I personally experienced the establishment of Koreatown in the 1980’s while I served in Korea. I wrote many recommendation letters for international students so they can study in the U.S during that period; many Korean businessmen that I met while working in Seoul came to the U.S on work assignments with their families and returned to Korea leaving their wife and kids in the U.S for educational purposes.
From 1980 to 1988 Manny assisted hundreds of Korean students and businessmen in their hopes and dreams of immigrating to the U.S
August 1988 (1st from Left) After serving a total of 9 years in Korea. I was given a farewell photo op with the newly elected Korean President. My Diplomatic rank was Charge De Affaires A.I when I departed in 88. I was a private with no rank when I arrived in 1977.
Through my years as an English Language Instructor, and as a Foreign Diplomat I was influential in assisting hundreds of Korean students in their desire to come to the United States.
My graduation photo; Los Angeles Metropolitan College, overseas campus Korea.
August 1988 (1st from Left) After serving a total of 9 years in Korea. I was given a farewell photo op with the newly elected Korean President. My Diplomatic rank was Charge De Affaires A.I when I departed in 88. I was a private with no rank when I arrived in 1977.
My perspective on Korean Immigration of the 1980’s compared to Ukrainian immigration of the 2000’s
In the 1980’s when I lived in Korea, I witnessed the exodus of Korean immigrants to the United States. In the 2000s I witnessed Ukrainian immigration to the United States as I welcomed them under my organization’s Welcome to America Project. from 2006 to 2001. In 2006 I visited the Ukraine to give the U.S Department of State Orientation to University students who were arriving to the United States on Cultural Exchange Visas. I view Ukrainian immigration of the 2000’s similar to what Korean immigration to the United States was in the 1970’s and early 1980’s. Koreans immigrated to the U.S during that mentioned period in search for better economic conditions, fleeing a possible scenario of an invasion from the North and also the dictatorship regime that was ruling the country. Ukrainians were arriving to the U.S during the past decade for those similar reasons; they were in search of a better way of life, fleeing from a possible invasion from Russia that now has occurred. I have prepared a link for this assignment with images and some videos from Korea in the 1980’s and the arrival of my Ukrainian students from 2006 to 2016.
2006 Manny Dume gives the Department of State Orientation in Kiev, Ukraine. Manny coordinated the arrival of hundred's of Cultural Exchange students to the United States.
Here I am with the third Ambassador that was sent to Korea from the Dominican Republic.
Here I am in the Ukraine with colleagues who were chosen to go to the Ukraine to present the DOS orientation to Ukrainian students.
Here I am with the third Ambassador that was sent to Korea from the Dominican Republic.