Ah Jook Ku
Encyclopedia
Ah Jook Ku was an American
journalist
, reporter, writer
, media advocate and public relations
practitioner. Ku holds the distinction of being the first Asian American
reporter for the Associated Press
, as well as the first Asian American female reporter for the Honolulu Star-Bulletin
. Her nickname
was "Jookie."
, where her father worked as a luna. Ku was Chinese American
and a descendant of early Chinese immigrants to Hawaii.
Ku attended Mid-Pacific Institute
on a scholarship
. Ku served as a high school reporter for the Honolulu Star-Bulletin while at Mid-Pacific. She went on to earn a degree in education from the University of Hawaii
in 1933. Following her degree at Hawaii, Ku graduated from the University of Missouri School of Journalism in 1935, also on a scholarship. Ku was only the third woman of Chinese
decent to graduate from the School of Journalism. Additionally, she became only the second Hawaiian "exchange student" to graduate from the journalism school.
Ku was often involved with various university journalism clubs while in college. She often appeared on campus radio
broadcasts and before community groups as an advocate for Hawaii.
Despite her academic achievements, Ku's parents believed that girls did not deserve an education. She often recounted a story about how her father once considered selling her for a single bag of rice
. Ku commented on her father's attitude towards education, "the head of the family wasn't eager about educating women."
in 1943 during World War II
, becoming the AP's first Asian American reporter. She remained as a reporter for the AP wire service
until 1946.
Ku left Hawaii for China in 1948 aboard the Pacific maiden voyage
of the S.S. President Cleveland. She took a job at the information office
of the Nationalist Chinese government of Chiang Kai-shek
as an English language
editor. She was based in Nanking, China, for just 18 months at the position before the 1949 Communist Revolution
forced her to return to Hawaii.
Ku began working in the growing field of public relations
once she returned to Hawaii from China. She worked at a number of organizations including the Hawaiian branch of the Salvation Army
, the Hawaiian Chamber of Commerce
and the Hawaii Employers Council. She ultimately worked as an information specialist for the Hawaii state Department of Education
before her retirement in 1975.
of the Honolulu Community Media Council in 1975, the same year that she retired from the Department of Education. The council had been founded as a nonprofit volunteer group in 1970. The group was created in response to a ban on reporters from the Honolulu Star-Bulletin and Honolulu Advertiser from press conferences by then Honolulu mayor
Frank Fasi
. Its purpose was to promote accurate and ethical journalism within Hawaii, support First Amendment
rights and seek transparent
public access to government information. Ku remained involved with the Council as executive director for 25 years. Ku was especially active in the 1980s, fighting on behalf of Hawaii's sunshine law. She retired from the Council in 2002.
Ku was an original founding member of a group called "Save Our Star-Bulletin" in the late 1990s. The group was formed in response by an attempt by Liberty Newspapers, the former owner of the Honolulu Star-Bulletin, to shut down the newspaper in 1999. The "Save Out Star-Bulletin" sued Liberty Newspapers in U.S. federal court and successfully blocked the closure of the Star-Bulletin.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
, reporter, writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
, media advocate and public relations
Public relations
Public relations is the actions of a corporation, store, government, individual, etc., in promoting goodwill between itself and the public, the community, employees, customers, etc....
practitioner. Ku holds the distinction of being the first Asian American
Asian American
Asian Americans are Americans of Asian descent. The U.S. Census Bureau definition of Asians as "Asian” refers to a person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent, including, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan,...
reporter for the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
, as well as the first Asian American female reporter for the Honolulu Star-Bulletin
Honolulu Star-Bulletin
The Honolulu Star-Bulletin was a daily newspaper based in Honolulu, Hawaii, United States. At the time publication ceased on June 6, 2010, it was the second largest daily newspaper in the state of Hawaii...
. Her nickname
Nickname
A nickname is "a usually familiar or humorous but sometimes pointed or cruel name given to a person or place, as a supposedly appropriate replacement for or addition to the proper name.", or a name similar in origin and pronunciation from the original name....
was "Jookie."
Early life
Ah Jook Ku was born on April 24, 1910 in Kailua, Hawaii. She was one of 15 children in her family. She and her family grew up on the 'Ewa Plantation (Ewa Beach) in HawaiiHawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
, where her father worked as a luna. Ku was Chinese American
Chinese American
Chinese Americans represent Americans of Chinese descent. Chinese Americans constitute one group of overseas Chinese and also a subgroup of East Asian Americans, which is further a subgroup of Asian Americans...
and a descendant of early Chinese immigrants to Hawaii.
Ku attended Mid-Pacific Institute
Mid-Pacific Institute
Mid-Pacific Institute is a private, co-educational college preparatory school for grades Pre-K and K-12, offering programs of study in the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme and the Mid-Pacific School of the Arts . Mid-Pacific Institute is located on in Mānoa Valley, near the...
on a scholarship
Scholarship
A scholarship is an award of financial aid for a student to further education. Scholarships are awarded on various criteria usually reflecting the values and purposes of the donor or founder of the award.-Types:...
. Ku served as a high school reporter for the Honolulu Star-Bulletin while at Mid-Pacific. She went on to earn a degree in education from the University of Hawaii
University of Hawaii
The University of Hawaii System, formally the University of Hawaii and popularly known as UH, is a public, co-educational college and university system that confers associate, bachelor, master, and doctoral degrees through three university campuses, seven community college campuses, an employment...
in 1933. Following her degree at Hawaii, Ku graduated from the University of Missouri School of Journalism in 1935, also on a scholarship. Ku was only the third woman of Chinese
Han Chinese
Han Chinese are an ethnic group native to China and are the largest single ethnic group in the world.Han Chinese constitute about 92% of the population of the People's Republic of China , 98% of the population of the Republic of China , 78% of the population of Singapore, and about 20% of the...
decent to graduate from the School of Journalism. Additionally, she became only the second Hawaiian "exchange student" to graduate from the journalism school.
Ku was often involved with various university journalism clubs while in college. She often appeared on campus radio
Campus radio
Campus radio is a type of radio station that is run by the students of a college, university or other educational institution. Programming may be exclusively by students, or may include programmers from the wider community in which the radio station is based...
broadcasts and before community groups as an advocate for Hawaii.
Despite her academic achievements, Ku's parents believed that girls did not deserve an education. She often recounted a story about how her father once considered selling her for a single bag of rice
Rice
Rice is the seed of the monocot plants Oryza sativa or Oryza glaberrima . As a cereal grain, it is the most important staple food for a large part of the world's human population, especially in East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and the West Indies...
. Ku commented on her father's attitude towards education, "the head of the family wasn't eager about educating women."
Career
Ah Jook Ku returned to Honolulu following her graduation form the University of Missouri. She began work at the Honolulu Star-Bulletin, where she had previously worked as a high school correspondent. Ku was hired by the Associated PressAssociated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
in 1943 during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, becoming the AP's first Asian American reporter. She remained as a reporter for the AP wire service
Wire Service
Wire Service is an American drama series that aired on ABC as part of its 1956-57 season lineup.-Synopsis:Wire Service focuses on three reporters for the fictional Trans-Globe wire service, which was similar to real-life news wire services such as the Associated Press and United Press International...
until 1946.
Ku left Hawaii for China in 1948 aboard the Pacific maiden voyage
Maiden voyage
The maiden voyage of a ship, aircraft or other craft is the first journey made by the craft after shakedown. A number of traditions and superstitions are associated with it....
of the S.S. President Cleveland. She took a job at the information office
Government Information Office
The Government Information Office is a cabinet-level agency of the Executive Yuan of the Republic of China in charge of promoting government policies and regulating domestic media.-History:...
of the Nationalist Chinese government of Chiang Kai-shek
Chiang Kai-shek
Chiang Kai-shek was a political and military leader of 20th century China. He is known as Jiǎng Jièshí or Jiǎng Zhōngzhèng in Mandarin....
as an English language
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
editor. She was based in Nanking, China, for just 18 months at the position before the 1949 Communist Revolution
Chinese Civil War
The Chinese Civil War was a civil war fought between the Kuomintang , the governing party of the Republic of China, and the Communist Party of China , for the control of China which eventually led to China's division into two Chinas, Republic of China and People's Republic of...
forced her to return to Hawaii.
Ku began working in the growing field of public relations
Public relations
Public relations is the actions of a corporation, store, government, individual, etc., in promoting goodwill between itself and the public, the community, employees, customers, etc....
once she returned to Hawaii from China. She worked at a number of organizations including the Hawaiian branch of the Salvation Army
Salvation Army
The Salvation Army is a Protestant Christian church known for its thrift stores and charity work. It is an international movement that currently works in over a hundred countries....
, the Hawaiian Chamber of Commerce
Chamber of commerce
A chamber of commerce is a form of business network, e.g., a local organization of businesses whose goal is to further the interests of businesses. Business owners in towns and cities form these local societies to advocate on behalf of the business community...
and the Hawaii Employers Council. She ultimately worked as an information specialist for the Hawaii state Department of Education
Hawai'i Department of Education
The Hawaii State Department of Education is the most centralized and only statewide public education system in the United States. The school district can be thought of as analogous to the school districts of other cities and communities in the United States, but in some manners can also be thought...
before her retirement in 1975.
Advocacy
Ah Jook Ku became executive directorExecutive director
Executive director is a term sometimes applied to the chief executive officer or managing director of an organization, company, or corporation. It is widely used in North American non-profit organizations, though in recent decades many U.S. nonprofits have adopted the title "President/CEO"...
of the Honolulu Community Media Council in 1975, the same year that she retired from the Department of Education. The council had been founded as a nonprofit volunteer group in 1970. The group was created in response to a ban on reporters from the Honolulu Star-Bulletin and Honolulu Advertiser from press conferences by then Honolulu mayor
Mayor of Honolulu
The Mayor of Honolulu is the chief executive officer of the City and County of Honolulu and considered the third most powerful official in the U.S. state of Hawaii, behind the Governor of Hawaii and the Lieutenant Governor of Hawaii...
Frank Fasi
Frank Fasi
Frank Francis Fasi was a United States politician having the distinction as the longest serving Mayor of Honolulu in Honolulu, Hawaii. He also served as a territorial senator and member of the Honolulu City Council...
. Its purpose was to promote accurate and ethical journalism within Hawaii, support First Amendment
First Amendment to the United States Constitution
The First Amendment to the United States Constitution is part of the Bill of Rights. The amendment prohibits the making of any law respecting an establishment of religion, impeding the free exercise of religion, abridging the freedom of speech, infringing on the freedom of the press, interfering...
rights and seek transparent
Transparency (humanities)
Transparency, as used in science, engineering, business, the humanities and in a social context more generally, implies openness, communication, and accountability. Transparency is operating in such a way that it is easy for others to see what actions are performed...
public access to government information. Ku remained involved with the Council as executive director for 25 years. Ku was especially active in the 1980s, fighting on behalf of Hawaii's sunshine law. She retired from the Council in 2002.
Ku was an original founding member of a group called "Save Our Star-Bulletin" in the late 1990s. The group was formed in response by an attempt by Liberty Newspapers, the former owner of the Honolulu Star-Bulletin, to shut down the newspaper in 1999. The "Save Out Star-Bulletin" sued Liberty Newspapers in U.S. federal court and successfully blocked the closure of the Star-Bulletin.