Response piece (Assignment #2)

publication of the column: Han-Guk Ilbo (Koreatimes)
Columnist: Jin-Soo Yi
Link to the column: http://www.koreatimes.com/article/articleview.asp?id=423400&comment_yn=N

In the column, the columnist starts with a very brief summary and his opinion on the result of the presidential election in Korea. His hopes are that citizens of Korean should work hard to make Korea better place, and elected candidate, Yi, would revive dying Korean economy. Then the columnist mentions 2008 American presidential election. He makes a comment that American-Koreans should participate more in politics in an attempt to make immigrants’ country, “America,” better. The immigrants’ communities in the United States should work hard to reform the immigration law. “We must solve the visa problem (I do not know what this means), and achieve the right to labor. The immigrants’ communities have waited 20 years for inclusive reformation of the immigration law. It is the communities’ responsibility to emphasize the immigration issues in 2008 American presidential election to reform the immigration law, which the communities want. If we can get the heat (enthusiasm, I assume) to this election, these tasks should not be difficult to solve.”

This columnist makes very interesting comment on the participations of American-Koreans in the politics. I have known that American-Koreans have not really participated in American politics. However, the comments made by the columnist reminded me the seriousness of this lacking participation. Indeed, there must be an inclusive reformation of the immigration law of the United States of the America. Although American-Koreans are in better condition than Koreans in Canada, the condition of American-Koreans is not good. I feel this way especially looking at my aunt’s situation. She is having much difficulty with achieving permanent resident ship in America, due to some visa problems (I don’t know much about it.) Also, looking at other immigrants (meaning not Koreans), especially, Afro-Americans, the immigrants participate much more in politics than the Koreans do. For example, Barack Obama, the African-Americans are already ready to have one of their people to be the American president. To raise their position in the society, the Korean immigrants must participate more in the society. In this way, I totally agree with the columnist.