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Recognizing and celebrating the re-opening of the historic Philip Jaisohn Memorial House on October 10, 2020, which honors the legacy of Philadelphian Philip Jaisohn, a Korean American pioneer for democracy, political and religious freedom, and Korean independence.
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WHEREAS, Philip Jaisohn was a Korean intellectual and political activist who worked for Korean independence and sought political exile in the U.S. around 1885. On June 19, 1890, Philip Jaisohn became the first Korean immigrant to acquire United States citizenship; and
WHEREAS, Philip Jaisohn made his home in Media, PA, and established Philadelphia as a central overseas base for supporting Korean independence. The Philip Jaisohn Memorial House, which was his home from 1925 until his death in 1951, will serve as an educational center for visitors worldwide to learn about the history of this Korean American pioneer in democracy, political and religious freedom, equality, journalism, medicine, and more; and
WHEREAS, Philip Jaisohn became the first Korean American to earn a United States medical degree, which was awarded in 1892 by Columbian Medical College (now known as George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences); and
WHEREAS, Philadelphia is the birthplace of American independence, and it became the symbol of freedom for other oppressed peoples. Inspired by the First and Second Continental Congress of the United States held in Philadelphia, Philip Jaisohn organized the First Korean Congress in Philadelphia from April 14 to April 16, 1919, along with Syngman Rhee, who would become the first President of the Republic of Korea, and Han Kyong Chung. At this historic event, they introduced the Korean Declaration of Independence. A delegation of 150 Korean representatives and Americans participated in the First Korean Congress, and on the last day they marched in solidarity from the Little Theatre to Independence Hall with support from the City of Philadelphia, where the...
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