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> Korean American Timeline
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The Korean Experience in America : A Timeline
- 1868 - 1903: The Korean presence in America begins during this period. Most notable are Suh Jae Pil and Dosan Ahn Chang Ho, who devote their lives to the independence of Korea against Japanese imperialism.
- 1903: Aboard the SS Gaelic, 102 Koreans arrive in Hawaii on January 13, 1903 to work in the sugar plantations. More Koreans (7,200) follow in search of a better life.
- 1905: Victorious in the wars over China and Russia, Japan assumes control over Korea, followed by Japan's annexation of Korea in 1910. Korean immigration to the U.S. comes to a halt except for a small number of picture brides and student exiles, Syngman Rhee, among them.
- 1919-1940: Koreans proclaim the Declaration of Independence on March 1, 1919, and Koreans in the U.S. join the independence movement. Mostly farm workers, Koreans donate their hard-earned money ($25,000 in all) for the government-in-exile in Shanghai. Koreans in America continue the independence movement, while their American children go on to achieve many firsts in the fields of education, arts, science, athletics, medicine, and law.
- 1941: The U.S. enters World War II. The Provisional Government of Korea declares war on the Empire of Japan. The second-generation Korean Americans join the U.S. Armed Forces.
- 1942: The City of Los Angeles recognizes Korea, raises the Tae Geuk flag at its City Hall.
- 1945: World War II ends, and Koreans all across America celebrate the Korean independence. Syngman Rhee becomes the first President of South Korea in 1948.
- 1950-1953: Korean War erupts between the democratic South and the communist North. The U.S. enters the war on behalf of South Korea. Korean Americans rally to assist the war victims.
- 1951-1964: Korean adoptees, the families of the American servicemen, and students arrive during this time period.
- 1965-2000: The Immigration Act of 1965 brings the second wave of immigrants in search of better opportunities. From 1976 to 1990, an average of 30,000 to 35,000 Korean immigrants arrive annually. In the 1990's, almost 1.1 million immigrants join the Korean American community.
- 2001: Korean American communities across America join the City of Riverside, California, in honoring its former resident Dosan Ahn Chang Ho with a statue. In the first such honor for a Korean on American soil, Koreans and Americans honor him for his contribution for not only Koreans but to the world as an educator, freedom fighter, leader, statesman, and for the lessons he left behind as an orange picker in Riverside.
- 2003: Korean Americans celebrate the centennial of the arrival of SS Gaelic in the New Year's Day
Rose Parade.
- 2003: Korean Americans commemorate Korean National Association by restoring its building, dedicated as Korean National Association Memorial Hall, which was built originally in 1938 in Los Angeles.
- We left out the following section because it is too detailed compared to the rest of the article¡?
[Memorial Foundation, also known as KNA Heritage Preservation Committee, was established in 2002 to restore the KNA building, which was originally built in 1938. In collaboration with Korean American and the local community's successful efforts in restoration and fundraising, the foundation is able to dedicate Korean National Association Memorial Hall to the community.]
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