U.S. House congressional leaders pushed forward a resolution earlier this month designating Nov. 22 as “Kimchi Day,” in honor of the popular pickled Korean side dish.
Made with salted and fermented vegetables—like napa cabbage—combined with garlic, ginger, and other spices, the dish has a rich history that began over two millennia ago.
According to officials from the office of Rep. Young Kim, a co-sponsor of the resolution, the effort is due in large part to the 70th anniversary of the U.S.-South Korea Alliance this year, which was created, in part, after the Korean War to protect the South Korean Peninsula from China and North Korea security threats. from China and North Korea.
The bipartisan bill was introduced by Kim (R-Calif.), Marilyn Strickland (D-Wash.), Michelle Steele (R-Calif.), and Andy Kim (D-N.J.), and is also being pushed in light of South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol’s visit to the U.S. later this month to discuss issues involving North Korea and China with the Biden administration.
Congressional reps said they remain hopeful that the bill will gain traction.
“Kimchi has transformed from a staple Korean dish into a culinary icon that reflects growing Korean cultural influence in the United States since the first Korean immigrants arrived more than a century ago,” Kim said in a statement earlier this week. “Making and enjoying kimchi has been my family’s tradition for generations, and I am excited to introduce this resolution to celebrate Korean culture and foods like kimchi in America and around the world.”
Other prominent Korean American leaders have also expressed their support for the bill.
“In light of Asian hate crimes in this country, this resolution gives encouragement to the Asian community, especially to the Korean community,” the President of the Oakland, California-based Museum of Korean American Heritage Minsun Kim said in a recent statement. “I want to create a new culture which indicates a positive multicultural exchange in the U.S.”
The resolution follows South Korea, which designates Nov. 22 as National Kimchi Day.
