On September 18, 2024, the White House celebrated Chuseok, commonly known as Korean Thanksgiving, for the very first time. Held at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, the event was spearheaded and organized by White House staff, in collaboration with the Washington, DC based Council of Korean Americans (CKA), and New York based Korean American Community Foundation (KACF).
In a written message shared at the reception, US President Joe Biden said, “Rooted in more than a millennium of traditions and customs, Chuseok reminds us not only of the rich heritage of the Korean community but also of the universal bonds that unite people all around the world.”
The celebrations at the White House came at a significant time with the presidential election just a few weeks away and a record number of four Korean Americans currently serving in the US Congress.
Around 100 Korean Americans from around the US attended the event including prominent Korean Americans such as former US Ambassador to South Korea, Sung Kim.
“Whether your family has been here for generations, or you immigrated to the United States yourself, each of you has woven the vibrancy, culture, and contributions of the Korean community into the tapestry of our country,” Biden said in his written message.
Chuseok is a celebration of the autumn harvest that dates back to the agrarian customs of the Silla kingdom. During the three-day period, families celebrate by making traditional dishes such as songpyeon (rice cakes shaped like the half-moon), visiting ancestral graves to leave offerings from the year’s harvest, and conducting memorial rites called charye.
Abraham Kim, Executive Director of the CKA said that while an Asian American festival being celebrated in the White House was not “unprecedented,” the Chuseok celebration was significant as it shed light on the importance of Korean Americans and their contributions to mainstream America. There are currently around 1.9 million Korean Americans living in the US.
“This was a very specific recognition of the Korean American community and to be able to celebrate (at the White House, reflected) a tremendous recognition by the administration,” Kim said in an interview to Young Professionals Hanah Park and Shinjini Ghosh.
While in Korea, Chuseok has been dubbed the “great migration of the nation,” as millions make their way back to their hometowns to celebrate the holiday with their families. In the US, the Korean American diaspora has found ways to celebrate Chuseok despite being separated from their families in Korea with whom they would typically share the holiday.
The White House reception not only included a Korean food spread but also cultural programming, speeches, and participation by senior members of the Biden administration, Kim said in the same interview.
“Our hope is that the event will continue in subsequent years and the fact that it has happened already sets a precedent,” said Kim.
Shinjini Ghosh is a Fall 2024 Young Professional at the East-West Center in Washington. Shinjini is currently pursuing a graduate program in journalism at Georgetown University. Previously she was a reporter in India.
Hanah Park is a Fall 2024 Young Professional at the East-West Center in Washington. Hanah is currently a student at Pomona College studying International Relations. Previously she was an intern at the United States Indo-Pacific Command.