...FROM YOU! I LEARNED IT FROM WATCHING YOU

Thursday, January 02, 2003

 
100 years of Korean immigration to the US was celebrated with a float on the rose parade.



The float was even awarded the Past Presidents Trophy: "Proud Past, Promising Future," Centennial Committee of Korean Immigration to the United States. Most creative design and use of both floral and nonfloral materials.



"Texas Rangers pitcher Chan Ho Park (C) waves to spectators from the Proud Past, Promising Future float during the 114th Rose Parade in Pasadena, California on January 1, 2003. The float commemorates the last hundred years of Korean immigration to the United States." REUTERS/Fred Greaves

My aunt was on that float waving to people cuz she is the first Korean American woman to be appointed as a trial or appellate judge in California. Here's a little press release from when she was appointed:

Ryu Appointed First Korean American Female Judge in Calif.
Aug 21, 2002
By RPG Newswire

SACRAMENTO (RPG Newswire) - Governor Gray Davis recently announced the appointment of Tammy Chung Ryu as a Judge of the Los Angeles County Superior Court. Ms. Ryu is the first Korean American woman to be appointed as a trial or appellate judge in California.

Ms. Ryu, 41, of Lomita, is a Supervising Deputy Attorney General in the Health, Education and Welfare section of the State Attorney General's office, which she joined in 1988. She supervises eight attorneys responsible for representing over 30 state agencies, departments, commissions and constitutional officers involved in administering and regulating the health, education and welfare programs of the State.

Ms. Ryu has handled a broad range of civil cases in state and federal court. One of her notable cases was the representation of the Department of Health Services in a consolidated action of over 200 lawsuits brought by hospitals who had been denied Medi-Cal claims totaling over $14 million. The case took 45 days to try and resulted in a judgment in favor of the State on all of the major claims.

Ms. Ryu has been active in professional organizations. She served as a member of the Judicial Nominees Evaluation Commission of the State Bar from 1996 to 1998 and as a lawyer representative to the Ninth Circuit Judicial Conference from 1998 to 2001. Ms. Ryu also served as President of the Korean American Bar Association of Southern California and as a member of the boards of the
Korean American Bar Association of Southern California, Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Los Angeles County, and International Association of Korean Lawyers.

In 1999, Attorney General Bill Lockyer appointed her as his liaison to the Korean American community in California.

Ms. Ryu has also served on the board of the Korean American Family Service Center, a non-profit organization providing counseling, education and other social services to Korean American families, and on the board of the Korean American Coalition, a community organization whose mission is to advocate the civic, civil rights and political interests of Korean Americans.

Ms. Ryu was born in Seoul, Korea. When she was 10, her father's work required the family to move to Guam. After spending five years there, the family moved to the East Bay, where Ms. Ryu attended high school and college.

Ms. Ryu earned a bachelor of arts degree from the University of California, Berkeley, and a juris doctorate degree from UCLA. She will receive a salary of $139,476. Ms. Ryu fills the vacancy created by the death of Judge Jerold Krieger.