Diaspora journey of running for US Congress

More than 100 politicians of Korean descent from across the globe gathered in Seoul this week for the 10th Global Korean Politicians Forum to connect and discuss items on the agenda such as security, welfare and education.

Among those is a name to watch in US politics: 40-year-old David Kim, a children’s court attorney and activist, who is currently running for Los Angeles’ 34th Congressional District. In a community brimming with the cultural vibrancy of Korean Americans, Kim stands out as a powerful voice advocating for social change.

Sharing a deeply personal story of resilience, identity and the determination to uplift marginalized voices, Kim sat down with The Korea Herald on Tuesday and reflected on his political journey and what it means to fight for a community that mirrors his own roots in the Korean diaspora.

Making waves as a grassroots challenger in California’s 34th Congressional District, Kim ran in the previous two 2022 and 2020 general election cycles for the same seat, winning 49 percent and 47 percent of the general election votes, respectively, against the corporate-backed incumbent, marking a significant achievement for a grassroots candidate.

Kim seeks to bring a fresh perspective to politics -- one that prioritizes people over corporations and addresses systemic issues that have long plagued marginalized communities.

Unlike many politicians who run campaigns based on large donors and corporate political action committees, Kim said he runs clean-money campaigns to put the community first.

"Once I go into Congress, I don't have to spend four to six hours calling corporate PACs and special interests for money to donate to me. I just need to meet my voters. Because it would be the people that got me into office, I will never have to negotiate."

Running for Congress in a district that encompasses Koreatown in Los Angeles is profoundly meaningful for Kim.

A vibrant hub of Korean culture and commerce, Koreatown has been a cornerstone of the Korean American experience in the US for decades. However, despite its significance, the district has never had a Korean American representative in the US Congress.

If he wins, Kim would be the first Congress member of Korean descent elected for Koreatown. "LA has been around about 60 years, and the fact that there hasn't been a Korean representative yet is a little surprising," noted Kim.

“To be the first Korean American congressman for Koreatown would be historic,” Kim says. “It’s not just about representation; it’s about ensuring that our community’s voice is heard in Washington.”

Koreans in US politics

Kim is not the only one expanding the Korean heritage presence in US politics. In his neighborhood, there is Grace Yoo, who is a declared candidate for Los Angeles City Council District 10, and incumbent John Lee who won the election outright in the primary for Los Angeles City Council District 12 in March this year.

Throughout roughly a century since Koreans initially migrated to the US, only two Koreans were elected to the US House of Representatives. Jay Kim in 1992, became the very first Korean American to serve in Congress. Almost three decades later in 2018, incumbent Andy Kim became the second Korean American to serve.

It was not until 2021 that a record four Korean Americans were sworn into the 117th Congress for the first time in history.

Starring Kim, a documentary dubbed "Chosen" features five politicians of vastly diverse backgrounds with competing political views running for US Congress.

Except for David, who was the only underdog with limited resources vying to be the first Korean American representative in Koreatown, the other four candidates garnered victory, including Congressman Andy Kim, representing the 3rd Congressional District of New Jersey; Marilyn Strickland, the US representative from Washington's 10th Congressional District; Young Oak Kim, serving for California's 39th Congressional District; and Michelle Eunjoo Steel, serving as the US representative for California's 48th Congressional District.

"While it was important to settle down and secure stability and economic environment, In the early years of immigration, later, as the Korean community established itself as a model community in the host country, the rights of the Korean community grew, and Korea's status increased, leading to the increased number of Korean Americans who expanded their role as a bridge between the host country and their home country increased and bigger influence in the political arena," an official from Overseas Koreans Cooperation Center explained.

David Kim also points to the resilience of the Korean people.

"As a Korean coming from an immigrant family, there's something about the struggle, the resilience that Korean people have, that has gotten us this far. I also feel part of the Korean American thing was my parents teaching me how to look out for other people and to realize that if one person's not doing well, then all people are not doing well," said Kim.

"Hyodo," the Korean term for filial piety, which is rooted deeply in ethnicity and society, is what has made David the person he is now.

"I think doing 'Hyodo' to the parents also becomes one for your community as well. Me being Korean American has shaped who I am and my heart to help people and all of that. My dad lived for other people. And I think for them it was within the church. But I think that should continue outside of the church as well."

Politics for regular people

Kim’s campaign is rooted in a commitment to take on special interests and return power to everyday people. He is outspoken about the influence of corporate money in politics.

"34th congressional district is the fourth poorest congressional district out of the 52 in California. And, we're the 28th poorest out of the 435 in the country. That's how much people here are desperate, and they want real leadership that comes up with new ideas, that are standing out of the norm," he said.

“Our political system is broken, and it’s broken because it’s not working for regular people,” Kim asserts. “We’ve seen how corporate-backed politicians consistently fail to deliver real change because they’re beholden to their donors, not their constituents.”

Kim’s approach is focused on grassroots mobilization and policy platforms that prioritize housing, health care and workers’ rights — issues that disproportionately affect working-class and immigrant communities like those in his district. “I’m not just running to win an office; I’m running to fight for the people who’ve been ignored and overlooked by a system that doesn’t prioritize their needs.”

If elected, Kim aims to implement a responsive governance model that emphasizes direct communication between representatives and their constituents. He proposes mandatory town halls, open office hours and the establishment of constituent councils to ensure that the voices of the people are heard.

"If politics was my end game, I would move there and run for office (in a better neighborhood). But that's not the reason why I want to do politics, to have a name for myself. I want to do politics because I want to help people. And so that's why I'm running in the district where I live right now."