[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 84 (Friday, May 14, 2021)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E521-E522]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  REMEMBERING THE LIFE OF YONG AE YUE AND HONORING ELLIOTT AND ROBERT 
                                PETERSON

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. JUDY CHU

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                          Friday, May 14, 2021

  Ms. CHU. Madam Speaker, I rise today to remember the life of Yong Ae 
Yue, and to honor her two sons, Elliott and Robert Peterson. Ms. Yue 
was one of eight people tragically killed in the March 16th shootings 
at three spas in the Atlanta metropolitan area.
  Ms. Yue was raised an orphan in South Korea, where she met her former 
husband, Mac Peterson, who was in the U.S. Army. After having their 
first son, Elliott, in South Korea, the couple moved to the United 
States in the early 1980s and had their second son, Robert. Ms. Yue was 
determined to give her two children a promising and successful life in 
the United States, and she taught her sons the value and meaning of 
hard work. Given her sons' multiracial background, she made sure they 
were proud of their Black and Asian identities, and helped them find 
strength in their heritage. According to her family, she was a 
selfless, compassionate, and generous woman who loved to sing karaoke 
and cook Korean food for her friends and family. She moved to the 
Atlanta area in 2001 to be closer to Robert and loved spending time 
with her children and grandchildren.
  I also want to honor Ms. Yue's sons, who have raised awareness of the 
impact that violence against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders has 
on families and communities. Elliott bravely served our country in the 
U.S. Army for over 24 years. He recently retired in

[[Page E522]]

September and lives in Japan, where he trains U.S. soldiers in field 
exercises. And following Ms. Yue's tragic passing, I traveled to 
Atlanta with several of my colleagues in the Congressional Asian 
Pacific American Caucus to pay my respects. I was honored to meet 
Robert and discuss the wonderful life his mother lived. After speaking 
with Robert, I was pleased to invite him as my virtual guest to 
President Biden's first address to a joint session of Congress. It has 
been a privilege to hear Elliott and Robert tell their mother's story 
and elevate the concerns that so many in the AAPI community have.
  Yong Ae Yue's life was the embodiment of the American dream. She came 
to the United States with a determination to work hard and raise a 
family, and she passed along her strength and selflessness to her 
children and grandchildren. My thoughts are with Ms. Yue's family and 
the many other families grieving from this tragic event.

                          ____________________