One of the first Korean-Americans elected to Congress paid tribute to her heritage during the inauguration ceremony on Sunday.
Rep. Marilyn Strickland, D-Wash. – who became one of the first three Korean-American women elected to Congress last year, as well as Washington’s first black representative – wore a traditional Korean hanbok when taking the oath of office.
Strickland, who was born in South Korea, said that through her clothes, she intended, in part, to honor her mother, Inmin Kim, when she stepped onto the “biggest stage I have ever been on”.
“It is something you use for a very special occasion. It is very traditional and historic,” said Strickland. “I wanted to honor my mother. And because of her age and Covid’s, she was unable to travel here. I knew she would be watching, so I wanted her to see me using it, to honor my story and to honor -over there. “
Strickland, who made history together with Republicans Young Kim and Michelle Steel of California as the first Korean-American women in the House, elicited an emotional response from many Asian descendants on social media, who were moved by the conspicuous display of pride in their heritage. .
Strickland, whose father, Willie Strickland, a black man who met his mother while working in Korea, grew up in Tacoma, Washington. She said that although she made a complicated journey with her Asian identity – like so many other Asian Americans – she gained a deeper appreciation of her past as she grew older, but it was her mother who ensured that she never erased her roots.
Strickland, who described Kim as “resilient” and “young at heart,” said his mother had a particularly strong influence on his life. She said that Kim grew up in Korea when she was under Japanese occupation in the 1900s and that she was forced to learn Japanese in primary school while Japan tried to impose its culture on the country.
“And then she married my father, an African American soldier, and came to a country where she didn’t know anyone, she didn’t speak the language,” said Strickland. “And, in spite of everything, she had to deal with prejudice, being ‘other’, because America has a habit of treating people of color like the ‘other’, especially when their language and accent don’t match what they think the American accent. “
She added: “I think her ability to stay focused and maintain a sense of humor and what she endured is very, very inspiring for me.”
Strickland said that, in addition to honoring her mother, she used the hanbok to send a message about the racial climate in the United States, as hate incidents hit the Asian-American community during the pandemic. In the five-month period last year, the Stop AAPI Hate whistleblower forum received 2,583 reports of anti-Asian incidents across the country. She said the stories of people who were harassed or had their properties vandalized because of their Asian ancestry touched her.
“You know, we live in a place where intolerance and prejudice have just surfaced,” she said. “I just wanted to send a message that the United States House of Representatives is the home of the people, and that means everyone.”
Strickland is one of the 20 Asian American members of Congress, a record, but the group still remains underrepresented in the political sphere. Given her historic place in the government, she said she does not feel “pressure” to represent Asian Americans, but rather a responsibility, and acknowledged the diversity of communities she hopes to support.
“When you belong to a community, when that community is your support base and you are doing the job, I would say that pressure is a responsibility, and it is a responsibility that I take with great pleasure,” she said. “Part of my home base includes people who are Samoan, who are Japanese-American, Chinese, Filipino, I mean, whatever you want. And then, definitely, I would not call it pressure. I would call it the expectation of representing, because it is this is what you should do. “