By Libby Hobbs
Buckhead, Georgia — Dr. Jim Yong Kim, the 12th president of the World Bank and the 2023 New American Hero, called attention to the “pandemic of mental illness” at Friday’s annual dinner gala in Cherokee Town Club.
The New American Hero Awards honors two individuals of Korean descent who are making significant contributions to the nation and embodying both Korean and American identities. Dr. Abraham Kim, Executive Director of the Council of Korean Americans, won the Lifetime Achievement Award.
Dr. Jim Yong Kim helped standardize treatment for HIV/AIDS patients in developing countries during his time as Director of the World Health Organization’s HIV/AIDS department from 2003 to 2005. He plans to take those lessons and apply them to what he’s working on now — developing a treatment for mental illness.
“You have to ask yourself, what are we doing today that 15 years from now, young people will say: ‘Can you believe they let that happen?’ … I have to say I think the issue that we'll look back 15 years in disbelief as to how we let the situation get so bad, is mental health,” Dr. Jim Yong Kim said.
Attendees gasped in amazement during Dr. Jim Yong Kim’s acceptance speech when he showed pictures of healthy patients in a Haitian clinic following their HIV/AIDS treatment. He was told he couldn’t help the 25 million people, but he “started small” and succeeded.
One solution that Dr. Jim Yong Kim and Partners in Health are working on is creating online and private sector resources that young people can access, such as guides to meditation. He said there are online mental health companies using artificial intelligence that picks up any suggestive language of harming oneself and sends a signal within 30 minutes.
Sunny Park, President of the American Korean Friendship Society (AKFS), shares similar sentiment as Dr. Jim Yong Kim — big change takes time. AKFS has hosted the annual gala since its inception in 2000, and its Board of Directors selects the winners.
Park wants Asains recognized as true Americans, not as foreigners. He emphasized the importance for Asian Americans to serve their neighborhood and community, a moral Dr. Abraham Kim also mentioned in his Lifetime Achievement Award acceptance speech.
“There’s so much to be excited [about], especially the next generation of leaders,” Dr. Abraham Kim said. “They're more civically engaged, they’re taking on leadership roles [and] they’re actively building bridges across racial and ethnic boundaries to fight for a more equitable, inclusive world in a strong democracy.”
Dr. Abraham Kim also nodded to the past and mentioned two events that would be celebrated in 2023: the 120th anniversary of Korean immigration to the United States and the 70th anniversary of the U.S. Korea defense alliance, which was formed after the Korean War.
Through utilizing the legacies of Dr. Jim Yong Kim, Dr. Abraham Kim and other winners in the New American Hero Awards, Park hopes future generations are stimulated and know they can achieve success too. He says the transition into American culture as an immigrant requires guidance and encouragement, and these AKFS awards are providing just that.
To Frank Blake, the former chairman and CEO of The Home Depot and current chairman of AKFS, the dinner gala is simply a chance to celebrate gratitude and generosity — a chance to say thank you.
“It feels like every time I do one of these evenings, it re-grounds me in what makes our country great,” Blake said.
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