Changwon National University Museum Publishes Research Report on Tombstones of 1st Generation Hawaiian Korean Immigrants on 76th Anniversary of Liberation Day

Changwon National University Museum published the first report investigating the tombstones of first-generation Korean immigrants in Hawaii, titled "The Transnational Space of the Dead," to commemorate the 76th anniversary of Liberation Day.
[Image source=Changwon National University]

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Lee Sang-hyun] Changwon National University Museum and Social Science Research Institute announced on the 10th that they have published a report that for the first time investigated the tombstones of Korean immigrants during the early 1900s who migrated to Hawaii, ahead of the 76th anniversary of Liberation Day.

This report serves as the minimum record to remember the sacrifices of unknown independence activists who worked on Hawaiian sugarcane plantations and led efforts to raise funds for independence, whose tombstones?the last records?have been neglected and destroyed, disappearing from reality.

The research was conducted by compiling various existing materials such as the donor list of independence activist Ahn Jung-geun, passenger lists of immigrant ships to Hawaii at the time, and passport issuance records, to identify the owners of the tombstones of first-generation Korean immigrants who migrated to Hawaii between 1903 and 1905.

This report adds value by dealing with the stories of 'ordinary people' who had not received attention.

Among those surveyed, 48 individuals are listed in the 'Ahn Jung-geun Independence Activist Donation Payment List,' which is a fundraising record for legal defense costs for Ahn Jung-geun, who assassinated It? Hirobumi in 1909, an important case that well demonstrates the early immigrants' national sense of belonging and affiliation.

Lee Yoon-sang, director of the Changwon National University Museum, said, "On the occasion of the 76th Liberation Day, it is important to ensure that the sacrifices of those who made it possible for us to live peacefully today are not in vain."

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