributor Stephanie is a #hyphenatedAsian. Read More Jon Oaks Web Specialist Jon is a Korean adoptee (KAD). Read More Ana Suli Clancey Contributor Ana is a Chinese adoptee. Read More Haiku Kwon Contributor Laura is a Korean adoptee (KAD). Read More Kara Bos Contributor Kara is a Korean adoptee (KAD). Read More Lilly Schmaltz Contributor Lilly is a Chinese adoptee. Read More

< Back Ana Suli Clancey Contributor Ana Suli Clancey is a Chinese #importedAsian. She was adopted from Yueyang, Hunan at 18 months old and is passionate about traveling, eating, and connecting with nature. Ana is also an advocate for mental health. She was diagnosed with borderline personality disorder and strives to raise awareness, especially for communities of color and adoptees. Also, when her mother passed away as a child, she buried her emotions for eight years. She found that being vulnerable, although painful, was the way to reclaim her power. Ana's goal is to fight systemic racism by sharing her story and creating equitable solutions. She strives for a future where leadership is representative of all backgrounds, and the voices of underrepresented folks are amplified instead of being taught to remain quiet.

< Back Lauren Kofalt Contributor Lauren Kofalt is an #importedAsian. She was adopted from China at age one and is currently in the United States. Lauren has taken back her birth name of Zhu Ling Jin as of the past few months, and has been writing poetry since she was little and has always had a passion for it. She is currently attending Penn State University and is happy to share her poetry with our Universal Asian community!

< Back Erika Fisher Contributor Erika Fisher is an #importedAsian from Korea; born in Seoul and raised in the U.S. While her professional background is in international education, she’s also worked as a freelance writer, editor, and writing instructor for nearly 20 years. Erika currently lives in London with her husband and two children, and has previously lived in Kenya, Thailand, and the U.A.E. You can find her at www.erika-fisher.com .

< Back Kath Pacao Administrative Specialist Her weekday life revolves around being an administrative professional and communication expertise from staff to presidential levels. She has a demonstrated history of working in various financial institutions and organizations. As her weekday might seem tedious, Kath’s weekend revolves around cosplay as a hobby. For more than 10 years, she’s been traveling around the world doing cosplay photoshoots, meeting new friends, and trying world cuisines. Kath’s goal is to connect with people on various platforms and do small actions to make the world a better place.