to our readers

“October is a fine and dangerous season in America. A wonderful time to begin anything at all.” An American monk, Thomas Merton,once touched upon a sentiment, an excitement and appreciation we are feeling here at Ameredia as we zero-in on new plans and projects. During this month of October, Koreans all over the world celebrate a thanks-giving of sorts in Chuseok, a holiday symbolizing the value of the autumn harvest. We decided to spotlight the Korean community because we too are thankful - for professional growth and opportunity to share our expertise with each and every one of you!

--From all of us at Ameredia

spotlight on: the korean community

The 2000 census reported approximately 1.41 million Korean Americans in the United States, making the ethnic group the fifth largest Asian American subgroup. The U.S. boasts the second largest overseas Korean community in the world after China. The South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade collected data citing a total of 2,016,911 Koreans in the U.S. as of September 2007.

Korean migrant workers arrived in Hawaii in 1903, and for a few years following, a surge continued with Koreans arriving in Hawaii and traveling through San Francisco. Today, population statistics show a historical influence with the largest populations of Koreans settling on the west coast in Los Angeles and San Francisco. There are other large communities, most distinctly, in New York and New Jersey but also in Washington, Florida, Georgia, Texas, Illinois, and Pennsylvania to name a few. Georgia has experienced the fastest growth of all Korean communities within the U.S., growing 88.2% from 1990 to 2000.

A unique but steady wave of Korean immigration to America exists in the form of adoptees. After the Korean War between 1950 and 1953, thousands of children became orphaned. Orphanages received a serious influx of mixed raced children, the abandoned offspring of western soldiers and Korean women. These babies especially, but also purely Korean children, were adopted by Americans largely due to religious and humanitarian efforts. The South Korea adoption program is the oldest organized international adoption program operating in the U.S.

Another interesting characteristic to note is the role of religion in Korean-American communities. In Korea, only about 40% of people associate themselves with a religion and the culture includes a variety of traditions and observations with traditional Buddhism leading the way in number of devotees followed by Christianity and a very small percentage practicing Confucianism, Shamanism and other alternative combinations of ‘new-religions.' Approximately 60-70% of Korean Americans consider themselves Christian and Korean American Christian churches have served as an integral outlet providing various social services and emotional unification and upliftment through fellowship and community based organizations.

Koreatown
There are three well known high density Korean communities in the US  located in Los Angeles, New York, and Chicago. The Los Angeles neighborhood was officially named “Koreatown” in 1980 and boasts the largest population of Koreans outside of Asia. Actually, many people in Korea endearingly refer to Los Angeles as “Na-Sung” or “shiny star.” In a particular section of L.A., along Olympic Boulevard, signage and advertisements written in the Korean language mark the influence of the authentic culture there.  A number of mass media companies particularly target this location in Korean-based initiatives.  Last month, the area enjoyed the 36th Annual Korean Festival at Seoul International Park which included celebratory programs of music and dance performances, competitions and pageants, fashion shows, and other cultural presentations, as well as a parade finale on September 15th.

Notable Organizations
The National Korean American Service & Education Consortium
Korean American Coalition – LA
The Korean American Community Foundation
The Korean American Professional Society, Bay Area
The Korean Cultural Center, LA
The Korean Cultural Service
The Korea Society

to go: community events

Throughout the month of October, festivities are celebrated among the ethnic communities here in the U.S. Go out, experience, and enjoy!

to go: professional events

Want to be more involved in the multicultural professional arena or learn about ethnic markets? Here are some events of interest.

Oct 1-2: The Latinos in Social Media Heritage Tour,” @ NYC

Oct 4-6: " ANA Multicultural Marketing & Diversity Conference," @ Phoenix, AZ

Oct 6-7: "Diversity and Inclusion Leadership Summit & Gala," @ Washington, DC

Oct 8: 25th Anniversary PRemio Awards," @ Los Angeles, CA

Oct 9-10: "National Society of Hispanic MBAs Research Forum," @ Minneapolis, MN

Oct 10: "The 3rd Annual Next Level Professional Development Conference for Women of Color," @ Springfield, MA

Oct 14: Digital and Social Media Conference Convergence 2009: Meet the Latino Disruptors of Media, Entertainment, Technology, & Advertising, @ NYC

Oct 14: "LatinVision Media Business Networking Event,” @ NYC

Oct 15: 2nd Annual Hispanic Achievement & Business Leadership Awards Luncheon,"@ Atlanta, GA

Oct 26-28: "23rd Annual NAMIC Conference," @ Denver, CO

Oct 28-30: "6th Annual Multicultural Marketing Summit," @ Miami, FL

Oct 31: "American-Muslim Consumer Conference," @ New Brunswick, NJ

in the news: our clients
Chicano Latino Youth Leadership (CLYLP) Project Receives $60K in Comcast Foundation Grants to Create the CLYLP Comcast Fellowship Program

In the midst of severe budget cuts to education and youth development programs, the Chicano Latino Youth Leadership Project continues to … succeed through the help of its sponsors and at today’s Capitol Day press conference, Comcast Foundation announced grants totaling $60,000 to the Chicano Latino Youth Leadership Project (CLYLP) to create the CLYLP Comcast Fellowship Program. 

The Fellowship Program provides college-level alumni of CLYLP, a 4-week paid internship in a state legislative office combined with an intensive training and leadership program developed in partnership with the CSU, Sacramento Center for California Studies, the University of California-Sacramento Center, the University of Southern California, and the Association of Independent California Colleges and Universities. More...

about us: agency report

Read more stats regarding the Korean community on our site here.

Recent Work: See what we've been up to lately; a peek at our current creative campaigns.

Honors: AMEREDIA CONTINUES WINNING STREAK AT 2009 MULTICULTURAL MARKETING AWARDS
Ameredia Incorporated received two first-place and one second-place title for marketing tactics devised in various campaigns with Comcast Corporation. Read more.

Updates: We value clients and campaigns. See our client partners.

Sources: United States Census 2000
Gary, Landerman. Religion and American Cultures: An Encyclopedia of Traditions, Diversity, and Popular Expressions. Illustrated. ABC-CLIO, 2003. Print.

We would love to hear from you! Submit tips and contributions to newsletter@ameredia.com.

We love multiculturalism and it shows. Call/email us or fill in this form for new business inquiries.

"If we cannot end now our differences, at least we can help make the world safe for diversity." - John F. Kennedy

multicultural snapshot
Chuseok is a harvest festival, a three-day holiday dedicated to honoring the ancestors for providing a thriving harvest season. It is celebrated on the fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month, usually falling in September or October but changes each year. Most Koreans visit their hometowns to celebrate creating notorious traffic jams where travel time can as much as quadruple in length. While the holiday is a time of rest and reflection, formal ancestral rites are performed very early in the morning and lots of food and drink are prepared and consumed during the day. Many Koreans also visit the burial sites of deceased relatives to pay respect and show appreciation for their blessings.

media sheet
The Korea Herald is an English-language daily newspaper founded in 1953, published in Seoul, South Korea as a tabloid called ‘The Korean Republic.’ In 1973, The Korea Herald opened a branch office in Los Angeles and in 1982, launched a daily international edition. The editors include Korean and international writers. The Korea Herald is a member of the Asia News Network and is operated by Herald Media.

bite-sized language
Korean: the official language of North and South Korea. It is also widely spoken in regions within China, Japan, Thailand, and Russia. The written language began by utilizing some borrowed Chinese characters and evolved into its own unique writing system. There are 24 letters in the Korean alphabet: 14 consonants and 10 vowels. The letters are combined together into blocks of syllables and written vertically from left to right.

good eats

For Chuseok, most Koreans will enjoy a taste of songpyun. It is a food that is very closely tied to the holiday and many consider traditional preparation of the dessert an integral part of the season’s festivities.

ingredients:
5 cups of rice flour
1 cup of water
1 cup of roasted sesame seeds
2 tablespoons of honey
2 tablespoons sesame seed oil
8 tablespoons of sugar
1 tablespoon of salt
washed pine needles
wet cloth

1. Mix water and rice flour to make a moist, firm dough. Cover the dough with a wet cloth.

2. Crush and mix roasted sesame seeds, sugar and a pinch of salt for the filling.

3. Cut the rice dough into small 1-inch balls and use thumb to make a dent in the middle of each ball. Place sesame seed filling into the hole and wrap the edges in to seal. Form mound into clam or crescent shape.

4. Place wet cloth, then pine needles and your songpyuns onto steamer. Let steam for about 30 minutes.

5. When the shell of the songpyuns begin to show a sheer translucence, they should be fully cooked. You may gently dip in cold water to remove pine needles and brush them with sesame seed oil. Let cool and enjoy!

global calendar

Oct 1-3: National Day of the People’s Republic of China

Oct 3: Sukkot (Jewish)

Oct 3: Moon Festival (Taiwan)

Oct 3: German Unity Day

Oct 9: Independence Day (Uganda)

Oct 12: Dia de la Raza (Argentina, Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Honduras, Mexico, Uruguay, Venezuela)

Oct 17: Diwali (Buddhist, Hindu)

Oct 21: Cirio de Nazare (Brazil)

Oct 26: Austrian National Day, day of the Declaration of Neutrality

Oct 27: Deepavali Festival Day (Sri Lanka)