For 20 years, the Korean American Coalition (KAC) has been a stalwart of the Los Angeles Korean American community. The nonprofit community service organization has helped thousands become U.S. citizens and registered thousands more to vote. It has been a vocal advocate for KAs (Korean Americans) in times of emergency like the 1992 L.A. Riots, or when it comes to speaking out against racist caricatures in the media.

Having accomplished much in the Los Angeles area, the Korean American Coalition is now poised to direct its efforts to help KA communities across the country.

“It’s time for KAC to expand the experience so that other areas will benefit from 20 years of experience of KAC,” said Spencer Kim, the former chairman of the organization’s board of directors.

“We have succeeded beyond the wildest dreams of the original visionaries, such as T.S. Chung and Keith Kim (two of the founders of KAC),” he said. “We’re expanding their visions to others.”

In January, KAC held its first national convention in Honolulu, timed to coincide with the centennial celebrations of Korean immigration to the U.S. and usher in this new era for the organization.

Approximately 130 people from around the country convened in Hawaii to mark KAC’s updated identity.

But, in a sense, KAC was already “national.” Over the last several years, it had developed a network of chapter organizations and affiliates throughout the country, such as Washington, D.C. and Hawaii. But the base of operations had always been Los Angeles, with the board of directors based here overseeing the organization’s policies and direction. Under this revised national system, a new national board, comprised of members from the regional chapters, has been formed and will direct the national body. Los Angeles, in turn, has become a regional chapter, with its own separate board of directors.

Charles Kim equated this change in structure to birth and parenthood.

“We gave birth to a true national body — totally separate from Los Angeles’ influence,” he said. “But, still, the baby is not fully independent. Although it’s national, L.A. is still the mother.”

But this child has had some growing pains.

One Los Angeles-based board member complained of the “internal politics and power struggles” that have come as a result of making this change.

“It’s not a positive thing,” said this person who spoke on the condition of anonymity, referring to the infighting. “It’s a distraction for people who want to get things done. It’s clouding the vision.”

But complaints such as these are often inevitable when an organization undergoes dramatic changes. And despite the dissatisfaction with the process, this board member believes that the core active members “will prevail over the pettiness.”

For KAC the road to national identity was a decade-long.

The impetus for a national body was the 1992 L.A. Riots and KAs’ political impotence in its aftermath. In response, various community-based organizations from cities like New York, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, Chicago and San Francisco began a series of meetings and conferences in 1993 to empower the KA community not just regionally but nationwide by forming a national alliance.

But, according to Charles Kim, “it didn’t work out.

“There were too many competing organizations,” Charles said.

After two years of trying, these KA groups made no progress. So at a meeting in San Francisco, their solution was: “Why don’t we just ask KAC to become national,” recalled Charles.

“I don’t want to blame them, because they really tried, but then they became realistic,” he said.

“I guess it was an easy solution to ask KAC. We had the manpower; we had some financial resources.”

One nonprofit, the National Korean American Service and Education Consortium (NAKASEC) based in New York, walked out of the San Francisco meeting, according to Charles, because its members said they are a national organization, too. NAKASEC has affiliate organizations in several cities throughout the country.

“That’s fine, we need NAKASEC. We need many other organizations,” said Charles.

Even with the support of other agencies, making the shift to a national entity proved elusive for KAC.

“They were trying very hard to form a national organization, and they weren’t getting there,” said Spencer Kim, the former chairman.

“They had the cart in front of the horse,” he said.

When it came time for the board members in Los Angeles to vote for a new structure, the resolution failed to pass.

So Spencer, a businessman with experience working with and managing nonprofits, was drafted two years ago to be the new chairman of the board charged with the mandate of making KAC national — with the formation of a national board of directors distinct from the L.A. parent.

“Something of this nature shouldn’t pass by a majority, but rather should be by consensus,” said Spencer, who had become involved with KAC’s board only about three years prior. He also made clear that one condition would have to be met: “That L.A. KAC would have to give up a lot of their privileges and the rights as the pioneer,” said Spencer.

“Surprisingly, they all agreed they would be willing to give that up.”

Finally, in 2002, after building a consensus among the board, a resolution was passed declaring that KAC would create a distinct national entity.

This new identity has opened up opportunities for groups like the Korean American Young Professionals Association of Houston (KAYPA). Formed in 1991 as a networking group for post-college KAs, KAYPA evolved to incorporate more community service programs, like putting on talent shows for KA youth and conducting cultural sensitivity training for Houston police.

Gradually, though, KAYPA began feeling isolated and was losing some membership. Despite some dissent, KAYPA will now become an affiliate of KAC. (There is no representation on the national board of directors for affiliates, but otherwise, affiliates share the same benefits as chapters.)

But one problem for the KAC national of the past has been inconsistency in chapters’ activities. Some chapters have been dormant for extended periods of time.

“It’s a leadership issue,” said Charles. He cited one example where a chapter formed under the enthusiastic leadership of one man. But when he moved because of his work, the chapter has since done nothing.

The chapters are “different kids, each with different needs,” said Charles, continuing his growing child metaphor.

To strengthen each chapter, KAC will develop a training curriculum — on topics such as how to raise funds, set up programs and develop a board — so that chapters can maintain that institutional knowledge and energy even if someone leaves the organization.

The Rev. Edward Yoon, who has worked to organize KAs in Phoenix, Ariz., agreed that leadership is key. “Early attempts [of organizing] were defunct because of leadership,” said Edward, who was in Hawaii f because his Phoenix contingent is planning to become a part of the KAC network.

And Helen Yoon, who recently moved from Houston to Dallas, is hoping to begin a KAC chapter there, too.

Howard Halm, a Los Angeles-based attorney, was elected the chairman of the new national board of directors in Hawaii in January. Now the board meets monthly via conference call and is in the process of setting the organization’s agenda.

But, still, Charles Kim, who is Los Angeles chapter executive director and president and executive director of the national organization, hopes KAC will grow to be comparable to the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and the Japanese American Citizens League.

One setback is the absence of money to fund the national group’s staff and operating costs. Spencer Kim said he had hoped to raise $150,000 for the national body by the time the national convention in January rolled around. That did not happen.

“This national body is a small baby,” said Charles. “And L.A. will help that baby grow, and that baby will become bigger, stronger and then better than the mother.”