the First Korean to Earn a Doctor of Law in America
Born in Pyongyang in 1888, Kang Young-seung immigrated to Hawaii in 1905 at the age of 17. He was accompanied by his mother, Hwang Maria, who had a strong passion for her children’s education, his elder sister Kang Hye-won, his younger siblings, and his wife Kang Won-shin, whom he had married just before leaving for America.
During his medical examination, Kang failed the vision test. While he received treatment from immigration officials, his entire family had to wait nearly three weeks on Angel Island, an immigration station in San Francisco. Moreover, immigration officials were skeptical about whether a 17-year-old boy could support his family and considered sending them back. Kang’s mother pleaded with officials, offering valuables such as silk, and eventually secured their entry into the U.S.
In Hawaii, Kang started his studies at the third-grade level at the age of 17. He quickly distinguished himself as a gifted student, fulfilling his mother’s high expectations. Kang later attended Hamilton College of Law in Chicago, where he became the first Korean to earn a Doctor of Law degree, submitting a dissertation titled Rules for Establishing Evidence. At the time, the Korean community in the U.S. referred to Kang, along with Dr. Syngman Rhee and Dr. Han Kyung Chung, as the “Three Doctors of America.”
However, when Kang attempted to take the bar exam to open his own legal practice, he was denied the opportunity because he was of Asian descent and not a U.S. citizen. His attempts to obtain citizenship were also rejected, as Asian immigrants were barred from naturalization. His ten years of hard study ended in heartbreak, not only for Kang but for his family, who had endured a decade of sacrifices.
Kang then returned to farming and grape-picking, but seeing no future in such work, he moved to the larger city of San Francisco in 1920. There, despite enduring the pain and humiliation of racial discrimination, Kang began missionary work at the encouragement of Reverend Yi Daiwi. His wife, Kang Won-shin, served as the third president of the Korean Women’s Patriotic Society, while his sister Kang Hye-won was its first president.
In 1921, Kang was elected president of the Korean National Association (KNA) and dedicated himself to serving the Korean-American community and supporting Korea’s independence movement. He also became the publisher and editor of Shinhan Minbo, a Korean-American newspaper, and worked tirelessly to unite Korean Christians in America.
Initially aspiring to become a medical doctor, Kang eventually studied Eastern medicine at the urging of his wife. He practiced as an acupuncturist and herbal doctor for over 50 years, providing medical care to those in need. In 1972, he published a medical book titled Oriental Medicine in Modern Practice. Kang lived in Los Angeles, where he served as a special medical advisor at the Christian United Oriental Medicine Clinic.
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