[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 28 (Tuesday, February 11, 2025)]
[House]
[Page H622]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
REUNITING KOREAN-AMERICAN FAMILIES
(Mr. SUBRAMANYAM asked and was given permission to address the House
for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
Mr. SUBRAMANYAM. Mr. Speaker, family separation is devastating and
traumatic for any community, but that is especially true for the 70,000
Korean Americans in Virginia and the millions across the country.
The Korean war led to the displacement and separation of countless
families, and many remained separated for decades.
These second- and third-generation Korean Americans were raised on
the heartbreaking stories of family members cruelly divided. Now, in
the twilight of their lives, they seek to reconnect.
That is why I have introduced the bipartisan Korean American Divided
Families National Registry Act with my colleague Congresswoman Young
Kim. This bill creates a registry to help accelerate the progress for
Korean Americans who wish to reunite with lost loved ones.
Since 1985, there have been 21 family reunions for citizens of South
and North Korea organized by their governments, bringing together 4,000
families.
The Korean families here in the U.S. deserve to have that
opportunity. Congress must work across the aisle to bring families
together, not tear them apart. I urge my colleagues to support this
bill.
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