'Obama Factor' Gets Korean Americans More Involved
There has been fierce political debating in the homes of Korean Americans, something that happened rarely in the past. Conservative generations of parents backed Republican presidential candidate John McCain, while their children zealously supported Democratic candidate Barack Obama.
Kim Dong-suk (50), the head of the Korean American VotersĄŻ Council of New York/New Jersey, the only Korean votersĄŻ rights group in the United States, told the Chosun Ilbo on Monday that this presidential election is creating an unprecedented phenomenon in the Korean community. So-called 1.5-generation and second-generation Korean Americans, who had been largely uninterested in politics, are supporting Obama, marking a clear distinction between first generation Koreans who are predominantly conservative.
A caffe latte with the face of Barack Obama, U.S. senator from Illinois and presidential candidate, made out of cocoa powder, sits in a coffee shop one day prior to the U.S. presidential election in Berlin, Germany, on Monday. /Bloomberg News
Obama, whose campaign strategy was to stress grass-roots democracy and community service, has expanded the influence of Korean voters groups, Kim said.
The Korean American VotersĄŻ Council of New York/New Jersey is the only votersĄŻ rights group in the United States representing Koreans Americans and was created 16 years ago to protect the rights of Koreans following the Los Angeles riots. Kim has been following this election closely to observe the role of Korean Americans in politics and the process of power formation.
The center encouraged Korean Americans to vote, saying high voter turnout leads to increased political leverage and greater protection of the rights of Korean Americans.
