By Jung Da-min
The victories of four Korean Americans in this year's U.S. Congressional races drew attention not just in the United States but in their home country as well as immigrant communities in the U.S.
The four U.S. members of congress who have Korean roots are Young Kim (CA-39), Michelle Park Steel (CA-48), Andy Kim (NJ-3) and Marilyn Strickland (WA-10).
Young Kim, Steel and Strickland, in particular, have become the first Korean American women to serve the U.S. Congress in its 230-year history.
"I am an immigrant, wife, mother of four and business owner who has been lucky enough to live the American Dream," Young Kim said in a recent written interview with The Korea Times. Born and raised in aftermath of the 1950-53 Korean War, she lived through the economic devastation caused by the war and her family came to the U.S. with hopes for a better life, Kim said.
"I hope that my election proves to everyone that the American Dream is alive and shows everyone that in America, an immigrant from South Korea can rise to become a small business owner, an aide to a member of Congress, an elected State Assembly woman and your representative in the United States."
Kim said her first focus in Congress would include supporting small businesses to fight the economic crisis from the COVID-19 pandemic, providing affordable quality healthcare for the people and fixing the country's "broken" immigration system.
"Our immigration system needs to be fair, but compassionate. We must first secure our border, so that we can stop the illegal immigration problems we have experienced for years, while treating those that are here and have not committed crimes compassionately," Kim said. "Dreamers should be able to stay in the only country they have known."
As a U.S. congressperson with Korean roots, Kim said she also hopes South Korea would develop more reciprocal relations with the U.S., vowing to reestablish the U.S.-Republic of Korea Interparliamentary Exchange (USROKIE), a parliamentary exchange program between the countries.
"I believe I can bring a unique perspective to the bilateral discussions, and I can certainly play an important role in U.S.-Korea relations. I will work to build mutually respectful, mutually beneficial policies and diplomacy. That's what I've done for decades now," Kim said.
Steel said one of her goals as a U.S. congresswoman is to help to solve the difficulties immigrant communities in the country face while trying to settle there, citing the 1992 Los Angeles riots in which more than 2,000 Korean businesses were looted, completely destroyed or damaged, according to local research data.
"During the April 29 Los Angeles riots, Koreans there suffered tremendous damage and without help from the public authorities they had no choice but to protect their property with guns. As no one tried to correct the tyranny of the media which described the situation as a conflict between the Korean community and black community, I talked about injustice to my husband's friends, who were politicians," Steel said.
She said that was how she entered politics, as she felt the need to do something for the Korean American community by joining the election camp of former L.A. Mayor Richard Riordan in 1993.
Winning this year's election and now representing CA-48, Steel vowed to work for the interests of small business owners and taxpayers in her district with her experience as a businesswoman and as vice chair of the State Board of Equalization to represent people in Southern California.
"My focus would be tax cut policies as well as economic revitalization and job creation policies through support for small and medium business owners and the self-employed," Steel said.
Another Korean American congressman, Andy Kim also vowed to work to improve U.S.-South Korea relations, especially in terms of national security policies.
"As someone who has dedicated my career to serving in national security, strengthening ties between the United States and South Korea is essential to the security of both countries and the future of the region," he said.
Kim, the first Democrat congressman to win reelection in the NJ-3 district since before the U.S. Civil War, has experience working under both Republicans and Democrats in key national security positions, including for top generals in Afghanistan and for former President Barack Obama.
He especially said that he would take a role of pressing the incoming U.S. administration under President-elect Joe Biden to actively approach the U.S.-Korea partnership with respect.
In fact, expectations are rising that the stalemate negotiations between South Korea and the U.S. due to defense cost-sharing talks will be facilitated under the incoming Biden administration.
"The United States must be an active partner in these efforts with the South Korean government in finding ways to deescalate tensions and find a path to a lasting peace," Kim said. "I will do everything I can to press the incoming Biden administration to actively approach the U.S.-Korea partnership with the respect and seriousness it deserves."
The victories of four Korean Americans in this year's U.S. Congressional races drew attention not just in the United States but in their home country as well as immigrant communities in the U.S.
The four U.S. members of congress who have Korean roots are Young Kim (CA-39), Michelle Park Steel (CA-48), Andy Kim (NJ-3) and Marilyn Strickland (WA-10).
Young Kim, Steel and Strickland, in particular, have become the first Korean American women to serve the U.S. Congress in its 230-year history.
"I am an immigrant, wife, mother of four and business owner who has been lucky enough to live the American Dream," Young Kim said in a recent written interview with The Korea Times. Born and raised in aftermath of the 1950-53 Korean War, she lived through the economic devastation caused by the war and her family came to the U.S. with hopes for a better life, Kim said.
 |
| Young Kim / From official website of Young Kim |
Kim said her first focus in Congress would include supporting small businesses to fight the economic crisis from the COVID-19 pandemic, providing affordable quality healthcare for the people and fixing the country's "broken" immigration system.
"Our immigration system needs to be fair, but compassionate. We must first secure our border, so that we can stop the illegal immigration problems we have experienced for years, while treating those that are here and have not committed crimes compassionately," Kim said. "Dreamers should be able to stay in the only country they have known."
As a U.S. congressperson with Korean roots, Kim said she also hopes South Korea would develop more reciprocal relations with the U.S., vowing to reestablish the U.S.-Republic of Korea Interparliamentary Exchange (USROKIE), a parliamentary exchange program between the countries.
"I believe I can bring a unique perspective to the bilateral discussions, and I can certainly play an important role in U.S.-Korea relations. I will work to build mutually respectful, mutually beneficial policies and diplomacy. That's what I've done for decades now," Kim said.
Steel said one of her goals as a U.S. congresswoman is to help to solve the difficulties immigrant communities in the country face while trying to settle there, citing the 1992 Los Angeles riots in which more than 2,000 Korean businesses were looted, completely destroyed or damaged, according to local research data.
 |
| Michelle Park Steel / Courtesy of office of Michelle Steel |
She said that was how she entered politics, as she felt the need to do something for the Korean American community by joining the election camp of former L.A. Mayor Richard Riordan in 1993.
Winning this year's election and now representing CA-48, Steel vowed to work for the interests of small business owners and taxpayers in her district with her experience as a businesswoman and as vice chair of the State Board of Equalization to represent people in Southern California.
"My focus would be tax cut policies as well as economic revitalization and job creation policies through support for small and medium business owners and the self-employed," Steel said.
Another Korean American congressman, Andy Kim also vowed to work to improve U.S.-South Korea relations, especially in terms of national security policies.
 |
| Andy Kim / From official website of Andy Kim |
Kim, the first Democrat congressman to win reelection in the NJ-3 district since before the U.S. Civil War, has experience working under both Republicans and Democrats in key national security positions, including for top generals in Afghanistan and for former President Barack Obama.
He especially said that he would take a role of pressing the incoming U.S. administration under President-elect Joe Biden to actively approach the U.S.-Korea partnership with respect.
In fact, expectations are rising that the stalemate negotiations between South Korea and the U.S. due to defense cost-sharing talks will be facilitated under the incoming Biden administration.
"The United States must be an active partner in these efforts with the South Korean government in finding ways to deescalate tensions and find a path to a lasting peace," Kim said. "I will do everything I can to press the incoming Biden administration to actively approach the U.S.-Korea partnership with the respect and seriousness it deserves."
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