James Ryu with another 15-year-old that is not printed on his shirt — Michelle Wie — during a break at the SBS Open at Turtle Bay in Oahu. Wie finished tied for second at the LPGA event. KoreAm can only hope to do as well in its 15th year.
This month marks 15 years of KoreAm Journal — that’s 180 consecutive issues we have produced, month in and month out.
It’s a milestone I am proud of, not only because it means we have managed to survive in the unstable market of ethnic publications, but also because we have improved immensely over the years, having gone from a community newspaper to a national, full-color magazine.
We could not have done this without support from our faithful readers, so I’d like to take this opportunity to thank each and every one of you. And of course, I need to thank KoreAm’s dedicated staff. They have made a concerted effort to tackle meaty issues and investigative stories as well as interesting profiles and fun spotlights. Know that lots of blood and sweat, and even a few tears, go into making every issue count.
To showcase our hard work, we’ve finally redesigned our Web site, which is now interactive and has archived articles. Check it out at www.koreamjournal.com.
For now, though, I hope you will enjoy our latest issue, which is chock-full of feature stories. We decided to explore the world of police officers for our anniversary issue, a fitting subject since April also commemorates the 1992 L.A. Riots. Check out the profiles on cops from places like Alaska and Las Vegas, and the in-depth story on what it is like to patrol Koreatown. Then read through the Riots coverage that offers insight into the lives of liquor store owners, as well as personal narratives from Los Angeles natives affected by what happened in 1992.
Gracing our cover is Officer Irene Crews, a woman who juggles her job in law enforcement with being a wife and a mom. Last year, we had another strong female on our cover — phenom golfer Michelle Wie. In February, I actually got to meet up with the 15-year-old at the SBS Open held at the Turtle Bay Resort in Hawaii. She is still beating men three times her age and only looks to be getting stronger.
While watching Michelle, I was struck by the thought that she is part of the new generation that will introduce a new perception of Korean Americans to the rest of the world — and we plan to be around to cover it.
James Ryu
Editor in Chief
