Korean immigrant champions cause of Aurora's global residents
The City of Aurora is working with South Korea to establish a consulate here. It would serve the more than 41,000 Korean immigrants in Colorado, and hundreds of Korean immigrant-owned businesses in the city.
A key figure in these efforts is Aurora Coordinator of International Community Outreach Minsoo Song.
"Our office works closely with the local immigrant and refugee community and reaching out to the community," said Song. "I'm super grateful that I get to work with the community that I really love."
Song helps bring international business to Aurora and works to build up immigrant owned businesses here as well.
Her passion for Korean businesses in particular began with a longing for food from home -- after she came here to study at the University of Denver.
"Aurora had the great grocery stores and Aurora had the really established Korean community," added Song.
M-mart on South Havana is one market she frequents and where she's also admired for her advocacy.
Song is especially proud to manage Aurora's language access plan, where she helps all newcomers access city services in their native tongue.
She knows first-hand how critical that is.
"As a first generation immigrant, it is really hard to have a language barrier," said Song, "So every night I still struggle with English, so every night I wish I could have said this in this way not that way."
Song received the Korea Prime Minister Merit Ribbon for her efforts to support her countrymen here.
"I see it as a recognition not just for me as an individual but recognition for all the things that we did as a Korean community and also all the things that we did as a city," she said.
And as Aurora prepares to celebrate Global Fest, song understands deeply what each group feels when carrying their country's flag, "Each community member takes great pride in representing their country and also educating other community about their mother country as well."
CBS Colorado is excited to sponsor Aurora's Global Fest.
Join Your Reporters for Aurora at the Aurora Municipal Center this Saturday August 17 from 11AM to 6PM.