Virginia Delegate, a Korean Immigrant, Thankful to be at Convention

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — From the floor of the Democratic National Convention, Mark Keam says he can understand how Americans might see the proceedings as a charade, or some type of made-for-TV infomercial.

"Most Americans will be cynical about politics because government doesn't work as well as they would like it to work," said Keam, a delegate from Virginia who is also a member of the Virginia House of Delegates.

Those who have never lived in another country, like he did in Korea before coming to the United States as a child, have never seen how badly other governments can treat their citizens, Keam said.

"The Constitution that we learned in law school, all the evidence and procedures, those aren't just words in the book," said Keam, who works at Verizon as a senior adviser for strategic affairs.

Keam said he also finds it amazing that someone like himself can be on the floor serving as a delegate. His family bounced around Southeast Asia and Australia, following his father, a Christian missionary. He lived under a dictator in South Korea.

His family got a chance to come to America, work hard and become part of the middle class, something they never could have achieved there, he said. Keam first met Barack Obama when Keam was chief counsel to Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) when Obama joined the Senate.

This is the second convention he has served as an Obama delegate.

"To be able to see someone like me, with no background, no connections, being able to participate in the American democratic process, tells me that the government does work the way it's supposed to and our country's democracy works the way it's supposed to," Keam said.

Comments

[Ransattz]

Thank you for including this story. Most of our families arrived here as immigrants from somewhere, some a long time ago, fleeing oppression of all kinds. I'm 4th gen Californian but still am inspired by people like Mr Keam and what he has to teach us, in his unassuming way. And he is definitely at the right convention.

[Kent Scheidegger]

No, he is at the wrong convention. He is at the convention where the ideal is represented by the cartoon character "Julia," for whom dependency on government is not a transitory assistance in brief times of difficulty but instead a central theme of her life from cradle to grave.

Your comment equating the Tea Party with racism indicates profound ignorance. As for your claim that the Republican Party treats minorities as "tokens," that is false unless the Secretary of State and state governors are "token" positions.

It is the Democratic Party that believes people should be labeled by race and treated differently according to the label. For people who believe in being treated as individuals according to individual merit, the Republican Party is the right one.

[MMA]

@Kent, Mr. Keam is exactly at the right convention, where he is respected and not used or treated as a token or has to have things thrown at him or being spit upon by Tea Party members at the other convention.

He knows where he is in sync with lots of Americans who are immigrants and natives and also move up by working hard. In fact, most Democrats have moved up by working hard, oftimes for less pay, less opportunity, less privilege, but we believe in America and we believe in God.

[Kent Scheidegger]

Good for Mr. Keam and his belief in moving up through working hard.

Unfortunately, he is at the wrong convention.