On January 13, 1903, about 100 Koreans first arrived in the United States, but it wasn’t until 2005 when President George W. Bush created National Korean American Day, according to National Today.

National Korean American Day honors the Korean-American´s contributions to every aspect of society. While the majority of visitors from Korea arrived at the beginning of the 20^th century, according to the National Association of Korean Americans, the first Korean to become a U.S. citizen was actually Philip Jaisohn who arrived in the U.S. in 1885.

Anyone can also celebrate this day simply honoring the early Korean immigrants. Those with Korean immigrant parents/relatives can celebrate January 13 by sharing their family´s immigration experience with friends or on social media. If you don´t know much about your relatives then this is a good way to get to know more about them!

If you have Korean-American friends, you could ask them how they connect with their Korean heritage. You might also consider treating yourself to a Korean meal. A great example of a food that is a gateway into Korean food is bulgogi. Here’s one recipe that will help you reach that goal: https://rb.gy/4hh0bf.