Oral history interview with Tacoma resident Sulja Warnick conducted by dindria barrow on April 6, 2023. In this interview, Sulja shares some of her life’s work as a public school teacher in the Tacoma Public Schools and with the Korean Women’s Association (KWA). Her journey is one of many places and many connections. The success she co-created has spanned countries and served thousands of people. For example, KWA started as a small social club for Korean women and has expanded to a non-profit organization that provides education, affordable housing, in-home care for seniors, and social services, including domestic violence counseling. KWA has offices in 14 Western Washington counties, serving up to 150,000 people of 40 nationalities and 35 language groups. The organization is now 51 years old. Please enjoy Sulja’s oral history interview as well as her collection of images and documents covering her life and the life of KWA.

Yi KukJa (b. 1940), older sister; Yi KyeJa (b. 1945), younger sister; Sulja Warnick (b. 1942); Angela Warnick (b.1972), Sulja's oldest daughter; Hwang KyeRon (b.1913), mother.
Taken in Spring 1973 on a visit from Seoul to Daegu, Korea, to visit at Sulja's mother's house where the two sisters lived nearby.

Left to right: Angela, Fred, Gina.
Taken in the summer of 1979 most likely after returning home from a piano recital based on the attire. Both daughters took piano lessons from kindergarten to 12th grade. The teacher would have an end-of-year recital in May.

Pacific Villa, Tacoma, WA, low-income senior housing.

South 15th & Tacoma Ave, Tacoma, WA, low-income senior housing, with certain minimum percentage reserved for veterans, currently under construction.

Fred Warnick (b. 1940), Gina Warnick Coletti (b.1975), Sulja Warnick (b. 1942), and Angela Warnick Buchdahl (b. 1972).
Taken in June of 1997 during Gina's graduation from Stanford University at San Gregorio Beach, west of Palo Alto, California.

Left to right, back row: Gina Warnick Coletti, Jacob Buchdahl, Gabriel Buchdahl (b. 2000), Angela Warnick Buchdahl, Fred Warnick.
Left to right, front row: Paul Coletti, Sulja Warnick, Eli Buchdahl (b. 2002), Rose Buchdahl (b.2005), Julia Coletti (b. 2009), Olivia Coletti (b. 2007).
Taken in April 2015 at Gina and Paul's house in Los Angeles, California. Angela's family visits Gina's family with parents Fred and Sulja. Family includes both sons-in-law and five grandchildren.

Angela Warnick dressed for her first birthday on July 8, 1973, in Seoul, Korea.

Recent photograph of Sulja Warnick.

Back row: Gina, Fred, Sulja, Jacob.
Middle row: Paul holding Julia, Angela, Gabriel.
Bottom row: Olivia, Rose, Eli.
Taken in April 2010 during Fred's 70th birthday at a professional photography studio in Tacoma.

Kang KyoHui, Yi MiKyoung, Yi HoGeun, Yi ChangGeun, and Angela Warnick.
Taken in either January of 1975 or 1976 in Daegu, Korea at Sulja and Fred's home during the lunar new year holiday, based on the girls' traditional Korean dresses.

Orchard Project, Roy, WA, apple orchard plus 6 single-family houses.

Senior City, Federal Way, WA, low-income senior housing.

Olympus Hotel, downtown Tacoma, WA, low-income housing.

Pak and Yi OkJa (b. 1937), Kang JaeHui and Yi KukJa (b. 1940), Fred Warnick and Sulja (b. 1942), Yi KyeJa (b. 1945) and Kang JoonKi.
Taken in 1974 in the countryside near Daegu, Korea at a family picnic. All four sisters lived in Daegu at the time. Two sisters married a man with the surname of Kang, but they were not related, except now by marriage.