By Maxwell Banbury
Jungmin Lee ‘21 (B.A. literary journalism) has never taken the traditional path. From L.A. City Council chambers to popup markets celebrating Asian American heritage, the UC Irvine alumna has built a career around a singular purpose: telling the stories of communities too often ignored.
Charting course
Lee’s roots in public service were planted long before graduating from UC Irvine. From an early age, she developed a sense of duty toward helping others in her community. This was instilled in her by her parents, healthcare executives who ran a clinic in Los Angeles’ Koreatown and later operated centers for the disabled and elderly.
Assisting Korean and other immigrant community members at her parents’ business became Lee’s gateway to broader community involvement. In high school, she volunteered with organizations like Reading Partners, which works to increase access to literacy education for marginalized youths.
“Empowering folks who fall through the cracks in these systems has always been my north star,” Lee shares. “In whatever I pursue, professional or personal, improving the material conditions of the people around me is what motivates me.”
However, Lee’s path had its winds and turns. After high school, she traveled across the country to Emory University in Georgia, where she struggled to acclimate. Missing the creative scene and sunshine in Los Angeles, she returned home to recalibrate.
Back in Southern California, she threw herself into volunteer work, interned with the L.A. City Council and took creative writing classes at Pasadena City College. These activities renewed her passion for community organizing and storytelling. With a strengthened academic record and renewed sense of direction, Lee earned acceptance to UC Irvine.
Navigating the UCI community
Lee was immediately drawn to the School of Humanities’ supportive liberal arts approach, bolstered by the institutional resources offered by UCI. She credits her decision to attend to a conversation with Patricia Pierson, associate director of the Literary Journalism program, on her first campus visit. Their one-on-one meeting about the holistic coursework, particularly the intimate writing workshops for literary journalism majors, convinced Lee to enroll.
The faculty, who she stays in touch with, became crucial to her success on and off campus. “I really appreciated that the professors were working journalists outside the classroom,” she explains. “So, they’re not just teaching from theory or books. Their advice comes from years and years in the industry – pitching a story, tracking down a source, finding the right publication.”
Lee thanks Associate Professor Erika Hayasaki, who became her mentor through the Asian American Journalists Association and introduced her and fellow students to professional networks like the Journalists of Color community.
Despite the challenges that came with being a commuter and a student during the pandemic, Lee made time to be involved with the greater UCI community. With encouragement from her mentors, she reported for campus outlets like KUCI News and New University, covering everything from arts and entertainment to mental health. The shared remote learning experience cemented a bond with classmates as they navigated new technologies from home.
Helping others from city hall
The skills and network Lee gained at UC Irvine prepared her to make an impact on much larger communities in need. After graduating in 2021, she faced career challenges as the pandemic continued. In 2023, however, she was presented with the unique opportunity to serve as a Field Deputy of Constituent Services and Korean American Affairs for L.A. City Council District 10, overseeing Koreatown, the most densely populated neighborhood in the country.
The jump from journalism to local government, although untraditional at first glance, made sense for Lee. Equipped with connections from her previous internship, she had also been interning for the Korean Storytelling Program at Koreatown Youth and Community Center, where she documented, translated and published the oral histories of first-generation immigrants. There, she became more familiar with the residents of Koreatown and the everyday issues they faced. A fluent Korean speaker, Lee was the perfect candidate for voicing Korean American residents’ concerns and ideas to their elected representatives at City Hall.
As Field Deputy with Councilwoman Heather Hutt, Lee took her community outreach to the next level. She translated speeches, press releases and event flyers to bridge any cultural gaps between the office and monolingual Koreans constituents and led partnerships with organizations like the YMCA to organize and promote cultural events for families to enjoy at no cost.
The inaugural Lunar New Year Market she planned with the Department of Arts and Culture provided free admission and 500 meal vouchers to be used at local Korean restaurants. One of her most fulfilling collaborations was securing $100,000 in emergency funds from the Mayor’s Office to support the Koreatown Senior and Community Center.
Return to form and moving forward
Once Hutt was successfully reelected a year later, Lee parted ways with politics to pursue passion projects of her own. She began volunteering for Mayumi Market, a community popup marketplace that celebrates AAPI artists and creative entrepreneurs. For Lee, this new venture was meant to be. Grassroots creative initiatives like this are where she thrives.
“The transition has been pretty natural,” Lee, now an Event Coordinator for Mayumi, explains. “Planning dozens of large-scale events from the ground up and working with the public at the council office trained me to help Mayumi run as smoothly as possible. Whether hearing an upset constituent out or guiding a new guest, it’s all customer service.”
Her inner reporter gets to shine while filming interviews for social media of patrons and vendors raving about their experiences. With up to 3,500 guests at each event, she says, “It’s more than just buying cool stuff and having a good time. Mayumi feels like coming home to your chosen family. People show up with their kids and grandparents and dogs. Our vendors, all incredibly talented in different ways, hype each other up. There’s room for all of us if we make it.”
Lee’s work, both past and present, is focused on amplifying and spotlighting underserved and forgotten communities. Whether translating civic communications, organizing cultural celebrations or producing digital content, Lee applies her journalism training, grounded in curiosity and compassion, every day to serve her community and ensure these important stories are told.
Maxwell Banbury is a fourth-year undergraduate student at UC Irvine majoring in history.
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