Washington, Dec 13, 2005 -

Congressman Scott Garrett today issued the following statement in the House record regarding House Resolution 487, honoring the contributions of Korean Americans to the United States:

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my support for H. RES. 487, supporting the goals and ideals for Korean American Day.

On January 13th, we will celebrate the 103rd Anniversary of Korean American Day. It was on that day, 103 years ago, that a boat carrying 102 Korean immigrants arrived in Hawaii. According to the 2000 census, there are now more than 1 million Korean Americans. Over that time, Korean Americans have made an untold number of contributions to American society.

Whether in education, science, business, or the arts, Korean Americans have played and continue to play a vital role in shaping communities throughout New Jersey and the entire country.

For instance, there are over 4,000 Korean Americans currently serving in our Armed Forces and a large number of them are deployed overseas keeping our nation safe from terrorism. Furthermore, Korean Americans own more than 135,500 businesses across the U.S., employing nearly 334,000 individuals and generating gross receipts and sales of $46 billion.

Many of today’s Korean Americans came to this nation in the 1950s fleeing the war and poverty that followed the invasion of South Korea by North Korea. Today, that region continues to face threats to its overall security. I promise to continue to work with my colleagues and Korean officials to find a long term solution to the nuclear crisis on the Korean peninsula. Ensuring safety in the region and seeking a diplomatic resolution to the conflict are two of my top priorities.

Korean American Day is an excellent opportunity for Americans to remember the many contributions that Korean Americans have made to our society and I urge all of my colleagues to support H. RES. 487, supporting the goals and ideals of Korean American Day.

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