HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 2019-4617

HR 4617

ByRepresentative Ryu

WHEREAS, Korean Americans, who form a large, vibrant community in Washington state, represent a long and storied part of the American fabric, having made numerous contributions to art, education, culture, food, polity, commerce, trade, tourism, medicine, and many other fields; and

WHEREAS, The United States and the Republic of Korea remain steadfast allies in the pursuit of peace, freedom, and democracy, both in the Asia-Pacific region and throughout the world; and

WHEREAS, On March 1, 1919, people from all across the Korean Peninsula participated in widespread marches protesting colonial rule in accordance with the Korean Declaration of Independence; and many Korean American Washingtonians can name recent ancestors who worked for independence and self-determination and served as ministers in the Provisional Government that formed overseas shortly thereafter; and 

WHEREAS, The Seattle-Washington Korean Americans Association, Northwest Korean Americans Association, Vancouver Korean Americans Association, Spokane Korean Americans Association, Korean American Women Realtors Association, Snohomish Korean Seniors, Seattle United Seniors, Lynnwood Happiness Seniors, Northwest Korean Schools, and many other Washington Korean American organizations, their members, and citizens will gather in Lynnwood on March 1st to celebrate this centennial event;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives pause to commemorate March 1, 2019, as the centennial of the March 1st Korean Declaration of Independence, and acknowledge its lasting impacts on future generations of Korean Americans and Koreans around the world.