Meet Senator Yonah Martin
Senator Yonah Martin didn’t speak any English when she and her family moved from Seoul, South Korea to Vancouver on her seventh birthday. She never could have imagined that she would grow up to serve in Canada’s Upper Chamber — and make history doing so.
She was appointed to the Senate in 2009, becoming the country’s first Korean-Canadian parliamentarian.
How did your family end up in British Columbia?
My father had gone to Chicago on a scholarship before relocating the family to Canada. His undergraduate degree was in Shakespearean literature, then he went on to do his masters in English literature. That was in 1950s Korea where hardly anyone knew how to speak English, yet my father was an expert in Shakespearean literature. He fell in love with the language and his childhood dream was to study abroad.
Even though he was already a married man, and a father of two with a third on the way, his dream came true. He went on to study in Chicago. A few years later, my father decided to move our family to Vancouver where my aunt and uncle lived. That’s how we ended up in Canada instead of the United States.
How did you get involved in public life?
This is a common question I get asked. It wasn’t a childhood dream of mine to enter politics, but politics found me while I was a teacher of 21 years. I loved every moment, every single day of my teaching career.
In 1995, I became a mother to a daughter named Kiana. At age four she started asking questions about identity. My husband is Caucasian and Kiana wanted to know, “Mommy how come you’re this and daddy is this?” I knew from that point on that I had to create a space that would allow her to see other kids like herself and be connected to both cultures. My daughter inspired me to start the C3 Korean Canadian Society to bridge both cultures and give her a sense of belonging. The mission of C3 is to bridge communities.
My non-profit work is what got me into the political world. That’s where I met the politicians who encouraged me and said, “What about you?” I realized that I could make a difference and stepped forward into the political world in 2006. The rest is history.
In 2009, you were appointed to the Senate by former prime minister Stephen Harper. What did it mean to you become the first Korean-Canadian parliamentarian in Canadian history?
I feel extremely grateful, and I also feel the weight of that responsibility. Across Canada, there are Korean communities in every urban centre, in many small towns. It’s a very proud national community. To be a voice for that community really is quite a privilege and an honour.
What legislative or committee work are you most proud of so far?
My most important, memorable and meaningful legislative experience was Bill S-213, the Korean War Veterans Day Act. When I was first appointed, I faced a whirlwind of new protocols and I could barely feel my feet on the ground. But on a quiet spring afternoon in 2009, a question popped into my head: Is there a day that honours the Korean War veterans in Canada? We started the research, consultations with veterans, veterans groups and community advocates to draft the bill; then I tabled the bill in the Senate. In June 2013, in the year of the 60th anniversary of the Korean War Armistice, it became law. Since then, we have commemorated Korean War Veterans Day annually on July 27 (the day of the signing of the Armistice) to honour our Veterans of the Korean War.
Senator Yonah Martin participates in an Asian Heritage Month event on Parliament Hill on May 3, 2016. Also pictured are Senator Salma Ataullahjan, left, and former senator Lillian Eva Dyck.
Senator Martin attends a Korean War Veterans Day ceremony at the Ambassador of Peace Korean War Memorial located in Central Park in Burnaby, British Columbia on July 27, 2016.
Senator Martin welcomes young students to the Senate for National Child Day on November 21, 2017.
Senator Martin (right, in dark blue) at C3 Society’s Camp Korea in 2007. Camp Korea is a cultural camp for children that Senator Martin co-founded in 2006. (Photo credit: Office of Senator Yonah Martin)
What is one thing most Canadians might not know about you?
I love singing. Ever since my daughter was little, she harmonizes when I sing. We have a series on Facebook called “CAR-pe Diem,” where we sing together in the car, unrehearsed.
What do you think are the biggest public policy issues facing Canada today?
As an immigrant, I think about the foreign credentials that prevent so many educated, talented immigrants from entering their professional fields, contributing to Canadian society and living their full lives here. It is a huge barrier that successive governments have tried to address.
Also, economic policies must be front and centre because we need to finance our debt. As part of that, small businesses need to be considered because they impact every corner of our nation, rural and urban. This is also an immigrant issue in that so many immigrants are very hard-working small business owners. During the pandemic, I think they were hit doubly hard because many of them did not have access to funding and had to close their doors. It’s a huge problem.
What is a hidden gem in your region that more Canadians need to know about?
There’s a place called Koreatown — it’s not officially deemed Koreatown but everyone calls it that — on North Road, which straddles Burnaby and Coquitlam. There are lots of Korean signs, amazing restaurants, bakeries, shops and big superstores. It’s an experience similar to what you see in the K-dramas.
What sports team do you support?
As a long-time Vancouverite — I moved out of Vancouver, but I still feel like I’m a Vancouverite — I’ve been a long-time Canucks fan. We’ve struggled the last few years, but I’m still a fan.
Why should more Canadians care about what happens in the Senate?
In my 12 years as a senator, I have come to appreciate and respect the Upper Chamber and the essential role that it plays as part of our bicameral, Westminster system. We have the 40,000-feet perspective of our entire nation but we also have the on-the-ground perspective. I’m a B.C. senator, so I look at B.C. in its entirety, as well as all the gaps and the jurisdictional challenges that we have in this country.
Between governments, the Senate never stops working. We don’t stop during elections, during prorogations, during the pendulum swing from one side to the other. We keep going in the same fashion.
Why are you proud to be Canadian?
I came to Canada as an immigrant girl who didn’t speak a word of English. I remember hiding under the stairs at school, crying and wanting to go back to Korea because my Grade 1 teacher tried to make me read something in front of the class and everyone had laughed at my feeble attempt. If anyone had told me then that one day I could serve in the Senate of Canada, I would not have believed it. But thanks to our education system, my vibrant cultural community and my immigrant parents who somehow found their way, I was given opportunity after opportunity.
I love Canada for what it has allowed me to live, experience and become.
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Meet Senator Yonah Martin
Senator Yonah Martin didn’t speak any English when she and her family moved from Seoul, South Korea to Vancouver on her seventh birthday. She never could have imagined that she would grow up to serve in Canada’s Upper Chamber — and make history doing so.
She was appointed to the Senate in 2009, becoming the country’s first Korean-Canadian parliamentarian.
How did your family end up in British Columbia?
My father had gone to Chicago on a scholarship before relocating the family to Canada. His undergraduate degree was in Shakespearean literature, then he went on to do his masters in English literature. That was in 1950s Korea where hardly anyone knew how to speak English, yet my father was an expert in Shakespearean literature. He fell in love with the language and his childhood dream was to study abroad.
Even though he was already a married man, and a father of two with a third on the way, his dream came true. He went on to study in Chicago. A few years later, my father decided to move our family to Vancouver where my aunt and uncle lived. That’s how we ended up in Canada instead of the United States.
How did you get involved in public life?
This is a common question I get asked. It wasn’t a childhood dream of mine to enter politics, but politics found me while I was a teacher of 21 years. I loved every moment, every single day of my teaching career.
In 1995, I became a mother to a daughter named Kiana. At age four she started asking questions about identity. My husband is Caucasian and Kiana wanted to know, “Mommy how come you’re this and daddy is this?” I knew from that point on that I had to create a space that would allow her to see other kids like herself and be connected to both cultures. My daughter inspired me to start the C3 Korean Canadian Society to bridge both cultures and give her a sense of belonging. The mission of C3 is to bridge communities.
My non-profit work is what got me into the political world. That’s where I met the politicians who encouraged me and said, “What about you?” I realized that I could make a difference and stepped forward into the political world in 2006. The rest is history.
In 2009, you were appointed to the Senate by former prime minister Stephen Harper. What did it mean to you become the first Korean-Canadian parliamentarian in Canadian history?
I feel extremely grateful, and I also feel the weight of that responsibility. Across Canada, there are Korean communities in every urban centre, in many small towns. It’s a very proud national community. To be a voice for that community really is quite a privilege and an honour.
What legislative or committee work are you most proud of so far?
My most important, memorable and meaningful legislative experience was Bill S-213, the Korean War Veterans Day Act. When I was first appointed, I faced a whirlwind of new protocols and I could barely feel my feet on the ground. But on a quiet spring afternoon in 2009, a question popped into my head: Is there a day that honours the Korean War veterans in Canada? We started the research, consultations with veterans, veterans groups and community advocates to draft the bill; then I tabled the bill in the Senate. In June 2013, in the year of the 60th anniversary of the Korean War Armistice, it became law. Since then, we have commemorated Korean War Veterans Day annually on July 27 (the day of the signing of the Armistice) to honour our Veterans of the Korean War.
Senator Yonah Martin participates in an Asian Heritage Month event on Parliament Hill on May 3, 2016. Also pictured are Senator Salma Ataullahjan, left, and former senator Lillian Eva Dyck.
Senator Martin attends a Korean War Veterans Day ceremony at the Ambassador of Peace Korean War Memorial located in Central Park in Burnaby, British Columbia on July 27, 2016.
Senator Martin welcomes young students to the Senate for National Child Day on November 21, 2017.
Senator Martin (right, in dark blue) at C3 Society’s Camp Korea in 2007. Camp Korea is a cultural camp for children that Senator Martin co-founded in 2006. (Photo credit: Office of Senator Yonah Martin)
What is one thing most Canadians might not know about you?
I love singing. Ever since my daughter was little, she harmonizes when I sing. We have a series on Facebook called “CAR-pe Diem,” where we sing together in the car, unrehearsed.
What do you think are the biggest public policy issues facing Canada today?
As an immigrant, I think about the foreign credentials that prevent so many educated, talented immigrants from entering their professional fields, contributing to Canadian society and living their full lives here. It is a huge barrier that successive governments have tried to address.
Also, economic policies must be front and centre because we need to finance our debt. As part of that, small businesses need to be considered because they impact every corner of our nation, rural and urban. This is also an immigrant issue in that so many immigrants are very hard-working small business owners. During the pandemic, I think they were hit doubly hard because many of them did not have access to funding and had to close their doors. It’s a huge problem.
What is a hidden gem in your region that more Canadians need to know about?
There’s a place called Koreatown — it’s not officially deemed Koreatown but everyone calls it that — on North Road, which straddles Burnaby and Coquitlam. There are lots of Korean signs, amazing restaurants, bakeries, shops and big superstores. It’s an experience similar to what you see in the K-dramas.
What sports team do you support?
As a long-time Vancouverite — I moved out of Vancouver, but I still feel like I’m a Vancouverite — I’ve been a long-time Canucks fan. We’ve struggled the last few years, but I’m still a fan.
Why should more Canadians care about what happens in the Senate?
In my 12 years as a senator, I have come to appreciate and respect the Upper Chamber and the essential role that it plays as part of our bicameral, Westminster system. We have the 40,000-feet perspective of our entire nation but we also have the on-the-ground perspective. I’m a B.C. senator, so I look at B.C. in its entirety, as well as all the gaps and the jurisdictional challenges that we have in this country.
Between governments, the Senate never stops working. We don’t stop during elections, during prorogations, during the pendulum swing from one side to the other. We keep going in the same fashion.
Why are you proud to be Canadian?
I came to Canada as an immigrant girl who didn’t speak a word of English. I remember hiding under the stairs at school, crying and wanting to go back to Korea because my Grade 1 teacher tried to make me read something in front of the class and everyone had laughed at my feeble attempt. If anyone had told me then that one day I could serve in the Senate of Canada, I would not have believed it. But thanks to our education system, my vibrant cultural community and my immigrant parents who somehow found their way, I was given opportunity after opportunity.
I love Canada for what it has allowed me to live, experience and become.