THUNDER BAY - Michelle Myoung and her daughter Yuna Sung have already been making an impact in the Thunder Bay community for years.
But on Friday, Myoung and Yuna,16, joined 23 others by officially becoming citizens of Canada.
“It’s really special to me - now I can fully recognize myself as Canadian." Yuna said. "I’ve always thought of myself more as Canadian than Korean but now it’s official so it’s great.”
Yuna moved from Korea to Canada at a very young age and has the spent the majority of her life with her parents in Thunder Bay.
Many Thunder Bay citizens know of her parents through their taekwondo studio - Master Seung’s Black Tigers - on Brock Street.
MP Patty Hajdu is one of them.
“My sons both took taekwondo there,” Hajdu said. “I was a single mother, and they helped me raise my children, really. They had an after school program and my children went, and learned all kinds of things about self-control and discipline.”
“To see them here today, it was such a wonderful surprise,” said Hajdu, who was there to hand out diplomas.
Michelle was noticeably emotional after accepting the diploma. Yuna said she recognized the sacrifices her mother made to get them to where they are today.
“She did have a good, secure life in Korea, but she came here for a better education and social life for us,” Yuna said. “As a Canadian citizen, I just want to be able to contribute. I want to grow up and go to medical school.”
Zhen Yang recently had her first child after moving from China five years ago.
Despite the cold climate, she also hopes she can also provide a bright future for her son with Canada as the setting.
“I always wear a jacket, even in the winter,” Yang said. “But it’s very nice to come here. I came here for love.”
