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Thursday, January 02, 2003

 
Centennial of Korean Immigration to US

Park Moo-jong
Chief Editorial Writer, The Korea Times

On a cold December 22 in 1902, 102 Koreans – 56 men, 21 women, and 25 children – boarded a steamboat, the S.S. Gaelic, and crossed the Pacific Ocean until they landed on a warm Jan. 13 the next year in Honolulu, Hawaii.

Thus, the history of Korean immigration began, and the New Year marks the centennial of the historical event.

In recognition of the 100th anniversary and the important role Korean-Americans play, the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate each adopted a resolution designating 2003 as the ``Year of Korean Immigration.’’

Starvation and poverty, following severe droughts and floods that swept Korea in 1901 and 1902, forced the ``eventual’’ pioneer immigrants to leave their motherland for a “paradise,” as advertised by sugar cane farm owners of the island.

A total of 7,226 Koreans went to Hawaii until the Japanese government, which virtually colonized the Choson Kingdom (1392-1910), banned the emigration under the protectorate treaty with the collapsing dynasty.

Records show that 80 percent of them were men and marriage became one of the most important issues in the Korean community of Hawaii from 1910, when their lives there began to stabilize.

The problem began the phenomenon of ``picture brides.’’ With only photos of their future husbands given to them by matchmakers, women made the long voyage, with their numbers totaling 951 until 1924.

The picture brides greatly contributed to the successful settlement of the immigrants in the early days, as the husbands worked hard to compensate their wives for such a long journey to a foreign land to marry them, while the wives took the lead in educating their children, thus paving the road for the success of the second and third generations.

Now, 100 years after the emigration to Hawaii, the Korean community has grown to become one of the largest immigrant groups in America, with the number of Koreans living in the U.S. legally or illegally estimated to exceed 2 million.

Needless to say, the tears and sweat of sugar cane farm workers laid the cornerstone for the Korean community’s current status. The 102 Koreans who boarded the S.S. Gaelic at Chemulpo port, now Inchon, in the cold winter wind can be dubbed the ``Columbuses of Korean immigration.’’

The 100th anniversary is of special significance because a closer and stronger relationship is required more urgently than ever between the two traditional allies so they can cope wisely and peacefully with the mounting North Korean nuclear crisis.

There is no doubt that the Korean-American community in the U.S. has been dedicated to building stronger Korea-U.S. ties, and it is expected to play a more decisive role in remedying the somewhat sour relations in the wake of the unhappy deaths of two Korean schoolgirls who were run over by a U.S. military vehicle.

As the Congress stated in the resolution, Korean-Americans have thrived in the U.S. through their strong and traditional family ties, robust community support and countless hours of hard work.

According to the 2000 U.S. census, ethnic Koreans own and operate 135,571 businesses across the country, which have gross sales and receipts of $46 billion, employ about 340,000 individuals and have annual payrolls of $5.8 billion.

The rush of Korean immigrants to the U.S. started in the 1970s, but they were different from the sugar cane workers in terms of the reason for leaving their homeland.

The Koreans emigrating to the U.S. and other English-speaking countries did not leave because they were badly off like their ancestors 100 years ago, but due to their unease about the political situation or the then military dictatorship.

A noteworthy trend of late is the sharp increase in the number of young parents who emigrate for their children’s education, being sick of the domestic education system that compels them to spend huge amounts of money for out-of-school classes just to improve the chances for their children to enter prestigious universities.

In early 1990s, then Chinese leader Deng Xiaping told Chinese residents in Japan that wherever they were, they were Chinese citizens. The ethnic Chinese, impressed by such a leader, rushed to invest in their motherland, that had been thirsty for foreign capital since the Tiananmen Square incident, and their investment provided a foundation for the success of the special economic zones of China.

Ethnic Chinese who achieved economic success abroad played pivotal roles in helping develop China’s policies for reform and openness. The founding of Israel would have been impossible without Jews who accumulated wealth and honor in the U.S., Europe and elsewhere in the world.

In fact, American Jews exercise enormous power in the policy decisions of the U.S. administration that affect the interests of their compatriots in Israel and other parts of the globe.

At this critical time, when North Korea is increasingly threatening the peace on the peninsula and the world with its reckless nuclear gamble, the importance of the Korea-U.S. alliance must be stressed.

In this sense, the role of Korean-Americans is crucial. The Korean community of the U.S. has indeed contributed to the development of democracy here.

At this difficult time, when anti-American sentiment is flourishing among the young people, Korean-Americans are expected to help further solidify the friendship and cooperative relations between the two countries. As an old saying puts it, ``A lovers’ quarrel is a renewal of love.’’

Korean-Americans who bear the cultural traditions of their motherland are the assets of Korea, irrespective of their nationality.

But the country has had disappointing policies toward them, as testified by the fact that it is the sole major member of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) that does not grant voting rights to its citizens living in foreign lands.

Every New Year’s Day, the Rose Bowl Parade is held in Pasadena, located near Los Angeles, which has the largest Korean community in the U.S., and attracts about 500 million TV viewers from 89 countries worldwide. This year’s festival will feature a special float of flowers to mark the centennial of Korean immigration.

On the occasion of the 100th anniversary, both Korean and American people have to double their efforts to help improve the relations between their countries that have been seriously damaged by misunderstandings and differences in views.