[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 194 (Monday, November 16, 2020)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1024-E1025]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   HONORING THE LIFE OF HEE SOOK LEE

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. JIMMY GOMEZ

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Monday, November 16, 2020

  Mr. GOMEZ. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Hee Sook 
Lee, the founder of Buk Chang Dong (BCD) Tofu House, a chain of Korean 
soondubu jjigae (tofu soup) restaurants that have since become a 
cultural touchstone to so many Korean Americans and have helped bring 
Korean cuisine to the global stage.
  Lee's life story reflects the passion and commitment to which she 
built the legacy of BCD. When Lee was younger, her father suffered a 
debilitating stroke. Lee decided to skip college to support her mother 
who had been washing dishes in restaurants and selling dishware at flea 
markets to support Lee and her three siblings.
  In 1989, Lee immigrated to the U.S. and settled in Los Angeles so her 
children could learn English and seize the opportunities life in the 
U.S. offered. Her husband became an established restauranteur and Lee 
became busy raising their three sons. However, Lee was itching to start 
something of her own. Seeing how so many Koreans found success in 
opening restaurants, Lee decided to open one of her own. In 1996, on 
Vermont Avenue in LA's Koreatown, Lee opened BCD, naming the restaurant 
after the district in Korea where Lee gained some experience and 
training in the food industry.
  Lee eventually achieved her dream of opening a restaurant where she 
could share her love and passion for Korean cuisine. However, she never 
imagined what she had started would soon become an empire of Korean 
restaurants, with 13 locations across the U.S., and that she would have 
Asian supermarkets stocked full of her soup starter kits.
  Over the years, BCD has become the go-to place for those seeking good 
and authentic Korean food. To others it quickly became

[[Page E1025]]

more than a restaurant to go to eat soondubu, bulgogi, or bibimbap. It 
was the place to go when one was longing for the comforts of home or 
looking for a refuge after a long shift at work or after a late-night 
out with friends. At the beginning, BCD drew in a predominantly Korean 
and Asian crowd, but as word got around of the restaurant's delicious 
food, non-Asians and a diverse body of people became BCD's main 
patrons. After trying BCD, those who were initially unfamiliar with 
Korean food and culture would want to try other Korean foods, watch 
Korean TV shows and listen to Korean music, gaining a greater interest 
in and respect for Korea. Lee and BCD soon became a diplomat of sorts 
for Korean food and culture.
  While Lee was busy feeding the hungry customers who frequented BCD, 
she was also helping feed thousands of starving children around the 
world. She was the President of Global Children Foundation, a nonprofit 
launched by Korean American mothers who wanted to provide relief to 
children and families throughout the world.
  Lee's commitments to those in need didn't stop there. In the midst of 
the global COVID-19 pandemic and her own battle with ovarian cancer, 
Lee partnered with a local organization, Koreatown Youth and Community 
Center, to provide and distribute hot meals to low-income and 
vulnerable seniors. Her generosity of spirit didn't just end with the 
food that was served at BCD but continued in all the things that Lee 
did for the Koreatown community and beyond. Madam Speaker, I ask my 
colleagues to join me in remembering and celebrating the life of Hee 
Sook Lee.

                          ____________________