Korean American voter districts are most concentrated in California’s 45th Congressional District, which holds the highest Korean population among all U.S. House districts, according to a report released April 8 by the Korean American Grassroots Conference (KAGC).
Based on the 2023 American Community Survey from the U.S. Census Bureau, the report found that 51,151 Korean Americans reside in California’s 45th District. The area includes cities with large Korean populations, such as Fullerton, Brea, Cerritos, Buena Park, and Cypress.
The district gained national attention during the November 2022 midterm elections when former Republican Rep. Michelle Steel lost by a narrow margin to Democrat Derek Tran.
Korean American Political Presence Expands
The report highlights that more than half of the top 20 congressional districts with the largest Korean American populations are in California, underscoring the state’s central role in Korean American civic engagement.
California’s 34th District, which includes Koreatown in Los Angeles, remains a key political battleground. During the most recent election, Rep. Jimmy Gomez, a Democrat, retained his seat against challenger David Kim. In California’s 47th District, which includes Irvine, Rep. Dave Min represents another large Korean American population.
Other districts in California, such as the 40th, represented by Rep. Young Kim, and the 17th, also report significant Korean American communities.
KAGC stated that the growing number of Korean Americans in public office reflects the community’s rising influence. “Korean Americans are establishing themselves as a key voice in mainstream society,” the organization said.
Korean American Population Concentrated in California
California has the largest Korean American population among all states, with 562,497 residents. Of these, around 450,623 are U.S. citizens, and 208,162 acquired citizenship through naturalization.
Other states with significant Korean American populations include New York, Texas, New Jersey, Washington, Virginia, and Illinois.
Los Angeles Remains a Population Center
Among individual cities, Los Angeles has the highest number of Korean American residents, followed by other population centers such as New York City, Irvine, Honolulu, San Diego, and Fullerton.
Additional cities in California, including San Jose, San Francisco, Torrance, Buena Park, and Glendale, also rank high in Korean American population size.
These figures reflect a clear demographic concentration and growing civic presence of Korean Americans, particularly in California and major metropolitan areas.
BY YEOL JANG [jang.yeol@koreadaily.com]
