Bill Text: VA HJR147 | 2022 | Regular Session | Enrolled
Bill Title: Kimchi Day; designating as November 22, 2022, and each succeeding year thereafter.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 28-1)
Status: (Passed) 2022-03-01 - Bill text as passed House and Senate (HJ147ER) [HJR147 Detail]
Download: Virginia-2022-HJR147-Enrolled.html
WHEREAS, kimchi, a traditional dish consisting of salted and fermented vegetables, has been a staple of Korean cuisine and culture for thousands of years; and
WHEREAS, there are nearly two million Korean Americans in the United States, and the Washington, D.C., Metropolitan Area is home to the third-largest Korean American population in the country; and
WHEREAS, across the United States and the Commonwealth, there is an increasing demand for kimchi and Korean food, and major retailers now carry kimchi; and
WHEREAS, searches for Korean cuisine online have increased by more than 34 percent since 2012, and nearly half of users report interest in trying it; and
WHEREAS, since 2014, there has also been a significant increase in launches of retail food products with Korea or Korean in the product name; and
WHEREAS, Korean cuisine has increasingly appeared on many restaurant menus, with kimchi used as an alternative to slaws, pickles, or sauerkraut in American and Mexican cuisine; and
WHEREAS, kimchi is a healthy food and an excellent source of nutrients, including probiotics, folate, beta-carotene, choline, potassium, calcium, and vitamins A, C, and K, many of which are associated with lower rates of stroke, cancer, diabetes, and heart disease; and
WHEREAS, kimchi originated in Korea during the early years of the Three Kingdoms period, between the 1st century B.C. and the 7th century A.D., and has had a rich history, growing from a beloved household comfort food to a commercial product with worldwide appeal; and
WHEREAS, in 2013, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization officially recognized Korea's traditional process of preparation and preservation of kimchi, known as kimjang, as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage Item; and
WHEREAS, the Korean American community has enriched the cultural, social, and economic landscape of Virginia by increasing the awareness of K-Pop, K-Beauty, K-Food, and K-Dramas, and with the rise of Korean American celebrity chefs, the influence of kimchi and K-food in general is rising and becoming an international staple; and
WHEREAS, every year, the Republic of Korea celebrates November 22 as Kimchi Day; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly designate November 22, in 2022 and in each succeeding year, as Kimchi Day in Virginia; and, be it
RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates transmit copies of this resolution to the Korean Food Globalization Committee of North America and the Council of Korean Americans so that members of these organizations may be apprised of the sense of the General Assembly of Virginia in this matter; and, be it
RESOLVED FINALLY, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates post the designation of this day on the General Assembly's website.
