My mom and dad really gave me a good life. Because they couldn’t find them all they died and stunk the whole car up. It would be easy to fill the pages. Philip got into the war propaganda films and played the evil Japanese lieutenant and all in those kinds of movies. If they put his name on it, it just elevates him above all the other patriots. Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. Ahn's most notable television role was as "Master Kan" on the television series Kung Fu. He is widely regarded as the first Korean American film actor in Hollywood. He has a star on Hollywood Boulevard. My uncle Philson even told me that story because he remembered that he was so pissed off at me. On one trip I was trying to go to North Korea on one of these medical missions with a church group. […] she ran a think tank of 300 linguists and other experts gathering Russian intelligence. The actual camp is up in Idyllwild. I cried and had a fit when Uncle Philson said no. I think two things influenced that. I’ve complained, but I don’t know why Asians spit in his face and overlook his talent and contributions to the entertainment industry. I think it is because he was too Westernized and democratic. She told me they were looking for some surfers to do a barbecue and asked if I knew any surfers who barbecue. I knew the artifacts were important and that my grandfather was important. My other uncle Ralph is in the interview and doesn’t say anything about the bogus statement and that pissed me off more. Dosan is constantly abused as a stepping stone. My Uncle Philip and my mom were as patriotic to Korea and America as anyone could be. Ahn died on February 28, 1978, due to complications from surgery. She said that they had never had kalbi before. He brought back some bottles of this North Korean wine. One day I had enough and I was beating this guy up horribly until a teacher grabbed me and pulled me off this guy. We work with the “box jellyfish” and some species can kill you in five minutes. After completing his second year, however, Ahn dropped out to act full-time. How did you find out about HalfKorean.com and what did you think about HalfKorean.com when you first saw it? My mom is tiny, so can you imagine her teaching fighter pilots how to shoot a 50 caliber machine gun? He deserves better. What the hell? When I speak with high school and college kids, it’s always a more open exchange of information and I am who I am. In addition to discussing Flip’s Ahn family background, we discussed his professional pursuits along with his other passions such as surfing. Working with the Korean government, Ahn helped to establish a park to honor his father and was able to have his parents buried there. All my Korean-ness revolves around me being kind of like a watchdog. It’s an odd role for me. The last time I was there was in 2009, twice. I’ve had some Korean girlfriends both here and in Korea. That young man is Kim Il-Sung. I think I was in college at the time and that is usually when you start thinking about your roots more sincerely. He told me about the painting story. Over the years, what kind of reaction have do you usually get from people when they learn who your grandfather and family is and the fact that you are a mixed Korean? Philip Ahn was born on March 29, 1905 (age 72) in Los Angeles, California, United States. She was an athlete as a kid which was not accepted. I put up with a lot of crap visit after visit. After 1999, I wasn’t making as many trips and have made about five recently. Koreans have manipulated history and Dosan’s legacy to fit their needs not true history or Dosan’s teaching. From 1973 until 1999 I probably made about 60 trips. Some of them were terminal. https://charactermedia.com/february-issue-100-years-of-susan-ahn-cuddy I am totally American and am lucky I grew up here during the times I have lived. Post World War II, she defied anti-miscegenation laws to marry Francis Cuddy and worked on top secret projects. So, the South Korean government invited the Ahn family to my grandfather’s death day memorial service in Seoul figuring that the family was too old to travel to South Korea and then come back to LA and then travel to China and to North Korea. Philip Ahn Cuddy is a highly knowledgeable Korean/Korean-American historian whose expertise is on one of the most famous and respected modern Korean patriots, Dosan Ahn Chang Ho (도산 안창호) and his family. She was the first woman gunnery officer in the Navy. Because Japanese had taken her country and killed Dosan, her father, she joined the Navy right after Pearl Harbor. Philson was next, born in 1912 then my mom in 1915. Okay, we have to ask… How did your appearance on Bobby Flay’s BBQ with Bobby Flay come about? Susan Ahn Cuddy - A True Role Model Phil Ahn's Moongate - Panorama City opened 1954 closed in 1990 The Moongate was a great Chinese restaurant serving the best Cantonese menu in Los Angeles. Also, being half Korean throws a whole other curveball to the whole deal. He enlisted in the United States Army, having served in the Special Services as an entertainer. Dosan organized the community in America and did a lot of work here. Dosan wanted to have everybody spoken to with respect but you had to earn that respect you didn’t just automatically get it as granted by Confucius style of social order. Oh yeah, I had North Korean wine the other night at this doctor friend of mine’s house! Later, I got into running surf contests. But, it’s hard being Dosan’s grandson and trying to be myself. I surfed the North Shore every winter from 1974 to 1988. I go there once a month. I like jja jangmyun (짜장면) which is actually Chinese-Korean. I’ve also worked in the surf clothing industry for a couple companies. He also helped out the Korean government in having a little class. I ran this group called the United Surfers Association and that was the biz we ran our contests under. In the beginning years of the beach day we lost a lot of them – about six out of ten dying before the next year. I don’t think I will ever forget how bad I was treated. When I first went to learn Korean in Seoul I spoke some Pyongyang dialect Korean which is North Korean. He was a unique person. It has been a great opportunity for me and I am grateful for it. There is this movement in Korea to keep him from being as recognized as much as he should be recognized. He absolutely forbid any marriage to a half-breed, He beat her up one night when she said she wanted to get married. Do you like soju? He let dishonest Korean opportunists walk all over him because he did not study his father’s story very well nor did he study Korean history. During World War II, Ahn often played Japanese villains in war films. He’s actually from the North and came here a long time ago and went there a few years ago on a medical mission. He let a lot of Korean con artist mediocre scholars tell him what to say and do. Together they seek the truth to this American Korean odyssey. It got weird because we had a lot of young kids and alcohol sponsorship sent a mixed message. For some reason, our cousins who are “full” Korean are not as interested. I had found some crabs and put them in a bucket and didn’t want to put them in the back. Government people, teachers, moksa’s, scholars, young and old have come into Dosan’s world like wolves dressed in sheep’s clothing. I’ve always surfed and it is more fun since I don’t work with contests anymore. I think there are way more opportunities now for younger folks. His parents, Dosan Ahn Chang-ho (도산 안창호) and Hye Ryeon Lee (이혜련), were both Korean emigrants who had moved to the United States in 1902,[1] making him the first American citizen born of both Korean parents in the United States. I had to call a friend of my mom in the South Korean government to get them released. But, with better medicine things changed and about seven out of ten live. There are a lot of successful half-Korean entertainers in Korea. Now, there are too many. After the Navy, she went into the National Security Agency. It’s still going on today, 22 years later. The main brand I was helping to build was Margaritaville tequila. But, I am okay with how my life has been. Ironically, I was really close to my grandmother and basically was her favorite. So when people ask, I just tell them “taxi cab Korean.”. In 1984, Ahn was posthumously inducted into the Hollywood Walk of Fame with a motion pictures star for his contributions to the film industry. His father was a collaborator with the Japanese. When I was growing up I had a black nanny, white dad and Korean mom. He made three appearances each on Crossroads, Bonanza, and M*A*S*H. He would also appear in two television movies. I can’t tell you all. I bet they get their asses kicked in another riot someday unless they change their attitude. His given name Philip was an Anglicized version of the Korean name Pil Lip (필립). I was there with my parents and they wanted to go do something and looked for something to keep me busy. I could take care of myself in most fist fights. I surf as much as possible. My uncle Philson had a son from his first marriage, Robert, who I think is 63 and he lives in Hawaii. How did your parents meet? You know they all have jobs and lives and stuff. My cousin, who was not interested in Korean matters like me was working for the Army at the time. Without Dosan Korea would have never survived Japanese Imperialism. His mother had died in California. I used to like to build stuff and liked wood work. His Christian missionary education opened him up to Western thought. I hate Koreans when I see their ethnocentric and egotistical bull shit attitudes. There were no other mixed kids at that time. In many places she had to do the “Rosa Parks” thing where she would have to go to the back of the bus. I used to go fishing but don’t really do much anymore. Lucky enough it turned out to be sunny with rideable waves. First thing I want to say is I have had a blessed life. When I was born back East, my grandmother came out for the first two weeks and took care of me and my mom. It is much different than working in the Korean community and with Korean history. Do you speak any Korean? View Description. That is another wild story. I surfed in Korea in Jeju-do. The other reason being I was the only grandson she got to closely care for. By far the Koreans were the most racist. I had a great time and it was fun. I have a cousin in Los Angeles who has a Pyongyang style recipe from his grandmother that has to be at least 120 years old. Post was not sent - check your email addresses! If I’m in Hawaii a lot of people think I’m Hawaiian. You never would think that us party hearty dead beat surfers would be community minded and able to interact with these kids. They are different kinds of Koreans now and act stuffy. I butchered, marinated and cooked 400 pounds of kalbi by myself to help KAC LA raise some funds. My uncle had a brand new station wagon and some crabs crawled up into the dashboard. I have a project planned for November 2013 in Seoul. Legacy: Susan Ahn Cuddy, long considered a living legend for shattering barriers for women and Asian Americans in the U.S. Navy and later as a code-breaker for the National Security Agency, died at her home in Northridge, Calif., on Wednesday afternoon, June 24, said her son Philip “Flip” Cuddy… By the end of the filming, I was just shitfaced. This work approaches the truth in a different way than how most people deal with truth. The past has made me who I am today – the present is my responsibility – and the future is my challenge. I think with the whole understanding of the situation of being half there was a lot of commonality. I wasn’t totally accepted and it was not comfortable to be with Koreans – except my grandmother and Uncle Philip. Knowing what we know now about Korean scholars we would not have made the donation. Dosan and my grandmother were the first married Korean couple to come to the United States which happened before 1903. I gave up speaking Korea pretty much. He was discharged early because of an injured ankle and returned to making films. It was thousands. This was at like 1:30 on Monday afternoon and she asked if I could round up about 5-6 people and, by the way, it is in Santa Barbara. He taught Korean culture and language to people but there were just some things that were indeed backwards about it. During the last few years I was putting on clinics to teach people how to judge. They are all strong role models. That is where it becomes personal and people just don’t understand. We played on the same football team. When he died it got dumped into my mom’s lap because she was more involved and spoke Korean the best out of the surviving children. So, I was raised by a black nanny. I talk to these guys about japchae (잡채), sweet potato noodles, and tell them that maybe we could introduce it to the menu because there a lot of people who order it at Korean restaurants and many who enjoy japchae are not Korean. The first time I went there was in November 1973. So many Koreans have come into our house spewing nonsense and acting unethically. Any words that you would like to pass on to the mixed Korean community? However, because he was a movie actor even American government and politicians sought him out to do campaigning. My mom was tough enough to challenge the Navy. There is still family there in North Korea who we’ve never seen. It’s just the evolution of society. Where and when were you born, raised and currently reside? It’s funny, because I got racism both ways – from Koreans and non-Koreans. What is your current relationship status and what do you look for in terms of relationships? Do you have any hobbies or interests that you do to relax? Ahn's first film was A Scream in the Night in 1935. When I worked at Good Samaritan Hospital, we were having a meeting over the menu because they had put some Korean foods on the menu. Learn how your comment data is processed. It was great. I have met a few I would like to get to know better. They were so appreciative. In 1952, Ahn made his television debut on the Schlitz Playhouse, a series he would make three additional appearances on. I’m jaded. Compared to most I have given Koreans and Korean Americans more than enough already. Sounds like bull shit to me. The land was owned by the Hung Sa Dan, or Young Korean Academy, a Korean independence movement that trained Koreans to become leaders of their country once it was free from Japanese rule. The surf club would take the kids into the water surfing, tide pooling, kayaking, we would give them lunch and all kinds of stuff so they could have this great beach experience. The mixing of races happens more and more each day. I thought it was great and really cool to have website for us. Meaning that if my last name was Ahn that it would have been better. President Lee is a liar and a corrupt leader like all the other presidents have been. "Phil Ahn's Moongate Restaurant" was one of the first Chinese restaurants in Panorama City in the San Fernando Valley, and lasted for more than thirty years from 1954 and closed in 1990. You got in trouble for saying racist remarks. He looks at me and says, “I’m not going to any mom and pop store to buy any Korean food.” This guy is so ignorant and was still thinking Koreans are involved in MASH. My Uncle Ralph made an interesting comment stating that he had never seen his father and that he was a picture on a wall. Her eldest brother Philip Ahn (1905-1978) was a pioneering Asian American actor, finding World War II a booming time because actual ethnic Asians were used to … That was how she got the money to start the Moongate restaurant. If you are interested in learning more on Flip’s family, please check out the following websites: Dosan, Susan Ahn Cuddy and Philip Ahn. So, my mom went to work there and worked there for a long time. I’ve had my problems like anybody else. I love it there. Yes, I enjoy soju. I’m trying to get him erased out of the Dosan picture. I have an interesting and rich heritage. https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/nation/2021/02/120_304226.html?fl My grandfather wrote a lot of music and there are even copyrighted songs here in America that he wrote. So the programs that I worked on for two years raised the national sales for Margaritaville tequila. A lot of these people have bull shitted the public about my grandfather and how much they know about his life and teachings. She went to the segregated bathrooms because she was colored, although not black nor white either. I keep to myself since they don’t see me being any Korean at all. Her parents Dosan Ahn Changho and Helen Lee had been the first married Korean couple to immigrate to the United States. I worked for Von Dutch, too. As far as you know, does North Korea recognize your grandfather and his philosophies? It would be like blasphemy for North Koreans to put Dosan on the same level as the South Koreans do. I hope it would be cool to have a half Korean girlfriend. Looking at his ideals on leadership, you can see how it’s contradictory to Korea’s style of pseudo democracy. The South Korean CIA found out what the North Korean CIA was up to here in the Valley. I always grew up as just me. He is buried in the Courts of Remembrance, Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills in Los Angeles.[4]. It was like somebody took rubbing alcohol and mixed it with grape juice but we drank it. He served for twenty years as honorary mayor of Panorama City, California. 165 people of Korean heritage came to America before 1903. It stopped after the Ahn family told the North Korean CIA we couldn’t go to the Kim Il-Sung birthday. Korean people just don’t think I’m Asian or Korean. The area director is sitting there and I told him we could go get some samples or he could get it from one of these purveyors. I worked club contests at first and then did professional contests. I got teased by kids for being a “chink” or “jap” but never Korean because nobody knew what that was. 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