korientation. Netzwerk für Asiatisch-Deutsche Perspektiven e.V.

korientation. Netzwerk für Asiatisch-Deutsche Perspektiven e.V. is a non-profit registered association (gemeinnütziger Verein) based in Berlin, Germany, with a second project office in Cologne. It describes itself as a (post)migrant self-organization and a network for Asian-German and Asian-diasporic people whose life focus is Germany. The association takes a socially critical look at culture, media and politics, and uses "Asian-German" (Asiatisch-Deutsch) as a strategic and political self-designation rather than a fixed identity label. Its central goals are networking and nationwide community building, anti-racism work that names and combats racisms and their historical continuities, and the promotion of cultural and political self-organization. The organization emerged from a small group of Korean Germans who came together in 2006 and published the column "Yellow Press" in the first-generation Korean community newspaper Kyoposhinmun from early 2007. In 2007 the group developed a concept for a multi-year migration project aimed at a broader public, centered on examining Korean migration to Germany from the perspective of Korean migrants and their second generation. On 27 January 2008, nine people, predominantly of the second generation, met at the Hodori restaurant in Berlin and founded korientation e.V. as a migrant self-organization. Since its founding, korientation has run projects, events and festivals. In May 2023 it held its festival "zu(sammen)künfte" (20–27 May 2023) to mark the association's 15th anniversary, accompanied by an exhibition whose HISTORY section gathered milestones of the association's history in retrospective texts by Sun-Ju Choi, Kien Nghi Ha, Jee-Un Kim, Rebecca Sumy Roth and Kimiko Suda. The association maintains a Berlin office and a project office in Cologne, publishes a newsletter, and organizes regular community events such as the korientation Community Stammtisch Nord, which met for the tenth time on 10 October. Its current activities include the project "Digitaler Ressourcenpool gegen anti-asiatischen Rassismus" (Digital Resource Pool against Anti-Asian Racism), participation in the Kooperationsverbund gegen Rassismus (Cooperation Network against Racism) from 2025, and earlier project leadership for MEGA 2020–2024. The association also takes part in broader social mobilizations, such as the Mietenwahnsinn demonstration for affordable housing at the Rotes Rathaus on 5 September 2026, and hosts online talks with international activists and scholars. Jee-Un Kim, a Berlin native and one of the founding members, has been the association's managing director (Geschäftsführerin) since early 2020. The team also includes Jacky Lai, support in the project "Digitaler Ressourcenpool gegen anti-asiatischen Rassismus", and Kieu Trinh Phi Van, social media assistance. korientation positions itself as an empowering, racism-critical voice for Asian-German communities and as a platform for networking, knowledge production and political advocacy.

The prehistory of korientation e.V. begins in 2006, when a small group of Korean Germans came together and, from early 2007, regularly published the column "Yellow Press" in the first-generation Korean community newspaper Kyoposhinmun. In 2007 the group developed a project concept for a multi-year "migration project" aimed at the broader public. The central idea was to engage with Korean migration to Germany decidedly from the perspective of Korean migrants and their second generation, to work through their own history(ies) and to illuminate the lifeworlds of the second generation. At the same time, the project served to acquire or produce the necessary knowledge in order to position themselves better in terms of content and politics within the smoldering integration discourses and debates. On 27 January 2008, nine people, predominantly of the second generation, gathered at the Hodori restaurant in Berlin and founded korientation e.V. as a "migrant self-organization of German..." (as described in the association's own retrospective). This founding marked the birth of the association, which has since developed numerous projects and activities. Over the following years, korientation grew into a nationwide network for Asian-German perspectives. It established a Berlin office and later a project office in Cologne. The association's work has included cultural and political education, anti-racism projects, community building, and public events. In May 2023, korientation celebrated its 15th anniversary with the festival "zu(sammen)künfte" (20–27 May 2023). An accompanying exhibition included a HISTORY section that gathered important milestones of the association's history in retrospective texts by Sun-Ju Choi, Kien Nghi Ha, Jee-Un Kim, Rebecca Sumy Roth and Kimiko Suda (as of 19 April 2023). Jee-Un Kim, a Berlin native and one of the founding members, became managing director of the association in early 2020. She led the project MEGA from 2020 to 2024 and, from 2025, korientation's participation in the Kooperationsverbund gegen Rassismus. The association has also run the project "Digitaler Ressourcenpool gegen anti-asiatischen Rassismus" and organizes regular community events such as the Community Stammtisch Nord, which met for the tenth time on 10 October. korientation continues to publish a newsletter, host online talks with international activists and scholars, and participate in broader social mobilizations such as the Mietenwahnsinn demonstration for affordable housing.

• 2025

  korientation began participating in the Kooperationsverbund gegen Rassismus.

• 2023

  The festival "zu(sammen)künfte" (20–27 May) marked the association's 15th anniversary, accompanied by an exhibition with a HISTORY section.

• 2020

  Jee-Un Kim became managing director of the association; project leadership for MEGA (2020–2024).

• 2008

  On 27 January, nine people founded korientation e.V. at the Hodori restaurant in Berlin as a migrant self-organization.

• 2007

  The group began publishing the column "Yellow Press" in the Korean community newspaper Kyoposhinmun and developed a concept for a multi-year migration project.

• 2006

  A small group of Korean Germans came together, laying the groundwork for korientation.

A non-profit, racism-critical network and self-organization for Asian-German and Asian-diasporic perspectives, focused on empowerment, community building and cultural-political advocacy.

• korientation Festival "zu(sammen)künfte"

  Festival held 20–27 May 2023 to mark the association's 15th anniversary, with an accompanying exhibition.

• Digitaler Ressourcenpool gegen anti-asiatischen Rassismus

  Project providing a digital resource pool against anti-Asian racism.

• Community Stammtisch Nord

  Regular open community meet-up for exchange and networking; 10th edition on 10 October.

• Newsletter

  Regular email newsletter sharing association activities, events and blog posts.

• Mietenwahnsinn demonstration participation
• Online talk with Dr. Margo Okazawa-Rey

1. 1korientation e.V. homepagekorientation.de
2. 2korientation e.V. 2008–2023 - korientation e.V.korientation.de
3. 3Über uns - korientation e.V.korientation.de
4. 4Team - korientation e.V.korientation.de
5. 5Wikidata entry Q132906723wikidata.org