미국은 인종차별 문제에 관해 솔직한 토론을 전국적인 차원에서 지금까지 진행해본 적이 없다. 많은 백인들은 흔히 이제 더이상 인종차별대우가 존재하지 않다고 주장하며, 반면 많은 흑인들은 인종차별에 관한 많은 진보가 있었으나 아직도 차별적인 과거의 체계적 부정으로 인해 오는 악영향에서 아직도 벗어나지 못하고 있다고 주장하며 그들의 이러한 고통을 백인들이 이해 하지 못하고 있다고 주장 한다. 이런 흑백 간의 대치적인 입장으로 인해 인종에 관한 국가적 차원의 토론을 하지 못하고 있는 상태다. 그러나 지난 3월 18일 필라델피아 국립 헌법 기념관에서 행한 오바마씨의 인종에 관한 연설은 미국역사상 중요한 웅변들 중에 하나로 손꼽히고 있으며, 그 연설과 그의 대통령 출마가 계기가 되어 앞으로 미국의 인종문제에 관한 진지한 토론이 적극적으로 진행될 것이라고 전망된다. (more…)

Why I Support Barack Obama – One Philadelphia Korean American’s Hope

April 18, 2008
by Helen Gym

As the Pennsylvania primary approaches, I have been thinking a lot about what the presidential elections have meant to me as a second generation Korean American.

My parents came to the U.S. in the 1960s. My father, a refugee from the north, renamed himself “Golden” Gym in honor of his hopes to remake himself in this country. My mother’s family gave thanks for her good fortune to study and live in the U.S. (more…)

(From left to right:) Chungsoo Lee, Helen Gym, Eunsook Kang, Sookyung Oh, Chongguk Lee It was a little hectic the night before with Eunsook and I staying up until midnight to prepare the press packets and talking points, but it was sure worth it. We had great success on Monday with our press conference with Korean language media. Coverage from five of the eight major greater Delaware Valley Korean language press showed up, with another paper calling to confirm they would also cover this story. Our other outreach should start hitting tomorrow and the weekend will be canvassing. We also have op-eds being printed in some of the newspapers and will post those as they are ready. Until then, this is Sookyung from Obamadelphia signing off!

by Eun Sook Kang
I grew up with no heroes and no favorite movie stars or favorite rock star. I didn’t put up posters of pop icons on my wall. I thought generally of the popular culture scene and was not so motivated by any particular image until I heard about Barack Obama. I began hearing about him through the publication of his book and observed him throughout his campaign. I saw Barack Obama for the first time in person up close like within two feet of him at the Convention Center when he spoke to the organizing group of volunteers. I was captivated, inspired, overjoyed and thought to myself that I am like a kid at a candy store; so wonderful, pleasing, and delightful. It was an awe invoking moment seeing him walk out unto the platform and address the crowd. He seemed larger than life and yet at the same time real and down to earth and spoke “with some sense.” I was star struck such that I couldn’t move. When he came round to shake hands with the 12 security guards around him, I was frozen and couldn’t reach out my hand over the shoulders of those in front of me to shake his hand. At least I got to see him within inches of me. It was memorable. Someone said, “I ‘m not going to wash my hand,” and I thought, “gee if I hadn’t been so frozen I would be saying those very words myself; a little campy in sentiment, but what the heck, it’s Barack Obama, not any ordinary run of the mill type of individual.

He’s like a twinkle in the night’s clear sky that electrifies the whole world.

오바마 대통령 후보를 지원하기 위하여 텍사스 주 경선 캠페인에 참여하는 한인 대표단을 후원해주십시오

2월 22일 (금)
오후 5시-오후10시 (more…)

join a tea house fundraiser in support of Obama
a delegation of Korean Americans will campaign for Obama in the Texas primaries

February 22nd (Friday)
5:00 pm - 10:00 pm

Koffea Cafe
610 Berendo Street, Los Angeles CA 90005
(please say “Obama on Top” when entering the cafe)

(more…)