Korean-Americans at the White House strive to have Chuseok recognized, saying, “Recognize it as the ‘Korean holiday,’ not the ‘Chinese holiday’… Also inform about Korean events”
“Another fruit of strengthening the ROK-US alliance”
Ahead of the presidential election, also consider the influence of Asian-Americans
‘The White House in Washington, D.C., which serves as the residence and office of the U.S. President, will hold an event to celebrate the Korean holiday of Chuseok for the first time. According to diplomatic sources in Washington, the White House has recently informed prominent Korean-Americans about this decision and is accepting applications to attend the event. The event is scheduled to take place at the West Wing office building ‘Eisenhower Executive Office Building’ on September 17th, the day of Chuseok this year starting at 5 p.m.’,
, ‘In an email sent to the invited guests recently, the White House stated, “In addition to business attire, wearing the traditional Korean attire ‘Hanbok’ is also encouraged.” It is also reported that there is a significant possibility that President Joe Biden or Vice President Kamala Harris, who has been confirmed as the Democratic presidential candidate, will personally attend the event. Harris, who is of African and Asian descent, mentioned at a lunar New Year event held at the vice president’s residence last year that “I have a Korean relative.”
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President Joe Biden (right) and First Lady Jill Biden greeting Lunar New Year in a video posted on Twitter on January 12 last year. This was the first time the White House held a Lunar New Year event. /Biden’s Twitter,
, ‘One source mentioned that this Chuseok event was made possible thanks to the efforts of Korean-American advisors at the White House. Earlier, President Biden and First Lady Jill hosted the first Lunar New Year celebration at the White House in January last year. It was the first time the White House hosted a Lunar New Year event, and during his speech, Biden promised to eradicate hate crimes against Asian-Americans and strengthen gun control. A Washington source mentioned, “Although it was an event aimed at showing consideration for Asian-Americans, the perception was strong that it was more of a Chinese event rather than an Asian event due to the Chinese lion dance performance that followed.” When the UN designated Lunar New Year as a public holiday at the end of last year, the Chinese government claimed it was a reflection of the influence of Chinese culture, causing discomfort in other Asian countries such as Vietnam that celebrate Lunar New Year.’,
, ‘Following this, Korean-American advisors working at the White House united, saying, “We must hold an event unique to Korea.” A diplomatic source stated, “Since the start of the Biden administration, Korean-American advisors who have advanced from the White House Secretariat to the National Security Council (NSC) promoted the idea of hosting an event at the White House level, which was recently realized,” calling it “another fruit of strengthening the ROK-US alliance.”‘,
, ‘It is observed that the White House’s decision to host a Chuseok celebration for the first time was also influenced by the desire to appeal to Korean-American voters ahead of the presidential election. The New York Times said, “With a closely contested presidential election expected, Asian-American voters could emerge as targets for both parties,” and added, “Investments in the Asian community are increasing, with mailings in various Asian languages and advertisements in local newspapers in states like Nevada, targeting Korean and Chinese speakers on both sides of the Democratic and Republican parties.”‘,
, ‘The ‘White House Chuseok event’ reflects the increasingly active participation of Korean-Americans in various branches of the U.S. government since the Biden administration came to office. Just this year, Korean-Americans Jasmine Yoon and Edward K. became the first Korean-American federal judges in Virginia and New Jersey, respectively. In December 2021, Lucy Koh also became a federal court judge overseeing the western regions, such as California and Washington. At that time, Chuck Schumer, the Democratic Senate Majority Leader, also said, “The background of the judge, the daughter of immigrants, is a compelling testament to the ‘American Dream.'” In the legislature, Andy Kim, a Democratic House Representative, is expected to challenge for a federal Senate seat in November this year, with Korean-American’s first election looking promising.’,
, ‘This marks the first separate event by the U.S. government to celebrate Chuseok, rather than through a statement. In a Chuseok greeting statement issued last September, former Secretary of State Tony Blinken said, “On behalf of the United States, I extend my congratulations to all South Koreans,” and added, “I hope this Chuseok, which shares values of camaraderie and sharing, will lead our journey with joy, harmony, and prosperity.”‘,
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