Parade mixes old and new in display of cultural pride
| • | Film depicts resolve of Korean exiles |
| • | Special report: 100 Years of Dreams, Accomplishments |
By Karen Blakeman
Advertiser Staff Writer
The Korean Centennial celebration kicked into high gear yesterday, with a thousands-strong parade that included traditional costumes and music, Korean and U.S. military bands, national and international dignitaries, war veterans and beauty queens.
Deborah Booker • The Honolulu Advertiser
"Colorful," said Giustino Grandolfo, an Italian immigrant visiting from New York who stood spellbound along Kalakaua, watching the last of the participants. Music from a flute soloist seemed to linger in the streets. The marchers waved 6-inch Korean and American flags above their heads, a wake of whites, reds and blues behind intricately painted tiger banners.
Los Angeles Centennial Queen Judy Park, center, and her court presided over the Korean Centennial Parade on Kalakaua Avenue yesterday, the start of celebrations marking 100 years of Korean immigration to Hawai'i.
"Very colorful," Grandolfo said. "And very patriotic."
One hundred years ago, the first wave of Korean immigrants arrived in Hawai'i, and another cultural thread wove itself into the American tapestry. Celebrations of those beginnings are being held across the nation this week, and yesterday afternoon the centennial was marked in Waikiki.
"My grandmother loves that music," said Valerie Oh of Makiki as she, her children and grandmother relaxed in lawn chairs along the parade route. "And the traditional dancers. She's from Korea — from the countryside. She moved here 10 years ago."
Deborah Booker • The Honolulu Advertiser
Oh said she, her 6-year-old daughter, Jade, and Jordan, her 18-month-old son, were enjoying sharing their ancestral culture with Grandmother Okyonyi, who sat immersed in memories that played across her lined face.
Many examples of traditional Korean costume were in evidence along the parade route.
Se Rah Lee, master of ceremonies, said traditional dances performed during the parade had their roots in Korean farming villages, where they were performed for a successful harvest.
Lee announced the parade events from a shaded set of bleachers where the dignitaries sat, dark suits mixed with bright white naval uniforms.
Among those present or participating in the parade were the Korean Ambassador, Sung Chul Yang, and the consul general in Hawai'i for the Republic of Korea, Ji Doo Lee.
Republic of Korea Navy Capt. J.S. Kim of the Chung Ji, one of three Korean military vessels here to commemorate the centennial, also was in the bleachers.
He declared "excellent" the parade and other centennial events, including the unveiling of a Bou-chan Pak sculpture in Pawa'a City Park that honors Korean immigration. Kim said he particularly enjoyed watching the cadets from the Republic of Korea Navy Academy.
Members of the Republic of Korea Naval Academy waved Korean and American flags in a sea of red, white and blue.
Children dressed in traditional Korean dress watched yesterday's parade, which included war veterans and community dignitaries.
Photos by Deborah Booker • The Honolulu Advertiser
Correction: Ji Doo Lee is consul general in Hawai'i for the Republic of Korea. His title was incorrect in a previous version of this story.
