Skip to main content

Sharon Quirk-Silva Honors the Many Contributions of Korean Americans

For immediate release:
Image

Taehoon Ku, Deputy General Consul, Los Angeles (left), Jimin Kim, Deputy General Consul, San Francisco (middle), and Assemblywoman Sharon Quirk-Silva (right) with resolution commemorating the 155th Anniversary of Korean American Day.

SACRAMENTO – Assemblywoman Quirk-Silva (D – Orange County) made the following statement today on the Assembly floor in commemoration of Korean American Day:

“Assembly Concurrent Resolution 144 speaks to the proud and rich history of a people in search of opportunity, and the freedoms America presents, to those who want to make a better life for their families and children. Orange County is emblematic of that journey as the vast majority of Koreans in Orange County are foreign born,” said Quirk-Silva. “Korean-Americans have become an integral part of mainstream American society, and have made important contributions as Californians in the field of finance, technology, law, medicine, education, sports, the media, the arts, the military, and also government.”

After the Assembly session, Quirk-Silva presented Jimin Kim, Deputy General Consul, San Francisco and Taehoon Ku, Deputy General Consul, Los Angeles with gifts and an invitation to her Orange County district.

Korean American Day is a commemoration of Korean immigration to America on January 13, 1903. The history of Korean immigration to America began when 102 courageous Korean men, women, and children landed in the State of Hawaii after venturing across the vast Pacific Ocean aboard the S.S. Gaelic. The hopes of these Korean immigrants for America were hindered by social, economic, and language barriers of unforeseen magnitude. Nonetheless, the fortitude of Korean immigrants did not falter in their pursuit of the American dream.