The impact of COVID-19 on the Korean community in the Americas last year is unimaginable. Many Korean small businesses closed or were on the brink of bankruptcy, and those who lost their jobs faced food insecurity. For undocumented immigrants, who received no government assistance, the past year was a continuous hell. In New York City alone, it is estimated that there are about 15,000 adult undocumented immigrants, and urgent relief for them was needed last year. The first organization to extend a helping hand was the 21 Hope Foundation.

The 21 Hope Foundation was established in December 2019, just before the COVID-19 pandemic began. Its founder, Byun Jong-deok, who previously served as the president of the Korean Association of New York, donated $2.2 million of his personal wealth to create the foundation.

Byun Jong-deok receiving the "COVID-19 Hero Award" from the Queens Rotary Club.

Byun Jong-deok delivering support funds to families affected by illness or accidents.

"I’m now retired from the front lines, and I’ve settled my finances. I receive a pension and have a home to live in, so what do I need money for? I told my children that when I die, they will only inherit this house."

Last year, the foundation used a total of $380,000, which included $210,000 directly contributed by the foundation and $170,000 raised through extensive fundraising efforts, to assist undocumented families, various charities, and scholarships. Over 550 families of undocumented immigrants who struggled due to COVID-19 received help, and donations were also made to organizations such as the House of Sharing, the Lord's Table, the House of Love, Noah Mission, and the Milal Mission.

Byun Jong-deok has a particular interest in helping undocumented immigrants for a reason.

"It was around 1987. At that time, Jo Byeong-chang was the president of the Korean Association, and we created a welfare foundation to help those in need, and I served as its chairman. Back then, many people came to the U.S. alone, worked hard, and sent money back to Korea. One day, a newspaper reporter contacted me about a person in the produce business who had collapsed and was hospitalized. When we visited, we found out he had terminal cancer and had less than three months to live. He had been in the U.S. for ten years, living in a small room and sending $800 every month to his wife and children in Korea. When I asked him what his last wish was, he said he wanted to see his family before he died. That story was published in the newspaper and became a major issue in the Korean community."

As the chairman of the welfare foundation at the time, Byun Jong-deok personally arranged for the man's wife in Korea to come to the U.S. for a family reunion. However, during that time, obtaining a visa and traveling abroad was not easy, and the man's wife faced two visa rejections due to his undocumented status, delaying her arrival. Byun Jong-deok contacted the U.S. Consul General in Korea to explain the situation, and she was granted a visa to come to New York.

"Unfortunately, the heartbreaking part is that while she was in the air over John F. Kennedy Airport, her husband passed away. In the end, they could not reunite, and she was left to face her husband's body."

After hearing the tragic news that the couple could not meet due to the delayed visa, the U.S. Consul General in Korea, through Byun Jong-deok's efforts, initiated a family reunion program. Each year, ten undocumented immigrants who had not seen their families for over ten years were selected, and their families in Korea were invited to the U.S. for reunions. The Consul General issued special visas for the families in Korea to facilitate this program.

"Every year, when families from Korea came and met, it was a complete sea of tears."

Byun Jong-deok organized this family reunion event for three years and developed a close relationship with the U.S. Consul General who had issued special visas for this purpose.

His connection with undocumented immigrants, who are legally unprotected and in a vulnerable position, has continued to this day.

He also decided to provide scholarships to underprivileged students as one of the goals of the 21 Hope Foundation. Last year, he selected 15 students, three of whom were Black scholarship recipients recommended by the National Action Network, led by Reverend Al Sharpton, and the NAACP Manhattan branch, each receiving $2,500.

This was part of an effort to strengthen ties between the Korean and Black communities.

Byun Jong-deok with Reverend Al Sharpton at the scholarship presentation for Black students.

Byun Jong-deok and then-New York City Mayor David Dinkins, who dramatically reconciled during the Korean protest on September 18.

Byun Jong-deok was instrumental in resolving conflicts between Koreans and Blacks in New York in 1990. In January 1990, a Haitian immigrant woman was allegedly assaulted by employees at a Korean-owned grocery store in Brooklyn, leading to a boycott and protests by the Black community. This incident escalated tensions that had been brewing for years. At that time, David Dinkins, the first Black mayor of New York City, did not help resolve the conflict, and the police viewed the Black protests with indifference. The Korean community decided to take action.

"Being a Black mayor, he only sided with the Black community. Koreans were too scared to run their businesses properly, so we decided to hold a demonstration in front of City Hall. That was on September 18, and we called that protest 9.18. It received extensive coverage in American newspapers, and on that day, 12,000 Koreans gathered in front of City Hall. The subway and roads leading to City Hall were completely paralyzed; there were so many people."

Before the Koreans gathered that day, Byun Jong-deok had a direct phone call with Mayor Dinkins, threatening to boycott the mayor if he did not order the police to suppress the Black protests within three days. Dinkins, who initially took this lightly, ultimately appeared before the crowd of 12,000 Koreans and delivered a speech, leading to a dramatic reconciliation.

"I told Mayor Dinkins that the reason for these conflicts is a lack of understanding among minority groups, so I would arrange for minority leaders to visit Korea, and I asked him to recommend people. He ended up recommending 12 individuals. The Korean Association members raised funds, and a total of 30 people went to Korea."

The selected Black leaders included New York State Assemblyman Ramirez, Manhattan Education Commissioner Race, and Mack Lowhin, president of the Black Welfare Association, among others. Their visit to Korea helped to ease racial tensions.

Additionally, Byun Jong-deok organized a sponsorship for the U.S. team attending the Paralympics during the 1988 Olympics in Korea and offered a $15,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the person who shot a Korean. During a time of severe racial discrimination, he worked tirelessly to advocate for the rights of Koreans.

"I find it really strange (laughs). Things always happen around me. So I have a lot of work, and I can't do anything halfway (laughs)."

The history of Korean immigration in New York spans over 60 years. The efforts of these pioneers in the past have undoubtedly laid the groundwork for Koreans to establish themselves in mainstream American society today.

Byun Jong-deok is currently working to assist undocumented Koreans facing economic difficulties due to illness or accidents.

"Undocumented immigrants have no insurance, so if they get seriously ill, hospital bills can reach tens of thousands of dollars. When they are sick or have an accident, their families struggle to make ends meet. So, while it may not be a lot of money, I hope it can provide some help."

Byun Jong-deok, who hikes every morning, continues to diligently support those in need at the age of 76.

Byun Jong-deok made a significant impact in the 1960s with a successful wig business in Korea before moving to the U.S. in 1970. He operated a shoe chain called Shoebox in New York City and served as the 21st president of the Korean Association of New York from 1990 to 1992. He currently helps underprivileged Koreans through the 21 Hope Foundation, which he established with his personal donation of $2.2 million. He is married and has one son and two daughters.