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History of Koreans in Houston

October 26, 2023

As of the 2010 U.S. Census there were 11,813 ethnic Koreans in Harris County, Texas, in the Houston area, making up 4.2% of the county's Asian population.[1] In 2015 Haejin E. Koh, author of "Korean Americans in Houston: Building Bridges across Cultures and Generations," wrote in regards to the census figure that "community leaders believe the number is twice as large."[2]

History edit

In 1970 the official census figure for people of Korean origins in the entire state was 2,090. Bruce Glasrud, a historian, stated that the real figure may be higher as some previous Korean immigrants were counted as Japanese, as Korea was then under the Empire of Japan.[3] Kristopher "Kris" Ahn, who immigrated to Houston in 1975, recalled that, at that time, there was one travel agency and grocery store each operated by ethnic Koreans in Houston and that a cohesive Korean ethnic community had not yet formed.[4] Gigi Lee, another immigrant in that era, stated that her family went to a store owned by ethnic Japanese people to get ethnic Korean products, and that the ethnic Korean community at the time numbered about 500.[5] Dr. Sam Jae Cho also stated that in the early 1980s that a Korean community had not yet solidified, and that a Korean church had a relatively small meeting area.[6]

As of 1983 there were about 10,000 ethnic Korean people in Houston.[7] In 1990 there were 6,571 ethnic Koreans, making up 6% of the county's Asian population. In 2000 this figure had increased to 8,764, making up 4.5% of the county's Asian population. The number of Koreans increased by 35% from 2000 to 2010.[1] In 2008 the estimated number of ethnic Koreans, which were about 5% of all persons of Asian origin in the area, was about 15,000.[8] The heads of area ethnic Korean organizations estimated that the population was around 30,000.[9]

In 2018 older ethnic Koreans protested against plans to include North Korea in Olympic ceremonies.[10]

Geography edit

Spring Branch has a large ethnic Korean population,[11] and therefore it houses multiple Korean businesses and institutions.[12]

Economy edit

 
Super H Mart in Spring Branch, Houston, Texas

By 2008 a Super H Mart supermarket, a part of a Korean American chain, opened in Spring Branch. Purva Patel of the Houston Chronicle wrote that this supermarket attracted development to the area.[9]

Organizations and institutions edit

Circa 2011 there are about twenty ethnic Korean organizations in the Houston area.[13] They include Korean American Society of Houston (KASH), the Korean American Association of Houston (KAAH),[2] the Korean American Chamber of Commerce (KAAC), the Korean Student Associations (KSA) at the University of Houston (UH),[4] and the Korean-American Energy Exploration and Production Society. The Korean-American Scientists and Engineers Association also maintains a chapter for South Texas.[6]

The KAAH uses Korean as its primary medium on its website and in operations as most of its members are first generation immigrants.[4] The predecessor of KASH, Korean American Young Professionals Association (KAYPA), was established in 1985 with John H. Kim (born 1959 in Austin, Texas) as the first president.[2] The KAAC, established in 1974,[4] originally was Korean-medium.[5] Kris Ahn, who became the KACC president in 1995, perceived it and another organization as cannibalizing one another's purposes. Haejin Koh, wrote that "sustaining both organizations would be difficult and perhaps unnecessary."[4] Kris Ahn made English the primary medium of the KAAC, and Haejin Koh wrote that "In 2006 the two organizations came to serve separate constituencies and flourished."[5]

The Korean Community Center of Houston (KCCH), which occupies a 16,000-square-foot (1,500 m2) two story building in Spring Branch formerly used for medical offices, held its formal opening ceremony on March 12, 2011. $500,000 was spent for acquisition and $900,000 for renovation,[13] and the government of South Korea, the City of Houston, and ethnic fundraising provided money for this purpose.[5] Prior to the opening of the center, a house in Spring Branch was used as a community center.[14] The ethnic fundraising for such a center began around 1976 and in 2009 area Korean organizations made a drive to have the center established.[13] The building was put up for sale after Hurricane Ike had damaged it.[14] The storm damage increased the necessary costs of renovation. The Korean School, Seoul Baptist Church of Houston, local fundraising, ethnic Koreans in other countries, and seed money made up $100,000, $120,000, $200,000, $200,000, and $300,000, respectively. A U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development grant worth $500,000 also supported the building.[13] The Korean Cultural Center, the Korean School, and the KAAH offices are in the building.[5]

Hyunja Norman created a political advocacy organization for Korean Americans, Woori Juntos, which was in existence by 2020. The name includes the Korean and Spanish names for the English word "we".[15]

There is also a Korean Senior Center.[8]

Education edit

The Houston Korean School (휴스턴한인학교), located in the community center, provides supplementary Korean education.[5] In 2011 it was the first and largest tenant in the community center, and it had 175 students that year.[13] The Korean school previously held classes at a church.[6] There the Houston Community College (HCC) also has a facility,[5] where it holds English as a second language (ESL) classes. As of 2011 an after school program was planned.[13]

As of 2011 about 200 students at HCC were South Korean citizens.[16]

Recreation edit

KASH organizes the Korean Festival (K-Fest), held every year at Discovery Green in Downtown Houston. It originated as the "Kimchi Fest", spearheaded by the KACC, in 2007. It received its current name in 2009 and expanded its scope.[5] K-Fest includes K-Pop,[17] Korean dance, Korean food,[18] American-Korean fusion food, taekwondo, and other Korean cultural performances.[17]

Politics edit

In 2018 Harris County did not offer Korean translations of election ballots. The office of the Harris County Clerk chose not to allow volunteer Korean translators inside polling places, citing state law, although they were allowed in the parking lot.[19]

In 2021 the Texas Legislature redrew U.S. House of Representatives boundaries so that the Korean community in Spring Branch was divided between two different districts, reducing their political representation.[20]

Religion edit

 
St. Andrew Kim Catholic Church (Korean: 휴스턴한인천주교회) in Spring Branch

As of 2008 the oldest ethnic Korean church is the Korean Christian Church of Houston. In September 2007 Chul Chung, the senior pastor, returned to South Korea after he resigned. In 2008 there was discord among factions in the church and around 100 people were expelled from the church. The members who were suspended or expelled instead attended services at the Korean Senior Center.[8]

In 1999 the Houston area had over 1,000 Korean Catholics. The Korean Catholic church is St. Andrew Kim Catholic Church in Spring Branch, named after Andrew Kim Taegon.[21] Seoul Baptist Church of Houston is an ethnic Baptist church in the area.[13]

On December 25, 2001, the Korean Community Church in The Woodlands, with Presbyterian Korean-language services and non-denominational English services, opened. It opened to serve ethnic Koreans in The Woodlands, Conroe, Huntsville, Kingwood, and Spring.[22]

Transportation edit

In May 2014 Korean Air started a flight from Incheon International Airport near Seoul to George Bush Intercontinental Airport.[23] The KACC supported this effort.[5] The airline canceled the service in 2017, stating that there was not enough demand for the flight.[24]

References edit

  • "Asian Americans in Houston: A Kaleidoscope of Cultures" (PDF). Houston History. University of Houston Center for Public History. 13 (1). Fall 2015. - Table of contents
    • Chen, Edward C. M.; Debbie Z. Harwell. "Asian Americans: Expanding Our Horizons" (PDF): 2–6. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
    • Koh, Haejin E. "Korean Americans in Houston: Building Bridges across Cultures and Generations" (PDF): 17–20. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help) - Profile
  • Klineberg, Stephen L. and Jie Wu. "" (" (). Kinder Institute for Urban Research, Rice University. February 2013.

Reference notes edit

  1. ^ a b Klineberg and Wu, p. 12.
  2. ^ a b c Koh, Haejin E., p. 17.
  3. ^ Chen and Harwell, p. 5.
  4. ^ a b c d e Koh, Haejin E., p. 18.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i Koh, Haejin E., p. 19.
  6. ^ a b c Koh, Haejin E., p. 20.
  7. ^ Cook, Allison. "The Grand Tour." Texas Monthly. Emmis Communications, January 1983. Vol. 11, No. 1. ISSN 0148-7736. START: p. 98. CITED: p. 144.
  8. ^ a b c Wise, Lindsay (2008-05-12). "Power struggle leaves Houston Korean church in turmoil". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved 2019-10-17.
  9. ^ a b Patel, Purva (2008-09-05). "Grocer lures development to Houston's Korea Town". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved 2019-10-17.
  10. ^ George, Cindy (2018-02-07). "Houston's Korean community protests Olympic show of unity". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved 2019-10-17.
  11. ^ Lomax, John Nova. "The Seoul of Houston: The Weather Was Not the Strong Point on Long Point August 29, 2008, at the Wayback Machine." Houston Press. January 30, 2008.
  12. ^ Fletcher, Abner (2018-02-09). "With Eyes On PyeongChang, A Look Inside Houston's Vibrant Korean Community". Houston Public Media. Retrieved 2019-10-20.
  13. ^ a b c d e f g Christian, Carol (2011-03-22). "Korean Community Center opens in Spring Branch". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved 2019-10-16.
  14. ^ a b "KCC celebrates grand opening". Houston Chronicle. 2011-03-16. Retrieved 2019-10-17.
  15. ^ Trovall, Elizabeth (2021-11-26). "Houston's new Korean-American community group advocates for all immigrants". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved 2021-12-10.
  16. ^ HCC Northwest (2011-06-01). "HCC forging partnership with Korean officials". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved 2019-10-17. - This was written by HCC itself.
  17. ^ a b Dusang, Kaylee (2018-10-13). "Korean Fest serves up sampling of music, food and culture". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved 2019-10-16.
  18. ^ Kuo, Iris (2009-09-29). "Korean festival filled with traditional events". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved 2019-10-16.
  19. ^ Despart, Zach (2018-11-29). "Harris County defends decision to bar Korean translators from Spring Branch polling site". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved 2021-12-10.
  20. ^ Bohra, Neelam (2021-11-26). "Congressional gerrymandering by Texas GOP cut out the heart of Houston's Asian community". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved 2021-12-10.
  21. ^ Vara, Richard. "Area Asian Catholics to come together in celebration." Houston Chronicle. August 21, 1999. Religion p. 1. NewsBank Record: 3159522. Available from the Houston Chronicle website's newspaper databases, accessible with a library card and PIN.
  22. ^ Durham, Erika E. (2003-03-13). "Korean church opens in Woodlands". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved 2019-10-17.
  23. ^ Mulvaney, Erin (2014-05-02). "Korean Air's first flight takes off from Intercontinental". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved 2019-10-16.
  24. ^ Leinfelder, Andrea (2017-09-21). "Korean Air stopping its flight to Houston". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved 2019-10-16.

Further reading edit

External links edit

 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Korean community in Houston.
  • Houston Korean American Chamber of Commerce (휴스턴 한인 상공회)
  • Korean Festival Houston (includes information about the Korean-American Society of Houston)
  • Houston Korean School (휴스턴한인학교)
  • Houston Korean Education Center (휴스턴한국교육원)
  • Korean Student Association at University of Houston (휴스턴대학교 한인학생회) (in Korean) - Information in English
  • Korean Community Center of Houston at the Wayback Machine (archive index) (휴스턴 한인 사회 단체)

October 26, 2023
history, koreans, houston, 2010, census, there, were, ethnic, koreans, harris, county, texas, houston, area, making, county, asian, population, 2015, haejin, author, korean, americans, houston, building, bridges, across, cultures, generations, wrote, regards, . As of the 2010 U S Census there were 11 813 ethnic Koreans in Harris County Texas in the Houston area making up 4 2 of the county s Asian population 1 In 2015 Haejin E Koh author of Korean Americans in Houston Building Bridges across Cultures and Generations wrote in regards to the census figure that community leaders believe the number is twice as large 2 Contents 1 History 2 Geography 3 Economy 4 Organizations and institutions 5 Education 6 Recreation 7 Politics 8 Religion 9 Transportation 10 References 10 1 Reference notes 11 Further reading 12 External linksHistory editIn 1970 the official census figure for people of Korean origins in the entire state was 2 090 Bruce Glasrud a historian stated that the real figure may be higher as some previous Korean immigrants were counted as Japanese as Korea was then under the Empire of Japan 3 Kristopher Kris Ahn who immigrated to Houston in 1975 recalled that at that time there was one travel agency and grocery store each operated by ethnic Koreans in Houston and that a cohesive Korean ethnic community had not yet formed 4 Gigi Lee another immigrant in that era stated that her family went to a store owned by ethnic Japanese people to get ethnic Korean products and that the ethnic Korean community at the time numbered about 500 5 Dr Sam Jae Cho also stated that in the early 1980s that a Korean community had not yet solidified and that a Korean church had a relatively small meeting area 6 As of 1983 there were about 10 000 ethnic Korean people in Houston 7 In 1990 there were 6 571 ethnic Koreans making up 6 of the county s Asian population In 2000 this figure had increased to 8 764 making up 4 5 of the county s Asian population The number of Koreans increased by 35 from 2000 to 2010 1 In 2008 the estimated number of ethnic Koreans which were about 5 of all persons of Asian origin in the area was about 15 000 8 The heads of area ethnic Korean organizations estimated that the population was around 30 000 9 In 2018 older ethnic Koreans protested against plans to include North Korea in Olympic ceremonies 10 Geography editSpring Branch has a large ethnic Korean population 11 and therefore it houses multiple Korean businesses and institutions 12 Economy edit nbsp Super H Mart in Spring Branch Houston TexasBy 2008 a Super H Mart supermarket a part of a Korean American chain opened in Spring Branch Purva Patel of the Houston Chronicle wrote that this supermarket attracted development to the area 9 Organizations and institutions editCirca 2011 there are about twenty ethnic Korean organizations in the Houston area 13 They include Korean American Society of Houston KASH the Korean American Association of Houston KAAH 2 the Korean American Chamber of Commerce KAAC the Korean Student Associations KSA at the University of Houston UH 4 and the Korean American Energy Exploration and Production Society The Korean American Scientists and Engineers Association also maintains a chapter for South Texas 6 The KAAH uses Korean as its primary medium on its website and in operations as most of its members are first generation immigrants 4 The predecessor of KASH Korean American Young Professionals Association KAYPA was established in 1985 with John H Kim born 1959 in Austin Texas as the first president 2 The KAAC established in 1974 4 originally was Korean medium 5 Kris Ahn who became the KACC president in 1995 perceived it and another organization as cannibalizing one another s purposes Haejin Koh wrote that sustaining both organizations would be difficult and perhaps unnecessary 4 Kris Ahn made English the primary medium of the KAAC and Haejin Koh wrote that In 2006 the two organizations came to serve separate constituencies and flourished 5 The Korean Community Center of Houston KCCH which occupies a 16 000 square foot 1 500 m2 two story building in Spring Branch formerly used for medical offices held its formal opening ceremony on March 12 2011 500 000 was spent for acquisition and 900 000 for renovation 13 and the government of South Korea the City of Houston and ethnic fundraising provided money for this purpose 5 Prior to the opening of the center a house in Spring Branch was used as a community center 14 The ethnic fundraising for such a center began around 1976 and in 2009 area Korean organizations made a drive to have the center established 13 The building was put up for sale after Hurricane Ike had damaged it 14 The storm damage increased the necessary costs of renovation The Korean School Seoul Baptist Church of Houston local fundraising ethnic Koreans in other countries and seed money made up 100 000 120 000 200 000 200 000 and 300 000 respectively A U S Department of Housing and Urban Development grant worth 500 000 also supported the building 13 The Korean Cultural Center the Korean School and the KAAH offices are in the building 5 Hyunja Norman created a political advocacy organization for Korean Americans Woori Juntos which was in existence by 2020 The name includes the Korean and Spanish names for the English word we 15 There is also a Korean Senior Center 8 Education editThe Houston Korean School 휴스턴한인학교 located in the community center provides supplementary Korean education 5 In 2011 it was the first and largest tenant in the community center and it had 175 students that year 13 The Korean school previously held classes at a church 6 There the Houston Community College HCC also has a facility 5 where it holds English as a second language ESL classes As of 2011 update an after school program was planned 13 As of 2011 update about 200 students at HCC were South Korean citizens 16 Recreation editKASH organizes the Korean Festival K Fest held every year at Discovery Green in Downtown Houston It originated as the Kimchi Fest spearheaded by the KACC in 2007 It received its current name in 2009 and expanded its scope 5 K Fest includes K Pop 17 Korean dance Korean food 18 American Korean fusion food taekwondo and other Korean cultural performances 17 Politics editIn 2018 Harris County did not offer Korean translations of election ballots The office of the Harris County Clerk chose not to allow volunteer Korean translators inside polling places citing state law although they were allowed in the parking lot 19 In 2021 the Texas Legislature redrew U S House of Representatives boundaries so that the Korean community in Spring Branch was divided between two different districts reducing their political representation 20 Religion edit nbsp St Andrew Kim Catholic Church Korean 휴스턴한인천주교회 in Spring BranchAs of 2008 update the oldest ethnic Korean church is the Korean Christian Church of Houston In September 2007 Chul Chung the senior pastor returned to South Korea after he resigned In 2008 there was discord among factions in the church and around 100 people were expelled from the church The members who were suspended or expelled instead attended services at the Korean Senior Center 8 In 1999 the Houston area had over 1 000 Korean Catholics The Korean Catholic church is St Andrew Kim Catholic Church in Spring Branch named after Andrew Kim Taegon 21 Seoul Baptist Church of Houston is an ethnic Baptist church in the area 13 On December 25 2001 the Korean Community Church in The Woodlands with Presbyterian Korean language services and non denominational English services opened It opened to serve ethnic Koreans in The Woodlands Conroe Huntsville Kingwood and Spring 22 Transportation editIn May 2014 Korean Air started a flight from Incheon International Airport near Seoul to George Bush Intercontinental Airport 23 The KACC supported this effort 5 The airline canceled the service in 2017 stating that there was not enough demand for the flight 24 References edit Asian Americans in Houston A Kaleidoscope of Cultures PDF Houston History University of Houston Center for Public History 13 1 Fall 2015 Table of contents Chen Edward C M Debbie Z Harwell Asian Americans Expanding Our Horizons PDF 2 6 a href Template Cite journal html title Template Cite journal cite journal a Cite journal requires journal help Koh Haejin E Korean Americans in Houston Building Bridges across Cultures and Generations PDF 17 20 a href Template Cite journal html title Template Cite journal cite journal a Cite journal requires journal help Profile Klineberg Stephen L and Jie Wu DIVERSITY AND TRANSFORMATION AMONG ASIANS IN HOUSTON Findings from the Kinder Institute s Houston Area Asian Survey 1995 2002 2011 Archive Kinder Institute for Urban Research Rice University February 2013 Reference notes edit a b Klineberg and Wu p 12 a b c Koh Haejin E p 17 Chen and Harwell p 5 a b c d e Koh Haejin E p 18 a b c d e f g h i Koh Haejin E p 19 a b c Koh Haejin E p 20 Cook Allison The Grand Tour Texas Monthly Emmis Communications January 1983 Vol 11 No 1 ISSN 0148 7736 START p 98 CITED p 144 a b c Wise Lindsay 2008 05 12 Power struggle leaves Houston Korean church in turmoil Houston Chronicle Retrieved 2019 10 17 a b Patel Purva 2008 09 05 Grocer lures development to Houston s Korea Town Houston Chronicle Retrieved 2019 10 17 George Cindy 2018 02 07 Houston s Korean community protests Olympic show of unity Houston Chronicle Retrieved 2019 10 17 Lomax John Nova The Seoul of Houston The Weather Was Not the Strong Point on Long Point Archived August 29 2008 at the Wayback Machine Houston Press January 30 2008 Fletcher Abner 2018 02 09 With Eyes On PyeongChang A Look Inside Houston s Vibrant Korean Community Houston Public Media Retrieved 2019 10 20 a b c d e f g Christian Carol 2011 03 22 Korean Community Center opens in Spring Branch Houston Chronicle Retrieved 2019 10 16 a b KCC celebrates grand opening Houston Chronicle 2011 03 16 Retrieved 2019 10 17 Trovall Elizabeth 2021 11 26 Houston s new Korean American community group advocates for all immigrants Houston Chronicle Retrieved 2021 12 10 HCC Northwest 2011 06 01 HCC forging partnership with Korean officials Houston Chronicle Retrieved 2019 10 17 This was written by HCC itself a b Dusang Kaylee 2018 10 13 Korean Fest serves up sampling of music food and culture Houston Chronicle Retrieved 2019 10 16 Kuo Iris 2009 09 29 Korean festival filled with traditional events Houston Chronicle Retrieved 2019 10 16 Despart Zach 2018 11 29 Harris County defends decision to bar Korean translators from Spring Branch polling site Houston Chronicle Retrieved 2021 12 10 Bohra Neelam 2021 11 26 Congressional gerrymandering by Texas GOP cut out the heart of Houston s Asian community Houston Chronicle Retrieved 2021 12 10 Vara Richard Area Asian Catholics to come together in celebration Houston Chronicle August 21 1999 Religion p 1 NewsBank Record 3159522 Available from the Houston Chronicle website s newspaper databases accessible with a library card and PIN Durham Erika E 2003 03 13 Korean church opens in Woodlands Houston Chronicle Retrieved 2019 10 17 Mulvaney Erin 2014 05 02 Korean Air s first flight takes off from Intercontinental Houston Chronicle Retrieved 2019 10 16 Leinfelder Andrea 2017 09 21 Korean Air stopping its flight to Houston Houston Chronicle Retrieved 2019 10 16 Further reading editIndex of articles on Koreans in Houston Houston Public MediaExternal links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Korean community in Houston Houston Korean American Chamber of Commerce 휴스턴 한인 상공회 Korean Festival Houston includes information about the Korean American Society of Houston Houston Korean School 휴스턴한인학교 Houston Korean Education Center 휴스턴한국교육원 Korean Student Association at University of Houston 휴스턴대학교 한인학생회 in Korean Information in English Korean Community Center of Houston at the Wayback Machine archive index 휴스턴 한인 사회 단체 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title History of Koreans in Houston amp oldid 1178732660, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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