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Will New York City get an official Korean American Day?

November 17, 2014
The 34th Korean Parade in New York was held Saturday down Avenue of the Americas in Manhattan.

Rain couldn’t stop the 34th Korean Parade in New York this year. (Korea Times file)

New York City Council is set to make a decision on whether or not the city will get its own Korean American Day.

Resolution No. 417, introduced to the city council by Councilman Peter Koo in September, will go through a council hearing on Nov. 24.

The resolution proposes that Jan. 13 — when the first Korean immigrants arrived in the U.S. — be celebrated as Korean American Day in the city.

On Jan. 13, 1903, the SS Gaelic arrived in Honolulu carrying 102 Koreans.

“Korean Americans have made tremendous contributions to all sectors of our society, such as law, government, the visual and performing arts, business, academia, medicine and science, including the development of the first beating heart operation for coronary artery disease,” the legislation text reads.

There are over 1.4 million Korean Americans in the U.S., with 96,741 living in NYC. More than 190,000 businesses are owned and operated by Korean Americans in the U.S., generating an annual revenue of $78.6 billion, the text said.

The resolution has 11 sponsors, including Councilmembers Paul Vallone and Margaret Chin.