Asians in Minnesota Oral History Project: Interview with Sung Won Son

Titles: Asians in Minnesota Oral History Project: Interview with Sung Won Son (Supplied title)

Description: BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION: Sung Won Son was born in Seoul, Korea, in 1944. He was the fifth in a family of six children. His father was a banker. Son arrived in the United States in 1962 to study at the University of Florida. After his graduation in 1966 he entered a graduate program at Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan, and completed a master of arts degree in economics. He also earned a doctorate in economics at the University of Pittsburgh. From 1969 to 1974 he taught economics and business at Slippery Rock State College in Pennsylvania, and in the 1970s he served as senior economist on the President's Council of Economic Advisors in Washington, D.C. In 1974 Son joined the Northwestern National Bank of Minneapolis, becoming the senior vice-president and chief economist in 1977. Son was married to the late Barbara Stevens and is the father of two daughters. SUBJECTS DISCUSSED: Son discusses the reasons he came to the United States, and to Minnesota in particular; the harsh Minnesota winters as a factor in the open social climate for Asians in the state; the unusually high number of large business corporations with headquarters in the Twin Cities; the lack of significant discrimination against Asians; and the unique situation of the early Korean community, considered to be well-organized and stable compared to larger Korean settlements on the West Coast. COMMENTS ON INTERVIEW: Son is well-known in Minnesota and elsewhere as an economic forecaster and has made numerous television and radio appearances. His analyses of national and state economies also appear frequently in the press.

Dates

• 12/19/1979 (Creation)

Creation

• interviewee: Son, Sung Won
• interviewer: Mason, Sarah R.

Identifiers

• Library Call Number: OH 51
• Accession Number: AV1981.361.34

Holding Type: Oral History - Interview

Project

• Oral History - Project, MHS Collection, project: 'Asians in Minnesota Oral History Project' <OH 51>

Quantity: 1.5 hours sound cassette 16 pages transcript

Format

• Content Category: sound recordings
• Content Category: text

Measurements

• 00:32:26 running time

Subjects

How can we help?

• Help / About Collections Online
• Learn about the Collections
• Contact the Gale Family Library for help with research, orders, and use/licensing
• Have feedback or comments on the new Collections Online system? Please fill in the Collections Online Feedback Form.