By Alex Robinson
City Councilman Peter Koo (D-Flushing) has called for the establishment of “Korea Day”as a citywide holiday.
Koo introduced a resolution at the City Council’s stated meeting Tuesday, which would support making Jan. 13 Korea Day to celebrate the date in 1903, when the first Korean immigrants came to America.
“New York City is home to the second largest population of Korean Americans in the U.S.,” Koo said. “The Korean American community is a great example of a thriving immigrant community. They have excelled in various fields, ever since their arrival in 1903.”
More than 1.4 million Korean Americans live in the United States, 97,000 live in New York City and more than 52,000 reside in Queens, according to census data. Koreans also make up 12 percent of the Asian population in Flushing, which Koo represents.
There are also around 24,000 Korean-owned businesses in New York state, which generate an estimated $7.7 billion every year.
City Council resolutions do not have any binding power and further legislation would be required to actually establish the holiday.
Koo was joined by a number of Korean community leaders and elected officials on the steps of City Hall to announce his resolution.
“I am proud to stand with Councilman Koo in calling on the city to recognize January 13th as Korean-American Day,” Councilman Paul Vallone (D-Bayside) said. “Korean Americans have made immeasurable contributions to American society and are an integral part of the diversity that makes our city great.”
Reach reporter Alex Robinson by e-mail at arobinson@cnglocal.com or by phone at 718-260-4566.
