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Maryland declares Jan. 13 ‘Korean American Day’

January 11, 2016
Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, center, smiles with his daughter Jaymie Sterling, left, daughter Kim Velez, second from left, granddaughter Daniella Velez, 2, and wife Yumi, right, during his inaugural gala in Baltimore, Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2015. Hogan is the 62nd governor of Maryland. (AP Photo/Steve Ruark)

This file photo shows Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, center, smiles with his daughter Jaymie Sterling, left, daughter Kim Velez, second from left, granddaughter Daniella Velez, 2, and wife Yumi, right, during his inaugural gala in Baltimore, Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2015. Hogan is the 62nd governor of Maryland. (AP Photo/Steve Ruark)

WASHINGTON (Yonhap) — The U.S. state of Maryland has declared Jan. 13 as “Korean American Day” in recognition of contributions the Korean community has made to the state.

Gov. Larry Hogan and Korean-American First Lady Yumi Hogan declared the day in a ceremony at the Governor’s Reception Room at the Maryland State House.

In 2005, Congress designated Jan. 13 as Korean American Day in commemoration of the 1903 arrival of 102 Koreans in Hawaii in the first Korean emigration to the U.S. But Maryland is the first U.S. state to separately declare Korean American Day.

Hogan, who calls himself a “hanguk sawi,” which means a “son-in-law of South Korea,” has gained wide media attention not only because he was elected governor as a Republican in a traditionally Democratic state but also because of his Korean-American wife.

Yumi Hogan, an accomplished abstract landscape painter who teaches at the Maryland Institute College of Art, is Maryland’s first-ever Asian-American first lady. The Washington Post even carried a long piece about their love story, including how they met at an art show in 2000 and married in 2004.

13 Comments

  1. Horangih Gomtoki

    January 11, 2016 at 5:03 PM

    Oh great. So, Korean-Americanism is about Korean women providing their wombs to produce babies for men of other races. Korea has long been a prostitute and womb-provider for Americans. Korean-American women feel it is beneath contempt to marry Korean men and have Korean babies. Instead, they think it’s a greater honor to marry white men, Jewish men, and black men and produce mixed-raced babies.

    Are Korean-American men supposed to accept and celebrate the fact that so many Korean-American women reject them in favor of men of other races that they find to be ‘superior’?

    This is what Korean American Day is about? It’s about Korean women sexually being colonized by men of other races while Korean American men are rejected by their own women?

    Isn’t it pathetic enough that US military men and businessmen have been using Korean women in South Korea as prostitutes, mistresses, girlfriends, and whores for 70 yrs?

    South Korea, provider of wombs for men of other races. Korean-American community, where the Korean women of the community reject Korean men because they believe it’s a greater honor to take in the seeds of men of other races and produce children for whites, Jews, blacks, and etc.

    Reply

    • Trueblood

      January 13, 2016 at 11:33 AM

      Horangi…brother…there’s many of us hiding in the shadows…doing our work in secret…we are fighting a long term battle…you see… our own community is trying to destroy itself..and who is ally and enemy is never clear till later.

      I knew from the moment I read your post…that the rats and whores would come out the woodwork..take a look at the whitewashed Malinchista camptown sex workers who popped out the woodwork to respond to your statement of truth.

      Keep doing what you’re doing. Spread the word, take action, mentor and build within the community. Know that you’re part of the quiet but mass majority of overseas people who realize something is wrong and want our people to survive, and a small percentage are working for it.

      2,000 years of history has value, we are only here because our ancestors were willing to sacrifice for the future.

      One nation, one land, one people.

      Let the weaker ones get assimilated.

      Salute.

  2. Linda and Jack Herlehy

    January 11, 2016 at 5:27 PM

    The previous post by H. Go tori saddens me. We are very lucky to have two Koran children and really respect the Korean culture.

    Reply

  3. Linda and Jack Herlehy

    January 11, 2016 at 5:28 PM

    Sorry, misspelled Korean.

    Reply

  4. Kelli

    January 12, 2016 at 5:27 AM

    So says the man who is clearly not bitter at all about Korean women not choosing him. Eye roll. Korean women have a choice. If they don’t choose you over and over again, perhaps you should ask yourself if if could be YOU instead of accusing westerners of “colonizing” their womb. Wth dude. You sound so ridiculous.

    Reply

  5. Lisa

    January 12, 2016 at 10:33 AM

    Dear Horangih Gomtoki,

    You ask “Are Korean-American men supposed to accept and celebrate the fact that so many Korean-American women reject them in favor of men of other races that they find to be ‘superior’?” I don’t think anyone cares if you celebrate or not, particularly since this so clearly isn’t about the issues you are going on about.

    In your xenophobic zeal, you appear to have overlooked the fact that the premise of your argument, that Korea is a “…provider of wombs for men of other races” is completely inapplicable here. Larry and Yumi Hogan have no children together. Her womb (which you appear to be more concerned over as a vessel for Korean “seed” than you do for its owner as a person) has not been occupied since their marriage.

    I find it interesting that you are quick to condemn the idea that Korean-American women find it “beneath contempt to marry Korean men and have Korean babies”, while simultaneously spewing contempt for mixed-race children. Do you not recognize the hypocrisy inherent in that? Incidentally, “Jewish” isn’t a race; at best, it’s an ethnoreligious group. There are Jews of many races. If you are going to have contempt for people, at least do some basic research about them.

    You make some interesting points; Asian femininity is sometimes oversexualized, even fetishized, and Asian masculinity is undersexualized. Those are things worth exploring, myths worth debunking. But decrying an official acknowledgement of the contribution and importance of Korean-Americans to the economy and culture of Maryland as some kind of attack on Korean purity and masculinity is convoluted at best. It’s misogynistic to reduce women to simple vessels for procreation, and deeply myopic and xenophoic to want to reserve her reproductive organs for a particular race’s “seed” and press her into the service of race purity. As a goal, racial purity has spawned some of the most destructive and hateful policies, acts and wars on the planet. And none of that has anything to do with the celebration of the KA community here in Maryland. You have conflated the issues because you appear to believe that to safeguard Korean culture, creating pureblood Koreans is necessary. That point is certainly arguable, but regardless of the outcome of that particular debate, the only person who should have any say over what a uterus is used for is its owner. The rest is just philosophical blahblahblah.

    Striving to maintain and celebrate a culture is important. And so is diversity. As Americans, we have a checkered history with how our country became diverse, especially with slavery. But almost of us have a history that began elsewhere – Poland, Japan, Chile, Russia, France, Sudan, Ethiopia, India, England, Mexico, Norway, Egypt, and yes, Korea. Diversity creates some friction. It also encourages creativity, cooperation, and a vibrant, varied patchwork of cultures and communities, all of which are worthy of being celebrated in this way.

    I am glad that the Korean community, which has been here for quite some time, and achieved great success, is being recognized in this way.

    Reply

  6. Yu Na

    January 13, 2016 at 3:12 AM

    Happy Korean American Day!! I am proud to have been blessed with both worlds! Also, thank you Lisa! I couldn’t have said it better. We will find ignorance and hatred everywhere. I would have ended up sounding just mad from my cursing. Anyhoo! Now where are we all meeting to celebrate? =)
    ;

    Reply

  7. Steven

    January 13, 2016 at 8:50 AM

    No Kelli, you’re the fuckin idiot for speaking on behalf of people whose shoes that you can’t put yourself in. What that guy said is completely true within the society that affects Asians as a whole. The world isn’t on fair grounds and for you to gloss over his truthful claims with your whitesplaining just exhibits your white privileges and idiocy

    Reply

  8. Steven

    January 13, 2016 at 8:52 AM

    how would you like it (especially your fit-throwing white men) if Asians did the same thing in white countries and took advantage of mentally colonized women for their bodies primarily? Lol white people

    Reply

  9. Lisa

    January 13, 2016 at 3:47 PM

    Oh, Steven,

    I know Kelli IRL. Whitesplaining. White privilege. Your assumptions are laughable. You might consider rethinking your approach. In this case, your arguments are so far off base, it’s mind-boggling. Presuming things is never, ever a good idea.

    Reply

  10. Issac

    January 13, 2016 at 8:08 PM

    A prominent Korean male would have more credibility promoting Korean-American Day. This isn’t because Korean males are more important than Korean females, nor are male opinions greater than female opinions. But if you’re going to recognize the contributions that Korean-Americans have made to the state, you also need to recognize the historical context of the environment they faced, including the discrimination, prejudice, etc. In any Asian-American community including Korean-Americans, it is the males that face the brunt of such challenges. The earlier points made regarding over-sexualized Asian femininity, and under-sexualized Asian masculinity have alot to do with the big picture.

    For this reason, a prominent Korean male who has fought the good fight and broken through the bamboo ceiling would’ve been the most credible public figure to promote Korean-American Day. Instead we have a white male who has never faced the challenges of being an Asian-American male, surrounded by Asian women who seemingly have done the most stereotypical thing Asian women can do, marry non-Asian men.

    This isn’t about who an individual Asian woman marries. This isn’t about white men and what cultures they appreciate. Sure maybe a few of them actually admire Korean-Americans, beyond just the women. This is about the Korean-American community and their story, the whole story including the challenges and victories. For this reason, the promotion and “face” of Korean-American Day should have been a Korean male. Again, this isn’t because Korean women are less important. It is because of the unique, additional challenges Asian men had faced, and continue to face in America.

    Reply

  11. Elle

    January 13, 2016 at 8:21 PM

    I wish people would see America for it’s benefits, that no other country has. Enjoy our differences and stop the “hate” and feeling like we’re all slighted from those that are white. I’m mixed with many things Amer Indian, Black Irish (whatever that really offers and Asian too. Still to look at me I look white, well Olive skin, with slight Almond Green eyes. All of my Ancestors came here for the benefits that America provides. My parents never displayed prejudice behavior towards anyone and taught me to treat others as they treat you. Still, I see many people not willing to give anyone a chance, or making presumptions because of how someone looks. Some people need to get over themselves.

    Reply

  12. mistresses

    December 27, 2017 at 10:23 PM

    Cross Creek. A residential community in Tampa, Florida

    Reply