"Growing Korean-American Influence in Congress" by Ashley Jo

The United States, built on the dreams and hopes of immigrants from all across the globe, has added to the melting pot of cultures seen in the country today. Although the majority of politicians from the local and federal level have been white, more and more cultural diversity can be seen in the nation’s government today. Recently, many news outlets have heavily focused on the 2020 presidential race between Donald Trump and Joe Biden, but it is important to acknowledge the other races of the time as well; some of them were crucial for the future representation of Korean-Americans in the United States.

Among the many who ran for federal positions in the 2020 elections was Democrat Marilyn Strickland who was elected as a U.S. Representative for Washington’s 10th Congressional District. Born in Seoul, Korea to an African-American father and a Korean mother, Strickland is one of the first Korean-American women to be elected for Congress. Before this historic win, she served as the Mayor of Tacoma from 2010 to 2018. She helped rebuild the city suffering from an economic recession by attracting over $1B in investments and creating more than 40,000 new jobs. Currently serving in the U.S. House of Representatives, Strickland hopes to create comprehensive immigration reform, protect women’s health, create universal health care, and more.

Representing California’s 48th Congressional District, Michelle Steel is another Korean-American woman who has won a seat in the U.S. Congress this year. Steel comes from a Korean family of immigrants who moved to the U.S. in search of a better future and greater opportunities. She successfully ran for the California State Board for Equalization in 2006 and became the Chairwoman of the Orange County Board of Supervisors in 2014. As Chairwoman, Steel has fought against higher taxes and returned more than $400M to California taxpayers. She continues to fix a broken tax system that withholds families and businesses from reaching their full potential, which will remain a primary goal as she begins her term on the board of the House of Representatives. Along with lower taxes, Steel hopes to provide affordable healthcare for all that will protect those with pre-existing conditions, lower prescription drug prices, and improve American quality of life. 

Republican Young Kim defeated Democrat Gil Cisneros for a seat to become the representative of the 39th Congressional District of California. As an immigrant, business-owner, and mother, Kim has devoted her career to giving all Americans a chance to make their dreams a reality by becoming the first Korean-American assemblywoman to represent Southern California. As Assemblywoman, she has fought for victims of domestic violence, kept tuition at public colleges low, secured funds for veterans and homeless children, and more. Similar to Strickland and Steel, Kim hopes to find bipartisan solutions to fix the American healthcare system when she begins her term in Congress. As the nation continues to fight COVID-19, she hopes to ensure the economy has the right support to jump back by fighting against Sacramento-style policies that raise taxes, hurt small businesses, and lower job opportunities. Kim will not stop there, however, because she hopes to accomplish much more for U.S. citizens, especially Korean-Americans.  

Although there has been Korean-American representation in Congress before, never has it been female. The only Korean-American voices in Congress before these women were two men: Republican Jay Kim of California from 1993 to 1999 and Democrat Andy Kim of New Jersey from 2018 to present time. However, this year’s election will have changed all of that when Marilyn Strickland, Michelle Steel, and Young Kim are admitted into Congress on January 3, 2021. They will be the first ever Korean-American Congresswomen in a 230 year-old history. As members of the Grand Old Party, Steel and Kim’s victories stretch beyond California and “offer the party a way forward, post-Trump, to appeal to voters outside the white, suburban Republican base.” As for Marilyn Strickland, her win broadens the support for improved health care, education, and clean energy jobs that the Democratic party has long fought for. 

All in all, no matter what political party one may be affiliated with, the appointment of these three women holds historic value in the continuous underrepresentation of Korean Americans, specifically women, in the United States. Their victories are only a small step in a long journey Korean-American women must travel before getting the respect and representation they deserve. Be joyful and celebrate, but as Marilyn Strickland’s mother most simply puts it, “Now you have to work really hard to get reelected.”

Important Figures, Korean RepresentationKAYL ExecutiveKorean Americans, Congress, Michelle Steel, Young Kim, Marilyn Strickland