Congresswoman Marilyn Strickland
All my adult life, I’ve been asked what it’s like to be biracial. This is an interesting question. Especially since the term “biracial” in the United States is usually defined by proximity to whiteness. In my case, I am both black and Korean. My heritage informs how I participate in communities and how to build connections between communities that are not mutually exclusive. Depending on the season, where I am, or the way I wear my hair, people look at me and make assumptions about my identity.
When I lived in Atlanta, most people I met didn’t know that I was part Korean. When I visit Hawaii, people often think I’m a local. When I’m at home here in Washington state, people correctly assume I’m black and Asian. Although there have been some attempts to pit my community against each other, there are actually more similarities between the Black community and the Asian American community than people believe. First and foremost, we are not a monolith.
In 2022, I attended Cyg in Los Angeles to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Los Angeles riots, which destroyed Korean-owned businesses after a police officer was acquitted of assaulting Rodney King. This period of heightened racial tensions between the black and Korean communities still exists today, but has improved. When George Floyd was killed by police in 2020, I saw placards at protests that read “Korean for Black Lives.” This solidarity more closely reflects my experience growing up in Tacoma as a military child.
I remind people that both Asian Americans and Black Americans have overcome hardships. At the same time, many face hurdles such as voting rights, discrimination, housing, economic hardship, education, and health care. This gets to the heart of why representation matters.
Being a “first time” can be both happy and sad (what took us so long?). I was the first Asian American elected mayor of Tacoma, the first Black woman elected to Congress from the Pacific Northwest, and one of the first Korean American women elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. It was.
Being first comes with the responsibility of representing your community and being the only voice at the table. We also have a sacred duty to nurture talent and serve as leaders for those in our communities. My office in Washington, DC is 90% BIPOC and 90% women. This is intentional, no doubt about it. I hired the most talented people.
Mixed-race leaders are often able to hold together coalitions between different groups. We’ve had to travel the world that way all our lives. Vice President Kamala Harris, Congressman Bobby Scott of Virginia, and I are the only Black and Asian American elected officials. Closer to home, Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell is the first Black and Asian American mayor in the city’s history. Linda Lee Womack of the Washington State Department of Commerce and Brian Surratt, CEO of Greater Seattle Partners, also represent the black and Korean communities.
People ask me if I consider myself black or Korean. Why do I have to choose? I benefit from the best of both worlds: what we’ve overcome and what we’ve contributed to this country. I come from an enslaved people who built this country, fought for it, and were denied basic rights. I come from a people who came to America without knowing the language or customs and were treated like outsiders who didn’t belong here. While both groups have achieved success in nearly every field, from sports to medicine to business to government, we continue to strive for equity.
One thing always remains true. I am a proud black woman, but I will always be a daughter of my native South Korea.
