Korean Americans urged to embrace heritage, lead

“As Korean Americans, we should take pride in our heritage and traditions. Remember that the values of Korean Americans are the values of America,” Rep. Young Kim, a Republican who serves as vice chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee’s Subcommittee on East Asia and the Pacific, said on Jan. 8. She made the remarks at a celebration of Korean American Day at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., urging Korean Americans to take on a greater role in American society.

Korean American Day is a federal observance established to commemorate the arrival of the first Korean immigrants in the United States on Jan. 13, 1903, marking its 123rd anniversary this year.

Born in Incheon, South Korea, Kim completed elementary school before immigrating to the United States with her parents. “I was a young girl when I first came here,” she said. “Who would have imagined that decades later I would become an elected official?” Kim added that the United States offers the opportunity to realize the American dream and said Korean Americans have a responsibility to ensure that future generations enjoy the same chances.

Rep. Andy Kim, a Democrat from New Jersey who last year became the first Korean American elected to the U.S. Senate, reflected on how attitudes have changed. “When I look at my sons, now 10 and 8, I remember being teased at that age for bringing kimbap or kimchi for lunch,” he said. “Today, kimbap is sold at Trader Joe’s, and being Korean has become something to take pride in.”

The event was attended by several Korean American lawmakers, including Reps. Dave Min and Marilyn Strickland, along with other members of Congress known for their support of South Korea.


안규영 kyu0@donga.com