4a. Proclamation
Korean American Day Proclamation
Agenda Item: 4a Meeting Date: December 13, 2022 PROCLAMATION OF THE PORT OF SEATTLE COMMISSION WHEREAS, Korean American representation matters; and WHEREAS, on January 13, 1903, 102 courageous Korean immigrants arrived in Hawaii as laborers for the sugar plantation, initiating the first large wave of Korean immigration to America; and WHEREAS, the second wave of Korean immigrants consisted of Korean wives of American soldiers, known as war brides; war orphans; and students, businessmen, and intellectuals from 1950 to 1964; and WHEREAS, the third wave of Korean immigration occurred with the passage of the 1965 Immigration and Naturalization Act, revoking the national quota system and making family reunification possible; and WHEREAS, Korean Americans, like other groups of immigrants that came to the United States before them, have settled and thrived in the United States through strong family ties, community support, and hard work; and WHEREAS, Korean Americans of all generations and recent immigrants have made significant contributions to the economic vitality of the United States, and continue to make great contributions to our nation, our region, and our Port; and WHEREAS, the contributions of Korean Americans may be observed in all facets of American life, from politics to industry, entrepreneurship to volunteerism, the arts, and education; and WHEREAS, Korean Americans have built and strengthened the alliance between the United States and the Republic of Korea, fostering peace on the Korean Peninsula and promoting trade alliances; and WHEREAS, Korean Americans have made enormous contributions to the military strength of the United States and served with distinction in the Armed Forces during World War I, World War II, the Vietnam war, the conflict in Korea, and subsequent military conflicts across the globe; and WHEREAS, the centennial year of 2003 marked an important milestone in the history of Korean immigration; and WHEREAS, on January 13, 2003, President George W. Bush issued “The Centennial of Korean Immigration to the United States” proclamation, which commemorated the centennial anniversary of Korean immigration to the United States and recognized the invaluable contributions of Korean Americans to our Nation's rich cultural diversity, economic strength, and proud heritage; and WHEREAS, the United States House of Representatives passed House Resolution 487 to commemorate Korean American Day in the 109th Congress; and WHEREAS, the United States Senate passed Senate Resolution 283 to commemorate Korean American Day in the 109th Congress; and WHEREAS, WA State Legislature unanimously passed Senate Bill 5166 in the 60th Legislature during the 2007 Regular Session, and signed into law by Governor Christine Gregoire, officially designating January 13 of each year as Korean American Day; and WHEREAS, Washington State has the fifth highest concentration of Korean Americans in the United States; the fifth largest Asian Americans subgroup in the United States; and United States is home to the largest Korean diaspora community in the world; and WHEREAS, Washington State is the most trade-dependent and trade-vulnerable state. According to the Washington Council on International Trade, 40% of state jobs are connected to trade; and WHEREAS, the Republic of Korea is an important Northwest Seaport Alliance trading partner, ranking fourth by total vessel value and third by total TEUs; and WHEREAS, the year 2023 marks the 70th anniversary of the signing of the Mutual Defense Treaty between United States and the Republic of Korea in 1953, which commits the two countries to provide mutual aid if either faces external armed attack; and WHEREAS, the official recognition of Korean American Day is a significant way we can celebrate the invaluable contributions of our Korean American employees and community, and work in creating a welcoming environment and a culture of belonging. NOW, THEREFORE, the Port of Seattle Commission hereby honors and recognizes Korean American Day; celebrates the contributions of Korean American Port employees and community; and affirms the Port’s commitment to advance racial equity and representation of Korean Americans. Proclaimed by the Port of Seattle Commission this 13th day of December, 2022. Port of Seattle Commission Port of Seattle Commission
Limitations of Translatable Documents
PDF files are created with text and images are placed at an exact position on a page of a fixed size.
Web pages are fluid in nature, and the exact positioning of PDF text creates presentation problems.
PDFs that are full page graphics, or scanned pages are generally unable to be made accessible, In these cases, viewing whatever plain text could be extracted is the only alternative.