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Korean American Leftists in the 1950s collection
3000
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Language of Material:
English
Contributing Institution:
USC Libraries East Asian Library
Title: Korean American Leftists in the 1950s collection
Identifier/Call Number: 3000
Identifier/Call Number: 943
Physical Description:
.5 Linear Feet
1 box
Date (inclusive): 1950-1961, 1988-1994
Abstract: The United States Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) was an agency of the U.S. Department of Labor from 1933 to
1940 and the U.S. Department of Justice from 1940 to 2003. This small collection comprises government documents from the INS
as well as transcripts from the House of Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) pertaining to suspected Communist connections
amongst Koreans residing in the United States in the 1950s. The collection focuses primarily on Doo Sik Shynn, a North Korean
man who emigrated to Seattle, Washington in 1920.
Folders are arranged chronologically.
The Korean American Leftists in the 1950s collection (1950-1961, 1988-1994) consists of four folders of government documents
from the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) as well transcripts from the U.S. Congress House Un-American Activities
Committee (HUAC) regarding suspected Communism amongst Korean Americans Leftists in the 1950s. The majority of the collection
focuses on Do Sik Shynn, a North Korean man born in 1896 who emigrated to Seattle, Washington in 1920 and was arrested in
1954 after failing to report his address. The voluminous photocopied documents from the INS reveal a paper trail from prior
Korean American detainees beginning in 1950, which eventually led to the suspicion of Shynn's Communist ties. Shynn's fight
with the INS for his freedom spanned years after his initial order of deportation and subsequent appeal. The records fail
to reveal if Shynn's appeal was accepted.
The remainder of the collection is comprised of two folders. The first contains collected photocopied U.S. Congress HUAC transcripts
regarding Korean-American Communist activities in the Pacific Northwest Area (Seattle), Los Angeles, Hawaii, and Hollywood
between the years 1951 to 1955. The second reveals correspondence between USC's Korean Heritage Library and the INS from
1988 and 1994 in an attempt to secure the documents for this collection, so that it may assist scholars in piecing together
the full story of Koreans in the United States throughout history.
The United States Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) was an agency of the U.S. Department of Labor from 1933 to
1940 and the U.S. Department of Justice from 1940 to 2003. The Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) was formed in
1933 by a merger of the Bureau of Immigration and the Bureau of Naturalization. This agency also looked into any possible
Communist parties ties, which was set forth by the House Un-American Activities Committee.
Doo Sik Shynn was one such individual investigated by the INS in the 1950s. He was born in North Korea in 1896 and emigrated
to United States in 1920, settling in Seattle, Washington. In 1954 he was arrested or failing to make annual reports of his
address to the INS in a violation of immigration laws. However, he had been identified prior to this as possibly having Communist
ties. Shynn was charged with advocating Communism and ordered to be deported, which was then appealed.
COLLECTION STORED OFF-SITE. Advance notice required for access.
All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Curator of the Korean
Heritage Library. Permission for publication is given on behalf of the Korean Heritage Library as the owner of the physical
items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained.
[Box/Folder# or Item name]. Korean American Leftists in the 1950s collection, Collection no. 3000, Korean Heritage Library,
USC Libraries, University of Southern California.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Requested from the Immigration and Naturalization Service by the USC Korean Heritage Library on October 14, 1988. Received
by the United States Department of Justice Immigration and Naturalization Service in two installments on September 16, 1994
and November 4, 1994.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Communism -- Korea (North) -- Archival resources
Communism -- United States -- History -- 20th century -- Archival resources
Deportation -- United States -- History -- 20th century -- Archival resources
Immigrants -- Korea -- 20th century -- Archival resources
Immigration enforcement -- Washington (State) -- Seattle -- Archival resources
Korean Americans -- Washington (State) -- Seattle -- Archival resources
Correspondence
Federal government records
Transcripts
United States. Congress. House. Committee on Un-American Activities -- Archives
United States. Immigration and Naturalization Service -- Archives
Shynn, Doo Sik -- Archives