The first Korean to become a naturalized American citizen was Soh Jaipil (Seo Jae-pil) in 1890. Soh changed his name to Philip Jaisohn. He became a medical doctor in 1894 and was the first Korean to earn a medical degree from an American university.
While a small number of Koreans were already living in the United States during the late 1800s – people like Jaisohn and Dosan Ahn Chang Ho – official Korean immigration to the United States didn’t begin until January 13, 1903, when 102 immigrants arrived in Hawaii.
For more information about Korean American history and a timeline, click here to connect to the YOK Center’s Short Korean American History Timeline file.