Gajok | Ep. 1 | My Name is Jieun: Reclaiming My Name

Welcome to our first official episode of Gajok! We are Jieun & Greg, a Brooklyn-based, folk-soul duo, and the two hosts of this podcast. In this episode, I share my story of reclaiming my name. On December 31, 2021 — New Year's Eve — I decided to officially reclaim my birth name, Jieun, and surrender my anglicized name, Chi.

I open this episode by reading a letter I wrote called, “My Name is Jieun.” In the second half of this episode, I talk about what it was like to grow up as one of the only Asian Americans in my extremely white communities in Northern Virginia, how that affected the way I viewed myself, and how the last two years of extreme anti-Asian racism and violence has led me to an Asian American awakening, and ultimately, the decision to reclaim my birth name.

Support Gajok on Patreon: patreon.com/jieunandgreg
Connect with us on Social Media: instagram.com/jieunandgreg & instagram.com/wearegajok
Send us your Thoughts and Feedback: jieunandgreg@gmail.com

Co-host + Producer: Jieun Ko | Co-host, Producer, + Audio Engineer: Gregory Ko