[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 78 (Wednesday, June 5, 2013)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E809]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      TRIBUTE TO DR. WILLIAM LEE AND THE YMCA OF GREATER NEW YORK

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. GRACE MENG

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 5, 2013

  Ms. MENG. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Dr. William Lee 
and the YMCA of Greater New York for their impeccable efforts to 
provide support and services to all New Americans.
  Born in Seoul, South Korea, Dr. ``Bill'' Lee became a student leader 
at the Korean YMCA. As he immigrated with his young family to New York 
to complete his graduate medical education, Dr. Lee became aware of the 
unique challenges facing newly arrived immigrants and he has worked 
diligently over the past decades to combat these challenges.
  Bill Lee has served as a board member of the YMCA of New York City 
from 1982-1996 and again since 2005. He also served on the YMCA of the 
USA Board of Directors from 1995-2004, and continues to have a lifelong 
relationship with the YMCA both in Korea and in the United States. With 
support from Dr. Lee and others, the YMCA of Greater New York 
established New American Welcome Centers throughout the City, including 
the Flushing YMCA in my Congressional District. These Centers help 
immigrants achieve literacy, cultural competence, and self-sufficiency.
  Mr. Speaker, drawing on his own experience as a young immigrant who 
faced much adversity, Dr. Lee was able to turn his experiences into 
positive solutions for the newly arrived immigrants he saw in New York 
City. He successfully fundraised and organized the Korean Center of the 
Flushing YMCA, a branch of the YMCA of Greater New York that served new 
Korean immigrants with English-language classes and programs for newly 
arrived Korean families. As organizing chair of the International 
branch of the New York City YMCA, he championed the New Americans 
program, carefully outlining the needs of new immigrants, and the 
importance of working collaboratively with a strong referral network of 
service providers. He also closely monitored the initial years of the 
start-up and roll-out of six centers.
  This week, Dr. Lee and Jack Lund, President of the YMCA of Greater 
New York, are visiting Washington, DC, to participate in a ``Champions 
of Change'' celebration hosted by the White House in honor of the Obama 
Administration's commitment to expanding programs and services to the 
immigrant population of the New York City.
  A renowned cardiologist, Dr. Lee never fails to give back to his 
community. He has shaped one of the most successful programs in the 
YMCA through his belief that helping new arrivals succeed will be 
repaid many times over in society.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask all my colleagues in the House of Representatives 
to join me now in paying tribute to Dr. William Lee and to the YMCA of 
Greater New York for their years of assistance to Korean Americans and 
to the entire City of New York.

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