By Sonia Kim

Throughout the course of roughly a century since Koreans’ initial migration to the United States, only two Koreans were elected into the U.S. House of Representatives. In 1992, Jay Kim became the very first Korean American to serve in Congress. Almost three decades later in 2018, incumbent Andy Kim became the second Korean American to serve. This year, for the first time in history, a record number of five Korean Americans are vying for seats in the 117th Congress.

Among the Korean American hopefuls in the 2020 election cycle include Andy Kim, who is running for re-election in New Jersey’s 3rd Congressional District; David Kim, candidate for California’s 34th Congressional District; Young Kim, candidate for California’s 39th Congressional District; Michelle Park Steel, candidate for California’s 48th Congressional District; and Marilyn Strickland, candidate for Washington’s 10th Congressional District.

Much like the Korean American community as a whole, these five candidates come from diverse backgrounds and experiences, and they represent a wide range of political views. Yet in spite of their differences, common themes that cut across each of the candidates’ campaigns are their immigrant histories and commitment to public service.

Read more about the five Korean American candidates below.

Andy Kim, Congressman, New Jersey 3rd Congressional District.

Andy Kim grew up in South Jersey and spent his entire career in public service. In 2018, he narrowly won a swing district, becoming one of the few Democrats over the past century to hold the seat. Prior to serving as Congressman, he worked as a State Department advisor and later at the National Security Council under President Obama. In his re-election campaign, he is focusing on affordable healthcare, veterans issues, and supporting small businesses. A proud son of Korean immigrants, Andy Kim remains optimistic about what the Korean American community will achieve.

David Kim, Candidate for California 34th Congressional District.

David Kim is an attorney and activist who is now among a new crop of progressive, first-time candidates running for Congress. He was born and raised in the U.S. as a 2nd generation Korean American to immigrant parents. After graduating law school, he worked at the LA County District Attorney’s office on many corruption cases. He also worked as an entertainment attorney to help Asian American and Korean pop artists navigate the U.S. music industry. As a lawyer-turned political candidate, David Kim is fighting for equal access to education, healthcare, and housing for all.

Young Kim, Candidate for California 39th Congressional District.

Young Kim’s bid for Congress has been two decades in the making. She is a first-generation Korean American who became the first Korean American Republican woman elected to California’s Assembly. Before her time in office, she worked in finance and started her own small business in the women’s clothing industry. In 2018, she ran an unsuccessful campaign as the Republican Party candidate for CA-39. If elected this time around, Young Kim pledges to address homelessness, reform the immigration system, and lower regulations for businesses.

Michelle Park Steel, Candidate for California 48th Congressional District.

Born in South Korea, Michelle Park Steel is an American government official. After moving to the U.S., she continued her studies and became active in Republican Party politics. She is currently Chairman of the Orange County Board of Supervisors. Previously, she was elected to the California State Board of Equalization and served on various commissions in the George W. Bush administration. Her campaign platforms revolve around lowering taxes and securing the border. As an immigrant, Michelle Park Steel shares how she has been fortunate to live the American Dream.

Marilyn Strickland, Candidate for Washington 10th Congressional District.

Marilyn Strickland is a Democratic politician and businesswoman. In the past, she served on the Tacoma City Council for two years before being elected mayor. Having the lens of local government, she hopes to bring a unique perspective to Congress. Her campaign focuses on returning economic prosperity to Tacoma through investment in jobs, infrastructure and education. As an African American and Korean American, Marilyn Strickland embraces both identities and seeks to use her different cultures and experiences to build coalitions across the aisle.

All headshots courtesy of Korean Americans for Political Action.

Sonia Kim is an intern at the Korea Economic Institute of America. She is a recent graduate from Harvard College with a degree in Government and East Asian Studies. The views expressed here are the author’s alone.

Picture from Wikimedia Commons user Bjoertvedt

This briefing comes from Korea View, a weekly newsletter published by the Korea Economic Institute. Korea View aims to cover developments that reveal trends on the Korean Peninsula but receive little attention in the United States. If you would like to sign up, please find the online form here.

What Happened

• As domestic supplies of face masks stabilized, the government will allow the public to send more masks to families living abroad, especially in countries where mask supplies are scarce.
• Starting June 25, South Koreans have been permitted to send up to 12 face masks per person every month to relatives overseas regardless of their citizenship status.
• Under this new policy, family members who are non-South Korean citizens can now receive masks manufactured in South Korea. This includes Koreans adopted overseas as well as parents and children of those who immigrated to Korea via marriage.

Implications: The revisions to rules on who is eligible to receive face masks from South Korean nationals may reflect society’s views on who is considered part of the pan-Korean community. Most notably, the new rules no longer require recipients to be South Korean citizens. While not a conclusive signal of how the country as a whole treats nationality, it may hint at a more inclusive interpretation of what it means to be Korean.

Context: A In early March, the South Korean government banned the export of face masks as a necessary measure to ease domestic supply shortages. An exception to this restriction was made for South Korean citizens who lived overseas. According to Korea Customs Service, South Korean nationals sent more than 5.02 million masks to family members abroad between March 24 and June 19.

Korea View was edited by Yong Kwon with the help of James Constant, Sonia Kim, and Ingyeong Park.

Picture from the user Republic of Korea on Flickr 

By Rose Kwak

In 2005, the U.S Senate and House of Representatives passed a historic resolution to acknowledge and to honor Korean-American contributions to the United States, officially setting the date to January 13^th for the day of commemoration. Since the first wave of Korean immigrants in the early 20^th century, Korean-Americans have not only increased in numbers, but have also made significant cultural and economic contributions to the American society.

Among a myriad of achievements, Korean-Americans have made pioneering achievements in scientific and technological innovations, ranging from automotive design to space missions. Korean-Americans continue to pave a road of limitless possibilities in future prospects of scientific progress in the U.S and around the globe.  As KEI honors Korean-Americans on January 13 that have made important contributions to science and technology, the Korean Americans listed below are representative of the many significant Korean-American figures in scientific and technological fields:

Dennis Hong: Hong has revolutionized the field of robotics by combining his passion for robotics with biochemistry. Frequently at the forefront of robotics, he was not only named as one of “Popular Science’s Brilliant 10,” but was also the recipient of the prestigious National Science Foundation Faculty Early Career Development Program award. His company RoMeLa (Robotics and Mechanism Laboratory) continues to produce some of the most creative and useful robots in the world, such as chemically powered snakes, walking tripods, and autonomous humanoids to name a few.

Jefferson Y. “Jeff” Han: Han is one of the main developers for multi-touch sensing, which allows recognition of more than two points of contact with the surface of a television or computer. To put it simply, a multi-touch screen allows users to interact with a screen with more than one finger at a time and it also accommodates to multiple users, increasing both efficiency and usability. Han presented his innovations in a Ted Talk in which he demonstrated how the mechanisms behind multi-touch screens could potentially lead to the end of “point-and-click” era.

Larry Kwak: As an internationally-acclaimed physician and scientist, Kwak was the recipient of the 2016 Ho-Am Prize in Medicine (equivalent to the Nobel Prize in Korea) for his cutting-edge research in the fields of immunology and cancer vaccinations. He is well-known for his innovation in the world’s first “cancer vaccine,” the lymphoma vaccine.  He is gained prominence in the world of medicine through his 12-plus years of research in the field, and in 2010 Time Magazine named him as one of the 100 most influential people in the world.

John Chun: Chun was a Korean-American car designer, notably known for his design of the Shelby Mustang GT 350 and GT500, which started distribution nationwide in 1967. He also designed the Shelby AC Cobra. His re-design of the Cobra logo is still used by the Shelby line today. In the Star Tribune magazine he has been described as a legend that “reshaped automotive history with his design for a legendary 1960s sports cars.”

Mark “Roman” Polansky: Polansky was an American aerospace engineer and a NASA astronaut of Korean-descent (his mother is from Hawaii but of Korean descent). He was in charge of three space shuttle missions including the STS-98 mission, in which he was the main pilot, and the ST-116 and ST-127 missions, in which he served as the mission commander. In these missions, his crew helped to build and to enhance the capabilities of the International Space Station.

Sung-Mo “Steve” Kang: Kang is an electrical engineer and the 15^th President of KAIST University. Through his research in integrated circuits and systems (VLSI), he has led the development of the first 32-bit microprocessor chips used in computers. He also designed satellite-based private communication networks.

Peter S. Kim: Kim is a scientist who served as the president of Merck Research Laboratories, one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world. Kim specializes in HIV/AIDS research and he created compounds that prevent AIDS virus from infecting cells, using the principle of membrane fusion.  As one of the most influential scientists in the field of HIV/AIDS studies, Kim continues to lead pioneering research in developing a possible AIDS vaccine.

Rose Kwak is an intern at the Korea Economic Institute of America and a graduate of Davidson College in North Carolina. The views expressed here are the author’s alone.

Image created by Juni Kim, the Program Manager and Executive Assistant at the Korea Economic Institute of America, from images on flickr’s Creative Commons by GabboT, NASA HQ, Candy Scwartz, Johannes Wienke, Sanofi Pasteur, NIAID in clockwise order from top left.

By Juni Kim

A recent survey published by three Asian American NGOs provided new insights into the voting preferences of Korean-Americans for the 2016 presidential election. These results highlight the continuing shift of Korean-American voters towards the Democratic Party over recent years. Although the Korean-American population in most states may be relatively small compared to other demographics, this political trend and the growing population of Korean-Americans in certain states should not be underestimated by either major political party. This election may not become the hallmark of the Korean-American vote, but the continued population growth of Korean-Americans and other Asian Americans will enable them to become a formidable political force in future elections.

The survey reported that 62% of Korean-Americans viewed the Republican Party unfavorably compared to only 24% of Korean-Americans who viewed the Democratic Party unfavorably. Korean-Americans also viewed Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump very unfavorably, with 80% of Korean-Americans holding adverse views of the presumed Republican nominee. Conversely, Korean-Americans view the two remaining Democratic candidates less harshly with only 37% of Korean-Americans viewing Hillary Clinton unfavorably and 28% for Bernie Sanders. Korean-American voters also identify with the Democratic Party over the Republican Party by more than two-to-one.

Although these numbers suggest preferences for more typically liberal candidates, Korean-American voters have the interesting paradox of mostly identifying with the Democratic Party despite a larger reported preference for conservative ideology. Korean-American voters self-identify two-to-one as conservative or very conservative (44%) compared to liberal or very liberal (22%). It is worth noting that 35% of Korean American voters also self-identify as moderate. In a 2013 analysis of the 2012 presidential election results, Dr. Taeku Lee, a Professor of Political Science at UC Berkeley, advised, “The Democratic Party cannot take the partisan consolidation of Korean-Americans for granted.”

The pivot towards the Democratic Party by Korean-Americans is a relatively recent trend shared with other Asian American voters. Only 31% of Asian American voters in 1992 voted for Bill Clinton, the Democratic candidate in the 1992 presidential election, compared to the 55% that voted for Republican candidate George HW Bush. Every presidential election since then has seen an increase in Asian-American support for the Democratic candidate, which reached a new high of 73% in the past 2012 election.

The notable percentage of self-identified conservatives and moderates among Korean-American voters suggests that a large number of Korean-Americans do not see the current state of the Republican Party as a proper representation of their conservative views. Although there is much ground to recover, the Republican Party still can make a case by supporting and maintaining more moderate platforms, which Dr. Lee noted will have to include moderate stances on health care reform, progressive taxation, and immigration reform to regain Korean-American votes. If such actions occur under the GOP, more Korean-American voters may identify themselves with the Republican Party and vote accordingly.

Population growth

Although Korean-Americans today currently make up a relatively small portion of the total U.S. population, the Korean American population continues to climb steadily. From under 70,000 residents in 1970, the population has grown to more than 1.7 million U.S. residents in 2010. Korean-Americans have established significant population hubs in California, New York, Texas, Illinois, Georgia, New Jersey, and Virginia.

With expected continued population growth, Korean-American and Asian-American voters will hold increased influence in some battleground states. A January 2016 AAPI (Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders) Data article noted that AAPI voters constituted significant shares of the electorates in three battleground states (Florida, Nevada, and Virginia) proportional to the presidential vote margin in the 2012 general election. The Korean-American population has had significant growth rates in all three of these states with a 50% increase in Florida, a 93% increase in Nevada, and a 62% increase in Virginia from 2000 to 2010. New York, which has over 150,000 Korean American residents, also poses interesting questions for the upcoming presidential election considering the shared connections between all three remaining major party candidates and the state.

Admittedly the current Korean-American population hubs may not be large enough to swing a state in the upcoming election, but the Korean-American vote is worth watching in the years to come. The continued population growth of Korean-Americans and sizable proportion of moderate voters makes the Korean-American vote worthy of attention from both major political parties.

Juni Kim is the Program Manager and Executive Assistant at the Korea Economic Institute of America (KEI). Thomas Lee, an Intern at KEI and graduate of American University, also contributed to this blog. The views expressed here are the author’s alone. 

Photo from Gene Han’s photostream on flickr Creative Commons.

Korean Kontext host Chad 0’Carroll recently had the chance to speak with actor Steven Yeun, who plays Glenn on AMC’s The Walking Dead. The interview took a look into Steven’s growing career, his influences and inspirations, and his experiences as a Korean-American actor in the American entertainment world, among other things.

To hear the full interview, please check out the Korean Kontext’s podcast page.

1.      Did you have any role models when you were starting out as an actor? Perhaps Korean-American actors?

SY: I don’t know if I had any direct Korean-American role models. I definitely look up to everyone that came into this before me; they had a tough, tough road. John Cho was doing really well when I was starting out. I think for me, my influences were more like people who were good at what they were doing. I really looked up to Steve Carell. I was also really set on Barry Pepper becoming a really good influence of mine, but it was more along the way of how he navigated through Hollywood. I don’t think that many people know who he is, but he’s really talented.

2.      Do you think that over the years the perception of Korean or Asian actors has changed in the United States?

SY: I think it’s slowly changing. I think there are roles out there that help to change that perception. I’m very fortunate to playing something that isn’t stereotypical. I don’t know if that is going to be a hard changing trend, but these are small steps that are making big waves and hopefully five, ten years from now, we won’t be having many conversations about if Asian-Americans can make it in this industry or not.

3.      Being as Koreans are very proud when there’s a Korean actor in a TV show or movie, how do you feel about sometimes being characterized first and foremost as a Korean actor?

SY: I guess that is something that is definitely there. I don’t know if people have been outwardly referring to me being Korean as an actor. In terms of Korea and how they perceived this, it’s really great. When I was there, there was a lot of love, a lot of really kind words, and people were just really kind to me, so I can’t be more thankful. It’s great to have a job in America, it’s great to do something that I love, and then it’s also great to make people proud that somebody of their own culture has been in a fortunate position.

4.      If you were given the chance, would you like to star in a Korean movie or TV show sometime in the future? And if so, who would you like to play alongside you?

SY: I don’t know if I would be good at doing television in Korea. My Korean is okay, but my pronunciation is obviously American. I would say, if I could do films, that would be amazing. But, I definitely want to make sure that if I do star in a film, that it’s not based on the fact that I have some sort of steam coming from America. Rather that it’s that I fit that role and that I can do a good job. Son Kang-ho is one of my heroes over there. That guy is such a chameleon. He’s so dedicated in the moment. If I could play anything with him, that would be so awesome.

5.      Do you have any advice or feedback to give to aspiring young actors?

SY: I’m definitely not the authority on this and I’m definitely very lucky to be where I am. But, I think that if I’ve learned one thing it’s that, definitely, self awareness is really key. I think that’s something that people don’t really talk about. That just means, know yourself well, know what you’re able to do, know what you’re not as good at, and be humble about the fact that you can learn something at all times. It’s not going to be an easy road. Also, put yourself out there. I think one of the problems that a lot of people run into is that Asian-Americans sometimes try to pit themselves up against other Asian-Americans, and that doesn’t matter. There will be instances in which you’ll have to be better than this one other Asian-American guy, but, why not try and be better than everyone else?  Everyone that looks your type, everyone who is a scrawny kid, everyone who is a big bulking dude, everyone that’s a tall, handsome man. Just be good. Not just among Asian-Americans, but, be good for everyone. I think that is something that’s very important that people tend to overlook.

Photo from NRK P3’s photo stream on flickr Creative Commons.

At Korean American Day on January 13, the Korea Economic Institute had the opportunity of catching up with legendary actor Daniel Dae Kim for a conversation about his career, interests, and life as a Korean-American.

The conversation was originally recorded as a podcast (which you can download from our Korean Kontext podcast page) , but we now provide five of the best questions for our blog readers:

1.What was it that made you change your career path from law to acting during your university days?

DDK: For me, when I was going through college, there was a lot of tension between what I felt I should do and what I really wanted to do. It was unfortunate that the thing I wanted to do didn’t fall in line with what was expected of me. As much as I do love politics and government, the thing that I felt that my heart led me to was acting, and so that’s why I changed course.

2. Ronald Reagan once said, “How can a president not be an actor?” What do you think of Obama in terms of acting?

DDK: I think there is a great value to being an orator, a really good orator. I think President Obama is exceptionally good at speechmaking. I think he has a way of connecting to his audience without sounding like he is feeding you B.S., and that is a very important part of the job. When you have someone who is not as strong in that department, I’ve got to admit, I trust that person less or I feel less sure of his capabilities. That is definitely part of it. I think Ronald Reagan was onto something with that statement.

3. As a Korean-American, have you ever had any difficulty balancing your identity between Korea and America?

DDK: I think it is fluid. Throughout my life, there were stages at which I felt, or wished, I was more “American,” even though as Korean-American I am fully American. There were other times when I fully embraced my Korean heritage. It is a question to which the answer is ever evolving for me, but I am happy to say that I feel like I’ve found a nice balance. The older I get and the more sure of who I am I get,  the easier it gets.

But there have been moments where I have felt like I am a person without a country – I am not 100% accepted in America, I am not 100% accepted in Korea – those are the down days. However, usually I really feel lucky to have two cultures in my daily experience. To be able to say that I understand something specific about America that maybe a typical “American” wouldn’t is, I think, a real blessing. I have a perspective on Korea now, as an American, which I think is unique.  So, more of the time, I feel like I am privy to two societies as opposed to master of none.

4. What are some examples of the work that you do in areas outside of acting that perhaps your average American might not be familiar with, and of that, what are you most proud of?

DDK: That’s a really good question.  I’m involved with various charitable organizations, in Hawaii and nationally, and I’m proud of the work I do with them. More recently I’m proud of, gosh, if I can even say proud…I really think, more, the appropriate way of putting it is I am honored to be a spokesperson for organizations like KEI or KACF. I think they are really a large part of what I can offer back to the community – not just the Korean community, but the American community in general. I’m hopeful that I am able to do more of that.

5. Do you think it is important for celebrities to be involved in politics? With your education and experience as an actor, is it important and useful to express your opinion to fans?

DDK: I think that’s a great question because it is one that I am asking myself a lot these days. It’s a fine line, isn’t it? You’re in a position, as an actor, to be able to speak to thousands of people, so why shouldn’t you voice your opinion as a citizen? At the same time, the pitfalls and traps are that you become “just another  dilettante  actor” who has an opinion about something but is out of touch with the world – that’s the cliché, isn’t it? So, you know, I walk that tightrope, and I do have very strong political convictions but I very rarely voice them on Twitter because I feel like that’s not necessarily why people follow me. If they wanted to get political advice, they would follow the pundits who are out there, and they are a dime a dozen. At the same time, if I do feel strongly about something, it’s part of who I am, as a human being, as a citizen of America. So, I think that it does have a place for everyone. If the average person had a Twitter account, they could talk about it, so why should I be limited by what I do?

— To listen to the full podcast and find out about other episodes, make sure you visit the Korean Kontext Podbean page. —

By Linda Kim

What is Korean American Day? How do you celebrate it? Why January 13? These are questions I often receive when I discuss Korean American Day with friends.

Well, first the easy part. January 13 was designated as Korean American Day in 2003 by the Centennial Committees of Korean Immigration and by the United States Congress. This day was chosen in honor of the 102 Koreans that travelled to America on January 13, 1903. Their decision to move to the United States has led to the countless contributions Korean Americans have made in the past 109 years and the contributions the 1.4 million Korean Americans continue to make today.

Moving on to the not so easy part: how does one celebrate Korean American Day? This is a question that I find myself having a difficult time answering. To be honest, I normally answer along the lines of “it’s a day to honor all Korean Americans and recognize the contributions made by Korean Americans.” I then begin to list examples of some of these said contributions.

However, Korean American Day is more than just recognizing the achievements made by Korean Americans, it is also a day to honor the Korean heritage, to reflect on how far the Korea American community has developed since 1903 and perhaps most importantly, a day in which all Americans can become even more exposed to and educated about Korean culture and the ways Korean Americans have contributed to the fabric of America.

Today is about the many Korean Americans who serve and continue to serve alongside their comrades during every major outbreak since World War II; it is about Philip Ahn who broke down the Hollywood barrier and became the first Asian American film actor to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame; it is about David Chang who has provided his own Korean perspective on food; it is about Hines Ward and Michelle Wie who give hope to the many aspiring athletes; and it is about how Korean Americans have engrained themselves in America, while also providing their own perspective towards bettering the United States.

Americans across the country are celebrating Korean American Day by hosting events featuring Korean culture, discussing the history of Korean Americans and recognizing the many achievements of Korean Americans.

So now, I leave you with a question – how are you celebrating Korean American Day?

If you interested in learning more about Korean American Day, take a look at Arirang Education.

Linda Kim is the Associate Director Programs for the Korea Economic Institute. The views expressed here are her own.

The photo is of Korean Americans at KEI who are helping to answer Linda’s questions.

By Philippe Cousteau, Chief Spokesperson, USA Pavilion 2012 & Abraham Kim, Ph.D., Vice President, Korea Economic Institute

Tomorrow is the 9^th annual Korean American Day. As we celebrate the contributions of Americans of Korean descent, we also look to the future and how events like Expo 2012, Yeosu Korea further weave the Korean and American experiences together.

IMPORTANCE OF KOREAN AMERICANS IN THE U.S.

Korean American Day was declared in 2003 by the U.S. Congress to celebrate Korean Americans on the occasion of the centennial of Korean immigration to the U.S.

January 13 is Korean American Day every year because it was on that day in 1903 that just over 100 Korean immigrants arrived in Hawaii from Korea.  There, they worked in the sugar cane fields. Today, there are nearly one and a half million Korean Americans. The U.S. is the second largest overseas Korean community in the world after China.

Much like most immigrant groups who came to America to start new lives, Korean Americans are an important part of the menagerie of the American spirit.  From the food and traditions to their important part in American commerce, for over 100 years, Korean Americans’ impact and contributions to America have been significant.

It’s important for us to recognize this impact when we talk about the USA Pavilion at the World Expo to be held in South Korea this summer.

USA PAVILION AT EXPO 2012

This summer, Expo 2012 will be held in the seaside city of Yeosu, South Korea from May 12 to August 12, 2012.  Joining more than 100 countries and eight international organizations, the USA Pavilion will build on the overall theme of “The Living Ocean and Coast,” and the broad impact they have on the economy, environment, and the global community.

The USA Pavilion themes in Yeosu, South Korea will be Diversity, Wonder and Solutions. Through a host of exciting technologies, dynamic storytelling and America’s multicultural lens, the USA Pavilion experience will explore the vital connection between the health and well-being of cultures and communities and the future of one of our most important resources: the ocean. Highlighting the diverse and dynamic nature of America’s ocean and coastal environments, the USA Pavilion will reveal the colorful mosaic of American life. Its stories and experiences will convey the core values of innovation, partnership and hope that define the American spirit.

The USA pavilion at Expo 2012 also represents an opportunity to continue to build the mutual understanding between the United States and Korea that inspires innovative solutions for the challenges that face the global community including:  global security, economic sustainability, and food security.  Through a unique and ongoing partnership, our two nations have advanced practical solutions to the world’s energy and environmental challenges.

Expo 2012 is an opportunity to celebrate this shared vision for a brighter future.

The USA Pavilion 2012 team is proud to be working with the Korean Economic Institute, whose experience and knowledge regarding Korea and Korean-Americans has proved extremely valuable to the project.

USA PAVILION STUDENT AMBASSADOR PROGRAM

This summer also provides an exciting opportunity for American university students who have Korean language skills.  As the official university partner of USA Pavilion 2012, the University of Virginia will administer the Student Ambassadors program, selecting 40 US citizens/permanent resident students from colleges and universities around the country and globe to represent America at the USA Pavilion. The student ambassadors will play many roles in the 12,000-square foot Pavilion. In addition to greeting visitors, government officials and dignitaries, they will provide administrative, protocol and programming support.  This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and those interested have until February 10^th to apply at http://www.pavilion2012.org/student-ambassadors/.

Sources:

http://pavilion2012.org

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korean_American

http://koreareport2.blogspot.com/2009/01/korean-american-day.html

Photo from USD Space’s photostream on flickr Creative Commons.