DOCSLIB.ORG

Asians in Minnesota Oral History Project Minnesota Historical Society

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Asians in Minnesota Oral History Project Minnesota Historical Society Hyun Sook Han Narrator Sarah Mason Interviewer January 3, 1979 Sarah Mason -SM Hyun Sook Han -HH SM: I’m talking to Mrs. Hyun Sook Han on January 3, 1978. Project HH: Nine. 1979. SM: Nine. I’m sorry. 1979. This is an interview conducted under the auspices of the Minnesota Historical Society. The interviewer is Sarah Mason. Mrs. Han, could you give us some background on your childhood in Korea, your family, yourHistory education, and your reasons for immigrating to Minnesota? Society HH: You mean talking about my parents? Oral SM: Yes, if you are willing to. HH: Yes. My both parents are alive in Korea. Historical SM: Yes. HH: And they are [unclear].Minnesota And both have only grade school backgrounds. My mother even did not complete grade school.in That was under Japanese control. They came from a rural area and moved into Seoul, capitol city of Korea when they were in their early twenties. They did not meet each other before their wedding date. That marriage was arranged by the parents, like the usual. Most of that age peopleMinnesota did not have free marriage like you have in the U.S. And they are three years . two years different. My father is two years older. Asians SM: Yes. What is his work or his occupation? HH: He was . he worked at an electric company for a long time. Not a technician, just office worker. And later on, for almost ten or fifteen years, he worked at labor union, at that company. SM: Oh. I see. That’s a company union? HH: Yes. Company union. 1 SM: I see. HH: Union office. SM: And did your mother work, too? HH: No, she never worked. [Chuckles] There she was the mother of seven children. SM: Oh. She did work. [Chuckles] HH: She worked, yes, very hard. And then she gave birth for . ten children. SM: Oh. Project HH: And during the Korean War, the newborn baby died because of starvation. SM: Oh. HH: She was only one week old when Korean War was broken.History Society SM: One year? Oral HH: No, one week old. SM: Oh, I see. HH: And there was no milk available at that timeHistorical and we had to evacuate and my mother did not have any breast milk because of all those crises. SM: Yes. Minnesota in HH: And so there was no food for the baby that young. SM: That was the last childMinnesota born or . .? HH: No.Asians And then also during war, she was pregnant again, and gave birth for twin boys, eight and a half months premature, and died after three hours of birth because there was no facilities that time. SM: Oh, yes. This was in Seoul? HH: [Unclear] hospital to save their life. SM: Oh. 2 HH: So we even do not remember those babies. I just . SM: Yes. HH: I think among my siblings I’m the oldest one. SM: Oh. HH: I’m the only person who can remember even those things. SM: Oh, yes. Yes. You were the oldest one in this family then. HH: Yes. Project SM: I see. And so you grew up in Seoul then, is that right? HH: Yes, I grew up in Seoul and I was seven when we became independent, when Korea was independent. History SM: Oh. Society HH: And I still remember we suffered from shortagesOral of food during the Second World War. SM: Yes. HH: Everything we had to have a ticket to buy, for the food and shoes and clothing and . and all the brass items and silver, gold, were collectedHistorical by Japanese. SM: Oh. Minnesota HH: We couldn’t keepin even . SM: They confiscated it. Minnesota HH: Yes, our dishes and all kinds of kitchen items, including our tongs and chopsticks were all brasses. Asians SM: Oh. HH: And they collected all those for use in the war. From every . SM: I see, from every family then? 3 HH: And from every single family, I still remember. We had to replace with some . At that time we didn’t have many plastics. Before and during the Second World War. SM: No, that’s too early. Yes. HH: So what did we replace . .? Hmmm . wood. SM: Wood, for chopsticks. HH: Yes. Yes. SM: Hmmm, then it would be hard to have cooked [unclear]. HH: The worst thing, my grandmother was very furious with this brass collection because all of the candlesticks for the ancestors worship. Project SM: Oh. Oh, yes. HH: She refused to give up those things and she buried some of them. [Chuckles] History SM: Did she? Society HH: [Unclear] under the earth. So she saved some,Oral but not much. SM: Ah ha. Oh. HH: For spoons for us or bowls for us was not important, but for ancestors worship. Historical SM: Oh, yes. HH: [Unclear], were very importantMinnesota for her. in SM: I see. Yes. HH: So she saved those. Minnesota SM: WhatAsians was her religion? HH: Mainstream of religion in Korea is Confucianism. SM: Confucianism. HH: Yes, no matter we are Catholic or Protestant or Buddhist, we still are Confucianists. SM: I see. 4 HH: Yes. We still believe those. SM: So was your family Buddhist, too? Or just Confucian? HH: No, just Confucian. SM: Yes. HH: So which means there was no religion. But strong believer . SM: Rituals and so on. HH: Yes. Yes. Project SM: Yes. HH: And my father was the oldest son of the family, so he had to take over all those ancestors worship until the fifth ancestor’s generation, I mean fifth up from. History SM: Yes. Oh. Fifth going back in years. Society HH: Going back in years, yes. Oral SM: Yes. To the fifth generation. HH: Yes. Historical SM: So that was a strong part of your childhood then, the Confucian. HH: Yes. And for my parents’Minnesota generation he has to keep his mother, grandmother, parents and younger brother at home,in same home. So I was, too. SM: Oh, I see. Minnesota HH: I was raised under great-grandmother, grandparents, an uncle, in the same family home, small home.Asians SM: Oh. Great-grandmother, your parents . HH: And grandparents. SM: And grandparents and your uncle. HH: Uncle. Because my father had only one younger brother. 5 SM: I see. HH: And he separated after he married. SM: I see. HH: That is a very traditional family type life. SM: Yes. So that would be characteristic then. HH: Yes. Yes. SM: Yes. Is that still characteristic? Project HH: In rural areas quite. SM: In rural areas. HH: But more and more, the grandparents and or just the sonHistory and family. Society SM: Yes. Oral HH: Or nuclear family like in the U.S. SM: Oh. But that would be true mainly in the cities, would it? HH: Yes. Historical SM: Yes. So there were four generations in your household. Minnesota HH: Yes. in SM: But now it’s more often three. Minnesota HH: Yes. Two. Asians SM: Or two. HH: Yes, or two. SM: I see. HH: But even they are, in two generation family homes, their way of thinking it is still for, and three generations, the way of thinking is still the same way. 6 SM: Oh, yes. Sure. Yes. Well, as a child did you have any contact with the United States or . .? HH: No, we never knew about another world or another looking people. SM: Oh. HH: Until the Korean War. SM: I see. You never thought about people of other countries. HH: No. Look different. No never. [Unclear] SM: You never saw Westerners? Project HH: No . oh, yes. One single person from Russia. [Chuckles] SM: [Laughter] HH: After Russian Revolution. History Society SM: Really. Oral HH: What I heard when I was in grade school, he was very small, white man has long . SM: Beard? HH: Beard. Historical SM: Hmmm. Minnesota HH: And he was sellingin a hand and face cream. He made it at home. SM: [Chuckles] Minnesota HH: At that time, my mother never had any cream. Asians SM: Oh. HH: So it was quite fascinating. And he had a little cart, and he had to put all those out . all those things on the cart and he sold those creams to the neighbors. So if he shows up in the neighborhood, then all the neighborhood children go outside to look at him because of his white long beard. SM: [Chuckles] Oh, that’s interesting. 7 HH: And I think different looking eye colors. That’s why we were so fascinated. SM: Oh, I see. HH: But we never thought he was the same human being. SM: [Chuckles] he was from another planet. HH: Because he was a funny, funny grandpa. [Chuckles] SM: [Laughing] Funny grandpa. HH: Yes. Project SM: Was he a so-called White Russian in that he was against the Revolution and a refugee? HH: Yes. Yes. We called him White Russian. SM: Yes. Yes, those were the . History Society HH: I don’t know. It . does it make sense? Oral SM: Yes. Those were the ones against the Red group now. HH: Oh. Yes. That’s right. Yes. White Russian. SM: Yes. Historical HH: But he was a very short man. Minnesota SM: I see. in HH: And then after independence, which was like I was in second grade, in grade school. Minnesota SM: Yes. Asians HH: I saw a couple of very tall, big beards . and [unclear] Western ladies on the street. SM: [Chuckles] Western ladies with beards? HH: No, no, no.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Korean Honorific Speech Style Shift: Intra-Speaker
    KOREAN HONORIFIC SPEECH STYLE SHIFT: INTRA-SPEAKER VARIABLES AND CONTEXT A DISSERATION SUBMITTED TO THE GRADUATE DIVISION OF THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAI'I AT MĀNOA IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY IN EAST ASIAN LANGUAGES AND LITERATURES (KOREAN) MAY 2014 By Sumi Chang Dissertation Committee: Ho-min Sohn, Chairperson Dong Jae Lee Mee Jeong Park Lourdes Ortega Richard Schmidt Keywords: Korean honorifics, grammaticalization, indexicality, stance, identity ⓒ Copyright 2014 by Sumi Chang ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS No words can express my appreciation to all the people who have helped me over the course of my doctoral work which has been a humbling and enlightening experience. First, I want to express my deepest gratitude to my Chair, Professor Ho-min Sohn, for his intellectual guidance, enthusiasm, and constant encouragement. I feel very fortunate to have been under his tutelage and supervision. I also wish to thank his wife, Mrs. Sook-Hi Sohn samonim, whose kindness and generosity extended to all the graduate students, making each of us feel special and at home over the years. Among my committee members, I am particularly indebted to Professor Dong Jae Lee for continuing to serve on my committee even after his retirement. His thoughtfulness and sense of humor alleviated the concerns and the pressure I was under. Professor Mee Jeong Park always welcomed my questions and helped me organize my jumbled thoughts. Her support and reassurance, especially in times of self-doubt, have been true blessings. Professor Lourdes Ortega's invaluable comments since my MA days provided me with a clear direction and goal.
    [Show full text]
  • Korea and LA Report.Indd
    GROWINGGROWING TOGETHERTOGETHER KOREA LOSLOS ANGELESANGELES COUNTYCOUNTY PRESENTING SPONSOR: The LAEDC thanks the following Business Leaders for their generous support: For information about LAEDC membership, contact Justin Goodkind (213) 236-4813. GROWINGGROWING TTOGETHEROGETHER KOREA LOSLOS ANGELESANGELES COUNTYCOUNTY PREPARED BY: Ferdinando Guerra, International Economist Principal author and researcher With special thanks to Rafael De Anda for his research assistance. Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation Kyser Center for Economic Research 444 S. Flower St., 37th Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90071 Tel: (213) 622-4300 or (888) 4-LAEDC-1 Fax: (213) 622-7100 E-mail: [email protected] Web: http://www.laedc.org The LAEDC, the region’s premier business leadership organization, is a private, non-profi t 501(c)3 organization established in 1981. The LAEDC would like to thank the following organizations for their generous support of the Growing Together: Korea and Los Angeles County report. PRESENTING SPONSOR: SPONSORED BY: GROWING TOGETHER • KOREA AND LOS ANGELES COUNTY As Southern California’s premier business leadership organization, the mission of the LAEDC is to attract, retain, and grow businesses and jobs for the regions of Los Angeles County. Since 1996, the LAEDC has helped retain or attract more than 175,000 jobs, providing $8.5 billion in direct economic impact from salaries and more than $145 million in tax revenue benefi t to local governments and education in Los Angeles County. REGIONAL LEADERSHIP The members of the LAEDC are civic leaders and ranking executives of the region’s leading public and private organizations. Through fi nancial support and direct participation in the mission, programs, and public policy initiatives of the LAEDC, the members are committed to playing a decisive role in shaping the region’s economic future.
    [Show full text]
  • Anti-Graft Body Refers Official to Prosecution on Bribery Charges Assembly Rain Panel Insists Probe Exhaustive, Denies Shielding Anyone
    THULQADA 5, 1440 AH MONDAY JULY 8, 2019 Max 49º 28 Pages Min 36º 150 Fils Established 1961 ISSUE NO: 17876 The First Daily in the Arabian Gulf www.kuwaittimes.net Amir wishes new Olympic committee African leaders launch Tour de Impossible? Pak hosts Messi blasts Copa America 211success in serving Kuwaiti sports ‘historic’ free trade deal 26 ‘world’s toughest cycle race’ 27 ‘corruption’ after red card Anti-graft body refers official to prosecution on bribery charges Assembly rain panel insists probe exhaustive, denies shielding anyone By B Izzak USA beat Netherlands to retain World Cup KUWAIT: The Anti-Corruption Authority (Nazaha) referred yesterday an official - without disclosing his name, position, or the entity he worked for - to the public prosecution on the charge of accepting a bribe. Nazaha spokesman and assistant secretary Mohammad Bouzber said in a press release that this case is consid- ered the first of its kind. The authority said in a statement that it had received a complaint backed by documents against the official and conducted its own investigation, including interro- that could be used to indict some companies and gating the official. The statement said the official failed their owners. to justify the larger-than-usual funds that were MP Ahmad Al-Fadhl said yesterday that the report deposited into his bank accounts and also failed to jus- does not include important information provided by the tify overspending in his government department. Audit Bureau, which directly accused some companies Nazaha affirmed that it will continue its work on fight- by name. But Damkhi insisted that the report is not ing corruption by following leads and investigating sus- brief, did not ignore any facts and has held a number of picious and illicit acts.
    [Show full text]
  • 2021 Proxy Statement Western Alliance | About Us
    Proxy Statement Notice of 2021 Annual Meeting of Stockholders NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS 2021 Annual Meeting of Stockholders DATE AND TIME LOCATION RECORD DATE Tuesday, June 15, 2021 One E. Washington Street April 16, 2021 11:00 a.m., local time Suite 1400 Phoenix, Arizona Voting Matters and Board Recommendations How to Vote Board Proposal No. Recommendation 1. Election of Directors. To elect thirteen directors to the Board of Directors for a “FOR” one-year term (“Proposal No. 1” or “Election of Directors”) Internet 2. Advisory (Non-Binding) Vote on Executive Compensation. by going to www.proxypush.com/WAL and To approve, on a non-binding advisory basis, executive “FOR” following the online instructions. You will compensation (“Proposal No. 2” or “Say-on-Pay”) need information from your Notice of Internet Availability or proxy card, as 3. Ratification of Auditor. applicable, to submit your proxy. To ratify the appointment of RSM US LLP as the “FOR” Company’s independent auditor (“Proposal No. 3” or “Ratification of Auditor”) Telephone by calling 1-866-249-5139 and following the voice prompts. You will need information from your Notice of Internet Availability or proxy card, as applicable, to submit your proxy. By order of the Board of Directors, Mail (if you request to receive your proxy materials by mail): by marking your vote on your proxy card, signing your name exactly as it appears on Randall S. Theisen your proxy card, dating your proxy card, and Secretary returning it in the envelope provided. Phoenix, Arizona April 30, 2021 Important Notice Regarding the Availability of Proxy Materials for the Stockholder Meeting to be Held on June 15, 2021: This proxy statement, along with our annual report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020, are available free of charge online at www.proxydocs.com/WAL.
    [Show full text]
  • Terrorists Destroy World Trade Center, Hit Pentagon
    EE P1JW255001-4-A00100-1---SB P1JW255001-4-A00100-1---SB P1JW255001-4-A00100-1---SB SB **** BLACK 09/12/2001 s 2001 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. ! VOL. CCXXXVIII NO. 51 EE/PR 1111 WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2001 WSJ.com iiii $1.00 TERRORISTS DESTROY WORLD TRADE CENTER, HIT PENTAGON IN RAID WITH HIJACKED JETS Nation Stands What’s News— Death Toll, Source of Devastating Attacks Remain Unclear; iii iii U.S. Vows Retaliation as Attention Focuses on bin Laden In Disbelief 7 By David S. Cloud Vt. 7 Business and Finance World-Wide 7 And Neil King BOSTON: American Airlines The Wall Street Journal N.H. And Horror Staff Reporters of Flight 11, a Boeing 767, leaves LL MAJOR U.S. FINANCIAL mar- By successfully attacking the most promi- Boston at 7:59 a.m. EDT for Los kets closed yesterday and remain BUSH PROMISED action against ter- New York A rorist attacks in the Eastern U.S. nent symbols of American power—Wall Street Mass. Boston Angeles. This flight, with 92 closed today in the wake of the terrorist and the Pentagon—terrorists have wiped out people aboard, including 11 The death toll from the hijacked-jet at- crew, becomes the first plane to Streets of Manhattan attack on the World Trade Center. The tacks that destroyed the World Trade Cen- any remaining illusions that America is safe Conn. hit the World Trade Center. near-panic reaction in the global mar- from mass organized violence. ter’s towers in New York and damaged the Pennsylvania Resemble War Zone kets that remained open suggested that Pentagon outside Washington was impos- That realization alone will alter the way NEW YORK: At about 8:50 a.m., Flight 11 from the U.S.
    [Show full text]
  • Congressional Record United States Th of America PROCEEDINGS and DEBATES of the 105 CONGRESS, SECOND SESSION
    E PL UR UM IB N U U S Congressional Record United States th of America PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES OF THE 105 CONGRESS, SECOND SESSION Vol. 144 WASHINGTON, FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 1998 No. 120 House of Representatives The House met at 9 a.m. S. 2071. An Act to extend a quarterly finan- be deemed to have been received in executive The Chaplain, Reverend James David cial report program administered by the Sec- session unless it is received in an open ses- Ford, D.D., offered the following pray- retary of Commerce. sion of the committee. f SEC. 4. Notwithstanding clause 2(e) of rule er: XI, access to executive-session material of With all the striving and energy that ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE SPEAKER the committee relating to the review shall we use to make our mark, we pray, Al- The SPEAKER. One minutes will be be restricted to members of the committee, mighty God, that we would also slow and to such employees of the committee as at the end of legislative business today. our pace and listen to Your still small may be designated by the chairman after voice that speaks to us in our hearts f consultation with the ranking minority and in our minds. Just as we learn to PROVIDING FOR DELIBERATIVE member. SEC. 5. Notwithstanding clause 2(g) of rule speak, so may we learn to listen; just REVIEW BY COMMITTEE ON THE XI, each meeting, hearing, or deposition of as we declare our ideas, so may we re- JUDICIARY OF COMMUNICATION the committee relating to the review shall flect on what others teach us; just as FROM INDEPENDENT COUNSEL be conducted in executive session unless oth- we hear the voices around us, so may Mr.
    [Show full text]
  • Asians in Minnesota Oral History Project Minnesota Historical Society
    Dr. Sung Won Sohn Narrator Sarah Mason Interviewer December 19, 1979 Minneapolis, Minnesota Sarah Mason -SM Dr. Sung Won Sohn -SS SM: I’m talking to Dr. Sung Won Sohn in Minneapolis, Minnesota on December 19, 1979. He’s the senior vice president and chief economist for Northwestern National BankProject in Minneapolis. This is an interview conducted under the auspices of the Minnesota Historical Society and the interviewer is Sarah Mason. Dr. Sohn, if we could just begin with your background and your family in Korea and how you happened to come to the United States and Minnesota. History Society SS: Well, I was one of six children. And my father was a banker. And, well, the reason why I decided to come to the U.S. is because of two reasons.Oral Number one, Korea is a fairly small country. Consequently, opportunities are somewhat limited no matter what area it is. So I was looking for somewhat broader opportunities elsewhere. And number two, there was and still is an American presence, a lot of Americans, so I made American friends and so to me it was natural for me to come to America. Historical SM: Oh, yes. SS: The other element was theMinnesota financial support. I was able to get some financial support from the University of Florida.in SM: I see. Minnesota SS: Coming from Korea in those days, it was very hard to get American dollars even if you had Korean money.Asians SM: Oh. SS: So financial support was very important. So conditions were right for me to come here at the time.
    [Show full text]
  • Investment Committee Agenda
    Investment Committee Agenda REGULAR MEETING Chair: Sung Won Sohn TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2018 Committee Members: Elizabeth Lee Nilza R. Serrano TIME: 10:30 A.M. OR IMMEDIATELY Manager-Secretary: Neil M. Guglielmo FOLLOWING ADJOURNMENT OF REGULAR BOARD MEETING Executive Assistant: Ani Ghoukassian MEETING LOCATION: Legal Counselor: City Attorney’s Office Retirement Benefits Division LACERS Ken Spiker Boardroom 202 West First Street, Suite 500 Sign Language Interpreters, Communication Access Real-Time Transcription, Assistive Listening Devices, or other auxiliary aids and/or Los Angeles, CA 90012-4401 services may be provided upon request. To ensure availability, you are advised to make your request at least 72 hours prior to the meeting you wish to attend. Due to difficulties in securing Sign Language Interpreters, five or more business days’ notice is strongly recommended. For additional information, please contact: Board of Administration Office at (213) 473-7169. I. PUBLIC COMMENTS ON MATTERS WITHIN THE COMMITTEE’S JURISDICTION II. APPROVAL OF MINUTES FOR THE INVESTMENT COMMITTEE MEETING OF AUGUST 14, 2018 AND POSSIBLE COMMITTEE ACTION III. CHIEF INVESTMENT OFFICER VERBAL REPORT IV. PRESENTATION BY LAZARD ASSET MANAGEMENT, LLC REGARDING THE MANAGEMENT OF AN ACTIVE NON-U.S. EQUITIES DEVELOPED MARKETS CORE PORTFOLIO V. PRESENTATION BY MFS INSTITUTIONAL ADVISORS, INC. REGARDING THE MANAGEMENT OF AN ACTIVE NON-U.S. EQUITIES DEVELOPED MARKETS GROWTH PORTFOLIO VI. PRESENTATION BY BARROW, HANLEY, MEWHINNEY & STRAUSS, LLC REGARDING THE MANAGEMENT OF AN ACTIVE NON-U.S. EQUITIES DEVELOPED MARKETS VALUE PORTFOLIO 1 VII. INVESTMENT MANAGER CONTRACT WITH AJO, LP REGARDING THE MANAGEMENT OF AN ACTIVE LARGE CAP VALUE EQUITIES PORTFOLIO AND POSSIBLE COMMITTEE ACTION VIII.
    [Show full text]
  • Hanmi Financial Corp. Appoints Jay S. Yoo President and CEO
    June 13, 2008 Hanmi Financial Corp. Appoints Jay S. Yoo President and CEO LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Hanmi Financial Corporation (Nasdaq:HAFC), the holding company of Hanmi Bank, announced that Jay S. Yoo has been appointed President and Chief Executive Officer of Hanmi Financial Corporation and Hanmi Bank. Mr. Yoo, whose appointment is effective June 23, 2008, replaces Sung Won Sohn, who retired in December 2007. Mr. Yoo will also serve on the Boards of Directors of Hanmi Financial Corporation and Hanmi Bank. Jay S. Yoo, 61, began his banking career in South Korea in 1970 and was most recently -- from 2001 to 2007 -- Chairman, President and CEO of New York-based Woori America Bank, a subsidiary of Woori Bank, a South Korean bank with assets of approximately $225 billion. He holds a B.A. in Business Administration from Sogang University in Seoul, South Korea. "We are delighted that Mr. Yoo has accepted our invitation to lead Hanmi's senior management team," said Won R. Yoon, M.D., Hanmi's Chairman. "He brings to Hanmi a breadth of experience in commercial banking that will be invaluable as we address a variety of challenges facing Hanmi, not the least of which are the need to improve credit quality and achieve a measure of stability in the Bank's financial performance. "During his 37-year career in banking, almost half of which has been spent in the United States, Mr. Yoo has demonstrated an impressive range of administrative and operational skills," added Dr. Yoon. "Equally important, he has acquired expertise in a number of key areas
    [Show full text]
  • Takes Hanmi Bank Mainstream, As Featured in U.S. Banker
    U. S. Banker | Becoming Mr. Mainstream Page 1 of 4 March 2007 Becoming Mr. Mainstream Hanmi Financial chief executive Sung Won Sohn, who made his name as a Wells Fargo economist, is seeking to make over the biggest institution in the Korean-American bank niche. He faces stiff competition from Wilshire Bancorp, Nara Bancorp and Center Financial, all of which also have profited from their entrepreneurial client bases and a sizzling southern California economy. Like all red-hot markets, there's always room for improvement, and, some observers argue, likely consolidation in a market driven less by geography than ethnicity. Will Sohn use his Wells experience to broaden his reach? Sung Won Sohn grew up in small-town Korea during the 1950s, the son of a bank president. Back then, bankers' families often lived in houses attached to their institutions, and Sohn's was no exception. Times were tough, and the young Sohn would sneak into the bank on weekends with his siblings to make paper airplanes and draw pictures. "We weren't supposed to do that," Sohn says conspiratorially. "Paper was very scarce and very expensive." On workdays, employees would stash their lunch boxes, filled with rice and relishes, in the cafeteria. "We would go in and open up their lunch boxes to see who had the best relishes," Sohn recalls. "My father found out, and he really scolded us." It might be difficult to imagine Sohn, who became a renowned economist for Wells Fargo & Co., as a young troublemaker. Rest assured, he's putting that rebellious streak-and a diverse background-to good use as CEO of Los Angeles-based Hanmi Financial Corp., the nation's largest Korean-American bank.
    [Show full text]
  • SUNG WON SOHN Ph.D
    SUNG WON SOHN Ph.D Dr. Sohn is a Professor of Finance and Economics at Loyola-Marymount University. He is also president of SS Economics, an economic consulting firm focused on the U.S. economy, international trade in the pacific-rim and technology including AI. Dr. Sohn was the President and Chief Executive Officer of Hanmi Financial Corporation, a commercial bank in Los Angeles, California. Before joining Hanmi in 2005, Dr. Sohn was an Executive Vice President and Chief Economic Officer at Wells Fargo Banks. He was also Vice Chairman of the Board at a retailer Forever 21. Dr. Sohn also serves as Commissioner for LACERS (Los Angeles City Employee Retirement System) and Chair of the Investment Committee, managing $17 billion in assets. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for Western Alliance Bancorporation, and National Association of Corporate Directors PSW. Dr. Sohn is an internationally-known economist. Dr. Sohn was Martin V. Smith Professor of Economics at California State University CI and director of Institute for Global Economic Research (IGER) forecasting economic and investment conditions in the Pacific-rim countries. Prior to Wells Fargo, Dr. Sohn was a Senior Economist on the President's Council of Economic Advisors in The White House. He was responsible for economic and legislative matters pertaining to The Federal Reserve and financial markets. Dr. Sohn has also been a tenured professor in Pennsylvania State University System. In 2001, Bloomberg News selected Dr. Sohn as one of the five most accurate forecasters in the United States. In 2002, Blue Chip Publications picked him as the most accurate forecaster for the Western States, and he was named to Time Magazine's Board of Economists.
    [Show full text]
  • Collapse in Oil Prices Deepens, Dragging Down Markets Globally
    P2JW113000-6-A00100-17FFFF5178F ****** WEDNESDAY,APRIL 22, 2020 ~VOL. CCLXXV NO.94 WSJ.com HHHH $4.00 DJIA 23018.88 g 631.56 2.7% NASDAQ 8263.23 g 3.5% STOXX 600 324.31 g 3.4% 10-YR. TREAS. À 17/32 , yield 0.571% OIL $10.01 À $47.64 GOLD $1,678.20 g $23.40 EURO $1.0860 YEN 107.77 It’s ‘Keep Me Home From the Ballgame’ in Seoul Senate What’s News Approves Aid Deal Business&Finance ForSmall fresh plunge in oil prices Adragged down invest- mentsfromstocks to curren- Business cies,stinging investorsanew and deepening the energy industry’scrisis. A1,B1, B13 BY KRISTINA PETERSON The Dow industrials AND ANDREW DUEHREN dropped 631.56 points, or 2.7%, while the S&P 500 WASHINGTON—Congressio- and Nasdaq slid 3.1% and nal leadersstruck adeal with 3.5%, respectively. B13 theWhiteHouse to send hun- Theadministration is dredsofbillions of dollarsiN considering offering stimu- fresh aid to small businesses lus funds to oil-and-gas pro- andhospitals,the federal gov- ducersinexchangefor gov- ernment’slatesteffort to keep ernment stakes in the firms pacewith the twin economic or their crude reserves. A8 and public-health crises created GES by the pandemic. Netflix ended the first IMA TheSenatepassed the quarter with nearly 16 mil- $484 billion bill by avoicevote lion newsubscribersaround GETTY on Tuesday, sending it to the the world, morethan dou- House foranapproval expected ble the number forecast. A1 Thursday. President Trump WarnerMedia’s HBO SUNG-JUN/ wroteonTwitterthat he sup- Max will be launched on CHUNG ported the legislation, whose fi- May 27, joining a crowded GOING DEEP: The Korean Baseball Organization opened its preseasoN Tuesday, after a delay because of the coronavirus.
    [Show full text]