WASHINGTON, Jan. 11 (Yonhap) — Korean Americans from various walks of life and their supporters gathered in Washington on Thursday to celebrate Korean American Day in what has become an annual event to take stock of their achievements in the United States and promote their unity.
Korean American lawmakers and those from government, business and other sectors held the celebration two days ahead of the special day that honors their contributions to the U.S. and marks the arrival of the first Korean immigrants to the U.S. on Jan. 13, 1903.
In 2005, both the House of Representatives and Senate passed resolutions for the celebration of the day.
“As a Korean American myself, I am proud of my Korean American heritage because we share the strong values of family, faith and hard work,” Rep. Young Kim (R-CA), a Korean American congresswoman, said during the event organized by the Korean American Grassroots Conference, a U.S.-based civic group.
“That makes the American diversity (and) it is what makes this country great,” she added.
Also at the event was Rep. Marilyn Strickland (D-WA), a lawmaker of both Korean American and African American descent. She highlighted the importance of Korean Americans raising their presence and visibility “every single step.”
“We have to make sure that people understand that we are visible, that we are present and we belong in every facet of our economy,” she said.
“We are everywhere that we have to be present and amplify our voices to make sure that our needs are being met,” she added.
About 150 people attended Thursday’s event, including Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee known for her close relations with South Korea.
