Steven Choi
Encyclopedia
Steven Seokho Choi is a U.S.
Republican Party
politician
from Orange County, California
. He is now one of two Korean American
s serving on the Irvine
City Council
and the first Asian American
to have been elected to a four-year term on the City council. Choi unsuccessfully campaigned for California State Assembly
70th district in 2010.
, Steven Choi earned his B.A.
degree from Kyung Hee University in Seoul
, South Korea
. He came to the United States from South Korea as a Peace Corps
language instructor for the State Department
in August 1968. He then continued his post-graduate education, earning his master's degree
in Library Science
from Louisiana State University
, and his Ph.D.
in Library and Information Science
at the University of Pittsburgh
.
He has taught at several universities and colleges including USC
, UCI
, California State University, Los Angeles
, Henderson State University
in Arkansas
, Saddleback College
, and most recently, Coastline Community College
. He founded and serves as Director of Dr. Choi's Academy. Steven Choi had won many awards.
school board on November 3, 1998 and reelected on November 5, 2002. He was elected to the Irvine
City Council
on November 2, 2004, becoming the first Asian American
elected to a four-year term on the council. He and Sukhee Kang
(elected to a two-year term on the same day) became the first two Asian American
s elected to the Irvine City Council.
Despite Irvine's majority Republican
registration, the Irvine City Council has 3 Democrat
s (Kang, Larry Agran
, and Mayor
Beth Krom) and 2 Republicans
(Choi and Christina Shea). Although Choi is in the conservative
council minority, he has been able to promote programs he supports and has stopped policies he opposed from being enacted. During the course of new sister city negotiations, he successfully opposed the One-China principle demanded by Shanghai
's Xuhui
government in the People's Republic of China
, which would have required Irvine to abandon its existing long-term sister city relationship with Taoyuan
, Taiwan
.
Choi serves as Chairman of the Orange County
Public Library
Advisory Board, which consists of Mayors and Council members from 27 Orange County cities, and is also Chairman of the Irvine Library Advisory Committee. He serves on the Orange County Great Park
Corporation Board, the Irvine Redevelopment Agency, the Orange County Sanitation District Board and other countywide committees. His vision is to build a large Orange County/City Metropolitan Library at the Great Park.
In addition, Choi is a member of the Concordia University
President's Advisory Council and is Irvine’s representative to Growth Management Areas 4 and 9 and the Newport Bay Watershed Executive Committee. He formerly represented the 71st Assembly District on the Orange County Republican Party
Central Committee. On June 3, 2008, he became the only incumbent to not be re-elected to the Orange County Republican Party
Central Committee, coming in seventh with only 6.5% of the available vote. He is also a member of the Local Elected Officials Association and the 400 Club.
since 1993 and in Mission Viejo
from 1981-1993. Both of their children attended public schools in the Irvine Unified School District
. Daniel, a recent graduate of Stanford University
, is currently a medical student at the UC San Diego School of Medicine
. Michelle did her undergraduate studies at UC San Diego
, and is currently a law student at the University of Michigan Law School
.
. Choi called CAIR "a dangerous Islamic organization."
CAIR and its chairman emeritus, Omar Ahmad, were named un-indicted co-conspirators in the November 2009 conviction of the Holy Land Foundation. CAIR's current national executive director, Nihad Awad, was revealed on government wiretaps as having been active participants in early Hamas-related organizational meetings in the United States. During testimony, FBI agent Lara Burns described CAIR as a front organization. http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/112508dnmetholylandverdicts.1e5022504.html All five that were indicted were subsequently convicted.
Weeks after the Choi made his comment Gallinger received a death threat stating, "I want to cut off your head just like all the other Muslims deserve." When asked regarding his statement which may have fueled the incident, Choi stated, "It's a ridiculous question...Am I responsible for someone else making a threat to him? No. This is not my intent at all."
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Republican Party
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
from Orange County, California
Orange County, California
Orange County is a county in the U.S. state of California. Its county seat is Santa Ana. As of the 2010 census, its population was 3,010,232, up from 2,846,293 at the 2000 census, making it the third most populous county in California, behind Los Angeles County and San Diego County...
. He is now one of two Korean American
Korean American
Korean Americans are Americans of Korean descent, mostly from South Korea, with a small minority from North Korea...
s serving on the Irvine
Irvine, California
Irvine is a suburban incorporated city in Orange County, California, United States. It is a planned city, mainly developed by the Irvine Company since the 1960s. Formally incorporated on December 28, 1971, the city has a population of 212,375 as of the 2010 census. However, the California...
City Council
City council
A city council or town council is the legislative body that governs a city, town, municipality or local government area.-Australia & NZ:Because of the differences in legislation between the States, the exact definition of a City Council varies...
and 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,...
to have been elected to a four-year term on the City council. Choi unsuccessfully campaigned for California State Assembly
California State Assembly
The California State Assembly is the lower house of the California State Legislature. There are 80 members in the Assembly, representing an approximately equal number of constituents, with each district having a population of at least 420,000...
70th district in 2010.
Education and teaching career
Born in South KoreaSouth Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
, Steven Choi earned his B.A.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree from Kyung Hee University in Seoul
Seoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
, South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
. He came to the United States from South Korea as a Peace Corps
Peace Corps
The Peace Corps is an American volunteer program run by the United States Government, as well as a government agency of the same name. The mission of the Peace Corps includes three goals: providing technical assistance, helping people outside the United States to understand US culture, and helping...
language instructor for the State Department
United States Department of State
The United States Department of State , is the United States federal executive department responsible for international relations of the United States, equivalent to the foreign ministries of other countries...
in August 1968. He then continued his post-graduate education, earning his master's degree
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
in Library Science
Library science
Library science is an interdisciplinary or multidisciplinary field that applies the practices, perspectives, and tools of management, information technology, education, and other areas to libraries; the collection, organization, preservation, and dissemination of information resources; and the...
from Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, most often referred to as Louisiana State University, or LSU, is a public coeducational university located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The University was founded in 1853 in what is now known as Pineville, Louisiana, under the name...
, and his Ph.D.
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
in Library and Information Science
Library and information science
Library and information science is a merging of the two fields library science and information science...
at the University of Pittsburgh
University of Pittsburgh
The University of Pittsburgh, commonly referred to as Pitt, is a state-related research university located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded as Pittsburgh Academy in 1787 on what was then the American frontier, Pitt is one of the oldest continuously chartered institutions of...
.
He has taught at several universities and colleges including USC
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
, UCI
University of California, Irvine
The University of California, Irvine , founded in 1965, is one of the ten campuses of the University of California, located in Irvine, California, USA...
, California State University, Los Angeles
California State University, Los Angeles
California State University, Los Angeles is a public comprehensive university, part of the California State University system...
, Henderson State University
Henderson State University
Henderson State University, founded in 1890 as Arkadelphia Methodist College, is a four-year public liberal arts university located in Arkadelphia, Arkansas, United States. It is Arkansas's only member of the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges...
in Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
, Saddleback College
Saddleback College
The athletic programs are supported in part by the Associated Student Body at Saddleback College. Revenue generated from attendance at athletic events helps support the entire student activities program.-On-campus media outlets:*The Lariat...
, and most recently, Coastline Community College
Coastline Community College
Coastline Community College is a community college with three mini-campuses and an administration building in Fountain Valley, California. The college offers Associate in Arts degrees, Associate in Science degrees, courses to prepare students to transfer to a 4-year college or university, and...
. He founded and serves as Director of Dr. Choi's Academy. Steven Choi had won many awards.
Political career
Choi was elected to the Irvine Unified School DistrictIrvine Unified School District
Irvine Unified School District is a school district in Orange County, California that serves the city of Irvine. Established on June 6, 1972, IUSD serves approximately 28,000 K-12 students at 22 elementary schools, five middle schools, four comprehensive high schools and one continuation high...
school board on November 3, 1998 and reelected on November 5, 2002. He was elected to the Irvine
Irvine, California
Irvine is a suburban incorporated city in Orange County, California, United States. It is a planned city, mainly developed by the Irvine Company since the 1960s. Formally incorporated on December 28, 1971, the city has a population of 212,375 as of the 2010 census. However, the California...
City Council
City council
A city council or town council is the legislative body that governs a city, town, municipality or local government area.-Australia & NZ:Because of the differences in legislation between the States, the exact definition of a City Council varies...
on November 2, 2004, becoming 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,...
elected to a four-year term on the council. He and Sukhee Kang
Sukhee Kang
Sukhee Kang is the current mayor of Irvine, California. Kang is a Korean American Democrat. On July 6, 2011, he announced his candidacy for the United States Congress...
(elected to a two-year term on the same day) became the first two 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,...
s elected to the Irvine City Council.
Despite Irvine's majority Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
registration, the Irvine City Council has 3 Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
s (Kang, Larry Agran
Larry Agran
Lawrence Alan "Larry" Agran is a former mayor of Irvine, California, Orange County's noted planned city. Agran currently serves as Mayor Pro Tem on the City Council.- Early life :...
, and Mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
Beth Krom) and 2 Republicans
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
(Choi and Christina Shea). Although Choi is in the conservative
American conservatism
Conservatism in the United States has played an important role in American politics since the 1950s. Historian Gregory Schneider identifies several constants in American conservatism: respect for tradition, support of republicanism, preservation of "the rule of law and the Christian religion", and...
council minority, he has been able to promote programs he supports and has stopped policies he opposed from being enacted. During the course of new sister city negotiations, he successfully opposed the One-China principle demanded by Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
's Xuhui
Xuhui District
Xuhui District is a district of Shanghai. It has a land area of 54.76 km² and a population of 982,200 as of 2008 .The Xuhui District is centred on Xujiahui, after which it is named. Xujiahui was historically land owned by Ming dynasty bureaucrat and scientist Xu Guangqi, and later donated to the...
government in the People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
, which would have required Irvine to abandon its existing long-term sister city relationship with Taoyuan
Taoyuan City
Taoyuan City is the county seat of Taoyuan County in Taiwan, located in the northwestern part of the island. Taoyuan city is the gateway of Taiwan: with the Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport in vicinity, and is a 30-minute ride to the capital, Taipei....
, Taiwan
Republic of China
The Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor...
.
Choi serves as Chairman of the Orange County
Orange County, California
Orange County is a county in the U.S. state of California. Its county seat is Santa Ana. As of the 2010 census, its population was 3,010,232, up from 2,846,293 at the 2000 census, making it the third most populous county in California, behind Los Angeles County and San Diego County...
Public Library
Public library
A public library is a library that is accessible by the public and is generally funded from public sources and operated by civil servants. There are five fundamental characteristics shared by public libraries...
Advisory Board, which consists of Mayors and Council members from 27 Orange County cities, and is also Chairman of the Irvine Library Advisory Committee. He serves on the Orange County Great Park
Orange County Great Park
The Orange County Great Park is the official name of a plan for the public, non-aviation reuse of the decommissioned Marine Corps Air Station El Toro in Irvine, California. The county park will comprise just 28.8% of the total that made up the old MCAS El Toro base. It is a $1.1 billion project...
Corporation Board, the Irvine Redevelopment Agency, the Orange County Sanitation District Board and other countywide committees. His vision is to build a large Orange County/City Metropolitan Library at the Great Park.
In addition, Choi is a member of the Concordia University
Concordia University, Irvine
Concordia University is a private, liberal arts university located in Irvine, California, United States and affiliated with the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod. It offers both undergraduate and graduate degrees in six colleges and is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges...
President's Advisory Council and is Irvine’s representative to Growth Management Areas 4 and 9 and the Newport Bay Watershed Executive Committee. He formerly represented the 71st Assembly District on the Orange County Republican Party
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
Central Committee. On June 3, 2008, he became the only incumbent to not be re-elected to the Orange County Republican Party
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
Central Committee, coming in seventh with only 6.5% of the available vote. He is also a member of the Local Elected Officials Association and the 400 Club.
Family
With his wife, Janie, and their two children, Choi has lived in IrvineIrvine, California
Irvine is a suburban incorporated city in Orange County, California, United States. It is a planned city, mainly developed by the Irvine Company since the 1960s. Formally incorporated on December 28, 1971, the city has a population of 212,375 as of the 2010 census. However, the California...
since 1993 and in Mission Viejo
Mission Viejo, California
Mission Viejo is a city located in southern Orange County, California, U.S. in the Saddleback Valley. Mission Viejo is considered one of the largest master-planned communities ever built under a single project in the United States, and is rivaled only by Highlands Ranch, Colorado, in its size...
from 1981-1993. Both of their children attended public schools in the Irvine Unified School District
Irvine Unified School District
Irvine Unified School District is a school district in Orange County, California that serves the city of Irvine. Established on June 6, 1972, IUSD serves approximately 28,000 K-12 students at 22 elementary schools, five middle schools, four comprehensive high schools and one continuation high...
. Daniel, a recent graduate of Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
, is currently a medical student at the UC San Diego School of Medicine
UC San Diego School of Medicine
University of California, San Diego School of Medicine is a medical school located in La Jolla, California, USA.The school held its first class in 1968 and conferred its first degrees in 1972. The school aggressively recruited leading physician scientists of its era and rapidly gained a reputation...
. Michelle did her undergraduate studies at UC San Diego
University of California, San Diego
The University of California, San Diego, commonly known as UCSD or UC San Diego, is a public research university located in the La Jolla neighborhood of San Diego, California, United States...
, and is currently a law student at the University of Michigan Law School
University of Michigan Law School
The University of Michigan Law School is the law school of the University of Michigan, in Ann Arbor. Founded in 1859, the school has an enrollment of about 1,200 students, most of whom are seeking Juris Doctor or Master of Laws degrees, although the school also offers a Doctor of Juridical...
.
Controversy
On September 19, 2008 Steven Choi was the subject of a controversy based on his highlighting opponent Todd Gallinger's extensive legal work with the Council for American Islamic Relations CAIRCAIR
- Fictional :* Cair Andros, a fictional island in Tolkien's fiction* Cair Paravel, a castle from C. S. Lewis' The Chronicles of Narnia- Acronyms :* Council on American-Islamic Relations, American Muslim civil rights advocacy organization...
. Choi called CAIR "a dangerous Islamic organization."
CAIR and its chairman emeritus, Omar Ahmad, were named un-indicted co-conspirators in the November 2009 conviction of the Holy Land Foundation. CAIR's current national executive director, Nihad Awad, was revealed on government wiretaps as having been active participants in early Hamas-related organizational meetings in the United States. During testimony, FBI agent Lara Burns described CAIR as a front organization. http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/112508dnmetholylandverdicts.1e5022504.html All five that were indicted were subsequently convicted.
Weeks after the Choi made his comment Gallinger received a death threat stating, "I want to cut off your head just like all the other Muslims deserve." When asked regarding his statement which may have fueled the incident, Choi stated, "It's a ridiculous question...Am I responsible for someone else making a threat to him? No. This is not my intent at all."
External links
- Steven Choi - Official campaign web site
- City of Irvine - Official government biography
- Dr. Choi's Academy - Official business site