[Correspondent Column] The Politics of Hanbok... Erecting a Korean Pillar in the US Congress

Korean-American U.S. Representative Marilyn Strickland (Korean name Sunja) attended the U.S. Congress inauguration ceremony on the 3rd (local time) wearing a hanbok and took the oath. [Captured from Representative Strickland's Twitter. DB and reuse prohibited] [Image source=Yonhap News Agency]

[Asia Economy New York=Correspondent Baek Jong-min] The United States is a nation of immigrants. This statement is half true and half false. The U.S. was originally a country of white people, but it is a nation attempting change. While white people try to maintain their vested interests, the rise of not only Black people but also Latinx and Asian Americans dreams of a "New America."

Everyone residing in the U.S. is a descendant of immigrants. The beginning of America dates back to May 1607, when 104 people left England and arrived at the Chesapeake Bay in present-day Virginia. They built "Jamestown" and, after enduring many hardships, learned tobacco cultivation from Native Americans, laying the foundation for success. In 1620, Puritans arrived in Massachusetts and began writing the formal history of immigration. The Virginia Company, which established Jamestown, brought the first African slaves in 1619. This marked the beginning of slavery, the most painful chapter in the world’s leading liberal democracy, the United States.

Both white and Black people left their homelands. Whites left their homelands and built the world’s strongest nation based on the New World. Blacks lived miserable lives as slaves of whites but were eventually freed, though many still remain socially marginalized.

White people, who displaced Native Americans and dominated the U.S., are now on the defensive. According to the 2019 census results released by the U.S. Census Bureau, whites accounted for only 60.1% of the total U.S. population of 328 million. Latinx made up 18.5%, Black people 13.4%, and Asians 5.9%. Notably, among those under 16 years old, whites have become a minority. The demographic diversity has also dismantled the Trump administration’s attempt to maintain white dominance in America.

The power of civil society in the U.S. is based on congressional power. While districts and parties matter, every ethnic group hopes for politicians who will work for them. Jews, Armenians, and Irish, who immigrated to escape persecution and famine in Europe, have grown their influence this way.

Latinx, who make up a significant portion of low-wage workers, have expanded their political power mainly in the South. Latinx senators Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz are even considered potential presidential candidates.

Asian Americans still face difficulties entering politics. The only Asian American senator is Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, who is of mixed Black heritage. Americans regard Harris as Black, but Indians consider her their descendant. Indians united to support her vice-presidential election.

In the 117th U.S. Congress, which opened on the 3rd, four Korean American lawmakers received their "badges." Although from different parties, their shared Korean ethnicity will unite them as a political force, and the power of Korean Americans in U.S. politics will be further amplified.

Congresswoman Marilyn Strickland and her mother, Kim Insoon. [Image source=Yonhap News]

At this historic moment, Korean American Congresswoman Marilyn Strickland proudly stood in the House chamber wearing a hanbok. This is the first time a Korean American lawmaker has appeared in the U.S. Congress wearing a hanbok. She could have emphasized her identity as a Black person, a major political force, but she deliberately chose to highlight her Korean heritage. Her intention to affirm herself as a Korean "Sunja" to unfamiliar Koreans was evident.

Those familiar with the "rules" of U.S. politics emphasize that this was not an easy decision. Fortunately, U.S. politicians and journalists poured praise on Twitter, calling the hanbok beautiful.

Ilhan Omar, a Somali American lawmaker elected in 2018, wore a hijab to Congress. For her, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi changed the rule that prohibited wearing anything on the head inside the Capitol. This is the power of American-style inclusion in a multiethnic nation. Compared to our own political scene, which has difficulty accepting lawmakers of different skin colors, U.S. politics is several steps ahead.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.