California State Assembly members and officials from the Korean consulate in Los Angeles pose for a photo in LA on Aug. 13. (Consulate general of the Republic of Korea in Los Angeles)
By Kim Min-Jeung
The assembly of the California state legislature passed a resolution to designate a day to commemorate Korean independence activist Ahn Chang Ho.
Jointly introduced by Korean-American assembly member Choi Seokho and other members, the resolution was passed unanimously with 71 votes during a plenary session on Aug. 13. If approved by the California State Senate, Nov. 9 will be officially declared as “Dosan Ahn Chang Ho Day” starting this year.
The resolution commemorates Ahn’s work for the Korean independence movement when the country was annexed and occupied by Japan from 1910 to 1945. The resolution shows that Ahn came to California in 1902 and helped Korean people who came to the United States to settle and form a new community there.
The resolution also highlights the reason for adopting the resolution, saying that, “Ahn is similar to India’s Mahatma Gandhi,” and that he is “regarded as one of the most significant patriotic figures by Koreans at home and abroad.”
jer2co@korea.kr
