NEW YORK—Business leaders, lawmakers, and community members gathered at a New York gala on Saturday night to embrace more than 120 years of Korean American heritage.
With the past weekend marking 121 years since the first Korean immigrants set foot on American soil on Jan. 13, 1903, the Korean American Association of Greater New York (KAAGNY) on Saturday hosted an annual gala in midtown Manhattan to celebrate the rich tapestry of Korean American culture and the ethnic community’s contributions to the United States.
“One hundred twenty-one years ago, a hundred and two Koreans landed in Hawaii. By 1905, 7,726 Koreans landed in Hawaii—thousands of them moved to mainland California, and they made a living as farmers, miners, and railway workers,” Kwang S. Kim, KAAGNY’s President, said in a speech to a full house at the prestigious Ziegfeld Ballroom, following a dazzling opening performance by tenors and a short film on the history of Korean immigrants.
The unique experience and identity of Korean Americans means they have a unique responsibility, President Kim said in an interview with The Epoch Times at the gala.
“Koreans and Korean Americans have different realities. Korean American means we take care of [being] a Korean, and also an American—we have a dual responsibility,” President Kim said, adding that he sees KAAGNY’s mission as contributing to both bettering America and keeping the Korean Heritage.
In describing Korean America’s role in America, President Kim recalled a motto from traditional Korean culture, Hongik Ingan (홍익인간), which he translated as “live and work for the benefit of the people”—a saying that has its roots in the Gojoseon, the first kingdom on the Korean Peninsula.
“We are who we are because you are who you are,” New York City Mayor Eric Adams told the crowd as he handed a proclamation for KAAGNY to Mr. Kim. “On behalf of the 8.3 million New Yorkers, I want to give you this proclamation.”
“This is your day, this is your moment, and this is your time,” Mr. Adams said.
The gala was joined by lawmakers, including Rep. Grace Meng (D-N.Y.), Rep. Andy Kim (D-N. J.), Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine, City Council Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, and several Asian-American officials.
Jenny Low, director of voter services at the New York State Governor’s Office, attended on behalf of New York Gov. Kathy Hochul.
“KAAGNY represents 500,000 people of the Korean community around New York with 121 years of immigration history to America,” said Euy Whan Kim, consul general of the Republic of Korea in New York, in a speech at the gala. “It has proven the excellence of the Korean people in American society through its unique sincerity, persistence, and perseverance.”
“I’m very proud that the Korean American community has not only produced several federal lawmakers but has been challenging the first Korean American to be elected to the U.S. Senate this year,” the consul said, referring to Rep. Kim, who’s running for a New Jersey U.S. Senate seat in the 2024 general election.
This year, Rep. Kim received KAAGNY’s “Public Service Award,” one of ten community and service awards that the organization handed to honorees at the gala.
As one of four Korean lawmakers in Congress, Rep. Kim announced his campaign for the U.S. Senate in November 2023. If elected, he would be the first-ever Korean American in the upper chamber and the first Asian-American senator in the Eastern United States.
In a joint interview with The Epoch Times and Korean media at the Gala, Rep. Kim said he’s grateful that the Korean community sees in him “the kind of public servant that we need right now in our country.”
“A lot of people see how broken our politics are—and now more than ever, we need to make sure we’re lifting up public servants,” Rep. Kim said.
The lawmaker added that his Senate campaign is an opportunity to give Asian Americans “a seat at the table.”
“I think that having a seat at the table is so important to be able to make sure the issues that are affecting our community are being discussed at the highest levels of our government, and be able to make sure we don’t take anything for granted,” Rep. Kim said.
