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KEI Celebrates Korean-American Day: Ambassador Stephen W. Bosworth and Eminent Korean-Americans Praise Korean Contributions to Public Service
January 25, 2010
On January 13, the Korea Economic Institute (KEI) hosted “A Celebration of Korean-American Day.” The luncheon event, honoring the many outstanding contributions of Korean-Americans, included comments from keynote speaker Ambassador Stephen W. Bosworth, U.S. Special Representative for North Korea Policy and the Dean of the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University. The event honored three Korean-Americans serving in the Obama administration. The honorees were Howard Kyonju Koh, Assistant Secretary for Health of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS); David S. Kim, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Governmental Affairs at the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT); and Yul Kwon, Deputy Chief of the Federal Communication Commission’s (FCC) Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau. This luncheon event took place in the Willard Room of the Willard InterContinental Hotel in Washington, DC. The program was attended by approximately 200 people, including a significant number of representatives of the media.
Observing Over a Century of Korean-American History
When the first Korean immigrants to the United States arrived in Honolulu, Hawaii, on January 13, 1903, a close, rewarding relationship with America began. Koreans have made lasting and important contributions to America’s success, defended America’s values, added their own exceptionality to America’s culture, and distinguished themselves in academia, science, medicine, and business.
In 2005, Congress passed a resolution of support for Korean-American Day, to be observed annually on January 13. The program on January 13 was the third KEI celebration of the first Korean immigrants. The celebration also honored all Koreans who have followed the first immigrants, establishing a tradition of honoring Korean heritage in the United States on or around January 13.
KEI President Charles L. (Jack) Pritchard opened the program with brief welcoming remarks and an introduction of the three Korean-Americans honorees recognized at the event. Florence Lowe-Lee, KEI Director of Finance and Publications, read U.S. Senate Resolution 283, establishing January 13 as Korean-American Day. This was followed by remarks by the Korean-American honorees and the keynote address by Ambassador Bosworth.
Howard Kyongju Koh took time to reflect upon the deep impact his parents had on his youth, his career, and his future. Mr. Koh’s parents were among the first Koreans to arrive in New England and continually reinforced how proud their children should feel to have secure rights and the chance at a great education. Mr. Koh’s father, Ambassador Kwang Lim Koh, was heavily influenced by Senator Hubert Humphrey’s quote, “It was once said that the moral test of government is how that government treats those who are in the dawn of life, the children; those who are in the twilight of life, the elderly; and those who are in the shadows of life, the sick, the needy and the handicapped.” Mr. Koh now has the pleasure to work in the Hubert Humphrey building and thinks about his father daily. Both of Mr. Koh’s parents were active in pursuing equal rights for Koreans in the United States and instilled in their children the need to pursue a higher purpose in life. Mr. Koh found this higher purpose in public health. He desires to create a public health care system in which every individual can attain his or her highest level of health. Mr. Koh believes there is much that can be shared between South Korea and the United States, both in the health sector and broader policy initiatives. To ensure both countries truly learn from one another, it is crucial to maintain close relationships and foster an even deeper sense of understanding.
David Kim noted that his choice to be a public servant, over a doctor, was a direct result of his parents’ example. Mr. Kim’s father, a pioneer in cultural psychology, and mother, a high school teacher, established a tradition of community service in their family. Helping others is not an activity relegated to a nine to five job. Community service extends to church, civic involvement, and cultural organizations. Furthermore, dedication to civic participation is important because it counters the stereotype that Korean-Americans do not care about their community. Mr. Kim’s parents cultivated a sense of dedication to helping others by providing a strong example for their children to follow. Mr. Kim has been a member of local, state, and federal government and strives to emulate the example set by his parents. He is a member of the Obama administration and commented on the meaning of political appointments to the larger Asian audience. First, when a Korean-American receives attention it reflects the growth and maturity of the larger Korean community. Second, his achievement is not one that he attained alone. It requires a great deal of help and support, which highlights the need to be civically active. Greater levels of community service will advance Korean-American society, and the very act of participation will prove to be gratifying.
Yul Kwon used his experience as the winner of the television reality show “Survivor” to address a larger point about the role of Korean-Americans in society. Mr. Kwon was raised to value family and education as the greatest goods, shunning the life of an actor. He was initially afraid that being on “Survivor” would hurt the Korean-American community. His anxiety about misrepresenting Koreans forced him to reflect upon the lack of Asians in the media, and especially of those outside the “overachieving Asian American nerd” stereotype. The stereotypes surrounding him as a youth had led him to internalize those traits and become precisely what the media represented. Mr. Kwon slowly developed the confidence to push beyond his comfort zone, and “Survivor” presented a platform from which he could publicly combat harmful stereotypes. He dedicated his time on television to convey the message that not all Asians are the same—each has a unique, rich, and vibrant culture deserving proper representation. He hopes he has helped improve media portrayals of Korean-American and Asians more generally. Mr. Kwon took a few moments to impress upon the audience that the issues Koreans face are not only from the outside. Internal challenges like insufficient bone marrow donation and political representation are hurdles the community needs to face and overcome. Mr. Kwon said he is not special, and he is doing exactly what he should be doing for a person lucky enough to be in his position.
Ambassador Stephen W. Bosworth congratulated the three Korean Americans recognized at the event. He commented on the immeasurable value the Korean-American community has had on the United States since the first immigrants arrived 107 years ago. Amb. Bosworth noted the integral and formative role of Korean mothers, and the family in general, to the success of the honorees. He noted the U.S. government is no longer an institution of privileged white males. A greater Korean presence and more diversity overall is a benefit that the government needs to embrace and recognize as a benefit. Amb. Bosworth made a point to identify the honorees as not Korean-American role models, but as truly American role models.
Amb. Bosworth took a short time to talk about his recent trip to Pyongyang on December 9. The problems surrounding North Korea mirror the complexities of what has truly become a multilateral issue. The need to remain engaged with North Korea is more obvious than ever, and the most irresponsible actions come when there is no dialogue or interaction. The difficulties present in North Korea are no longer confined to the peninsula and reach both the regional and global levels. Resumption of the six party talks is crucial to effectively dealing with a weakened, threatening North Korea. A close and continuing relationship between South Korea and the United States is necessary to ensure economic stability, regional security, and the well-being of those in the North. Ambassador Bosworth was encouraged by the professional atmosphere in North Korea during his visit, and the mutual agreement that the Six Party Talks are central to future relations and that implementation of the 2005 Joint Statement is an important goal. However, he was unable to get the North to commit to returning to multilateral negotiations. The meeting between the United States and North Korea was good, but it cannot mask the problems existing on the Korean Peninsula. Great political will is needed to overcome the myriad differences within the region, and close ties with South Korea are central to future success.
by Marc Moson (intnd@keia.org)
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