HR0315 LRB094 11991 HSS 44942 r

1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, On April 11, 2005, the State of Illinois installed
3 signs at the Number 84 (Lawrence Avenue) eastbound exits of
4 I-90 commonly known as the John F. Kennedy Expressway, marking
5 the direction of the Korea Town area of the Albany Park
6 neighborhood; and
 
7     WHEREAS, Like so many other ethnic area designations
8 throughout the City of Chicago, Korea Town is anchored by a
9 commercial street where businesses that both serve and showcase
10 a particular ethnicity have thrived; Lawrence Avenue from
11 California Avenue on the east of Kennedy Expressway became such
12 a street for Chicago's Korean immigrant population; and
 
13     WHEREAS, The Koreans played a large role in that
14 neighborhood's revitalization; on October 30, 1992, Lawrence
15 Avenue between Western Avenue on the east and Pulaski Road on
16 the west received the honorary street name of "Seoul Drive" due
17 to the collection of Korean-owned shops and business in the
18 area; at that time, approximately 40% of the businesses in that
19 neighborhood were Korean-owned; and
 
20     WHEREAS, In addition to uplifting civic pride through
21 upgrading a neighborhood in decline, Koreans from Korea Town
22 have made significant contributions to their adopted nation;
23 United States Marine Lance Corporal Woon Hyuk Kim is a
24 remarkable example; born on March 26, 1982, in Seoul, South
25 Korea, he and his parents immigrated to Chicago a year later;
26 he grew up near the U.S. Marine Headquarters Drill Center on
27 Lawrence Avenue, where at the time the Korean population was
28 burgeoning; growing up, it seemed to him that his parents were
29 always at work; as a kindergartner, he had a key necklace that
30 he wore so he could let himself in after school, thus making
31 him very independent at a young age; he joined the U.S. Marine
32 Corps to live out that boot camp experience and get some

 

 

HR0315 - 2 - LRB094 11991 HSS 44942 r

1 tuition assistance; today, he is stationed in Iraq; he says he
2 is grateful for the adventure God has put him through, but can
3 not wait to get back home to resume his civilian life; and
 
4     WHEREAS, It is just such history that has led to the
5 erection of a designation marker indicating the way to Korea
6 Town by traveling east down Seoul Drive; in addition to the
7 merchants and food stores, many Korean restaurants, bars, and
8 nightclubs can be found in Korea Town; the area boasts a large
9 concentration of Korean television and radio stations along
10 with newspaper and magazine publication offices; such
11 businesses are a growing industry, catering to a growing number
12 of Korean immigrants; in 2002, there were eleven major Korean
13 mass media companies targeting Korean immigrants throughout
14 Chicago; therefore, be it
 
15     RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
16 NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
17 we recognize the rich cultural heritage of the area of Chicago
18 known as Korea Town, and we honor the many contributions of
19 Chicago's Korean community; and be it further
 
20     RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
21 presented to Kil Young Kim, President of the Korean American
22 Association of Chicago.