BILL ANALYSIS
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|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | ACR 9|
|Office of Senate Floor Analyses | |
|1020 N Street, Suite 524 | |
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|327-4478 | |
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THIRD READING
Bill No: ACR 9
Author: Hayashi (D), et al
Amended: 1/26/09 in Assembly
Vote: 21
WITHOUT REFERENCE TO COMMITTEE OR FILE
ASSEMBLY FLOOR : Read and adopted, 1/26/09
SUBJECT : Korean-American Day
SOURCE : Author
DIGEST : This resolution proclaims January 13, 2009, as
Korean-American Day.
ANALYSIS : This resolution states:
1. On January 13, 1903, the history of Korean immigration
to America began, when 102 courageous Korean men, women,
and children landed in Hawaii after venturing across the
vast Pacific Ocean aboard the S.S. Gaelic.
2. The hopes of these Korean immigrants for America, the
land of opportunity, were quickly hindered by social,
economic, and language barriers of unforeseen magnitude.
3. These Korean immigrants did not falter in their pursuit
of the American dream. Through tenacious effort and
sacrifice, they established a new home in a new land and
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educated their Korean-American children.
4. Between 1904 and 1907, approximately 1,000 Korean
Americans entered the United States mainland from Hawaii
through San Francisco, where the first Korean-American
political organizations and Korean-language publications
were established.
5. Many Korean Americans left San Francisco, primarily to
become farm workers. Some Korean Americans combined
their money and resources to lease farm land near the
towns of Dinuba and Reedley in the San Joaquin Valley
and in the Sacramento Valley. Dozens of other Korean
Americans served as wage laborers for mining companies
and as section hands on the railroads in Oregon,
Washington, Montana, and Utah.
6. The Japanese occupation of Korea prevented further
Korean immigration into the United States. However,
many Korean Americans desired to establish families in
the United States, despite the new limitations on
immigration. As a result, a picture bride system was
established, which delivered approximately 1,000 new
Korean immigrants to Hawaii, and 100 more to the Pacific
coast of the United States mainland, before 1924.
7. San Francisco remained the center of the Korean-American
community during this period, but there was a gradual
migration of Korean Americans from San Francisco and the
surrounding rural areas to southern California. As more
employment opportunities opened up, a new, burgeoning
community of Korean Americans began to thrive in the Los
Angeles area.
8. While the first Korean immigrants to the United States
fought and sacrificed to establish themselves, their
children grew up to be patriotic citizens, many of whom
went on to serve in the Armed Forces of the United
States during World War II and to make other important
contributions to mainstream American society.
9. The Federal Immigration Act of 1965 opened the door for
a new wave of Korean immigrants to enter the United
States. Since its enactment, Korean Americans have
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become one of the fastest growing groups of Asian
Americans in the United States. In 1960, approximately
25,000 people of Korean ancestry lived in the United
States, but by 1970, that number increased to 69,130. By
1980, the number of people of Korean ancestry living in
the United States had increased over five-fold to
354,593, and by 1990, that number more than doubled,
increasing to 798,849. In 2007, it was estimated that
1,555,293 people with some Korean ancestry lived in the
United States, representing more than a sixty-fold
increase since 1960.
10. With diligence, fortitude, and an enduring belief in
the American dream, Korean immigrants have helped to
turn emergent areas within the State of California into
thriving and respectable communities, while raising
their children to be productive Korean Americans.
11. Korean Americans have become an integral part of
mainstream American society and have made important
contributions as Californians in the fields of finance,
technology, law, medicine, education, sports, media, the
arts, the military, and government, as well as other
areas.
12. As the Korean-American community prepares for a new
era and creates new history, Korean Americans must
instill in younger generations the proper appreciation
for the courage and values of their forefathers, a deep
sense of their roots, and pride in their own cultural
heritage so that they may better contribute to the great
State of California, rich with ethnic and cultural
diversity.
This resolution provides that the Legislature of the State
of California hereby proclaims January 13, 2009, as
Korean-American Day.
FISCAL EFFECT : Fiscal Com.: No
RJG:nl 3/18/09 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: NONE RECEIVED
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