焦點人物:Joseph Y. Ko 柯約瑟

Joseph Y. Ko, a multi-talented entrepreneur, founded Techko Group in 1982. The company operated on both sides of the Taiwan Straits and in the U.S. Ko accumulated extensive business management experience, and received invitations to lecture in university business schools. Of a generous nature, he has underwritten scholarships in the U.S., China, Taiwan and elsewhere; helped organize educational and non-profit organizations, including the Irvine Chinese School (ICS) and the South Coast Chinese Culture Center (SCCCC).

Joseph Ko’s association with the South Coast Chinese Cultural Association (SCCCA) began early. He recollects that when he first started his business in the 1980’s, the company was located in the city of Long Beach, close to the port. Once, driving south, he passed through Irvine and saw a lot of vacant land near the newly developed industrial zone. That would be great for his rapidly growing new company; so he decided to move the company to Irvine.

Back then, the Irvine Chinese School was where nearby Chinese families assembled. On Sunday mornings, while the children were taking Chinese lessons, the parents participated in folk dancing, hiking, Chinese chess, etc. and volunteering in the school, creating a home-like atmosphere.

Before settling in the U.S., Ko had received Special Forces training, and was proficient in the martial arts and karate. Additionally, he had volunteered to work alongside the famed Chinese forensic expert, Dr. Henry Lee, as advisor, and earned a volunteer police badge from the State of Connecticut. He understood the American police system, and he later worked hard to create an interactive relationship between the SCCCA and the Irvine Police Department.

There was a time when Joseph Ko would hold monthly meetings with David Maggard, Chief of the Irvine Police Department. The main purpose of the meetings was to recruit Chinese-speaking officers, to strengthen communication between Chinese Americans and the police. He held classes in the Police Department, to acquaint officers with the customs and culture of Chinese immigrants, and proposed the first tea parties for Chinese Americans with the police chief. He also arranged for some 20 Chinese Americans to go in for volunteer police training, so that they could be called upon to help the police better serve the community.

At the same time, Ko often discussed with the police preventive measures to maintain the city’s law and order, to prevent the intrusion of Asian gang members. This is the reason that not only are there special people keeping track of ads in different languages, but when illegal activities are uncovered, plainclothes police officers follow up on them. Joseph Ko says plainly, “Irvine ranks first in safety, but the amount of work put in by the Irvine Police Department is often unimaginable to the residents.” For instance, the Police Department is often concerned with the mentally ill because of the potential for domestic violence. When faced with new immigrant families, because of the differences in language and culture, communication often becomes difficult. This is an instance when bilingual officers are needed.

Joseph is a member of the well-known “Committee of 100” leadership organization and has supported many ethnic Chinese running for public office such as Judy Chu, Ted Lieu, and John Chiang. His impression is that the early Chinese in Irvine did not much care about local politics. It was not until about the year 2000 when ICS was faced with a sharp rise in rent (for use of IUSD classrooms) that the parents realized the importance of having elected representatives speak for them in the City Council. In recent years, SCCCC has started to hold candidate forums for local elected positions. The purpose is to help Chinese Americans, through their voting, take part in local affairs and elevate their influence.

During the COVID-19 lockdown, Joseph Ko used the period to immerse himself in writing, and has published first, “The World is Flat, Just Waiting for You to Break Through: Joseph’s Entrepreneurial Legend” and second, “Cherish Every Moment: Joseph Ko’s Amazing Life Journey.” In these two books, he recounts with good humor and openness, his growth, coming to the US. He clearly details the challenges he faced, including the time he was cheated. From these accounts, Joseph hopes readers will learn that failure and success are two sides of the same coin, impossible to separate. (English Translation by Sally Feng）

柯約瑟與南海岸中華文化協會頗有淵源，他回憶說，80 年代他創業之初，原本公司設在靠近海港的長堤市，有一次駕車南下行經爾灣，看到剛開發的工業區附近有不少空地，非常適合正快速成長中的新公司，於是決定將公司遷來爾灣。

當時爾灣中文學校已是附近華人家庭聚集之地， 每週日上午孩子們學中文時，家長們也加入土風舞、 登山隊、棋社等活動，柯約瑟一起擔任學校義工，感覺有如一個大家庭般。

柯約瑟在留美前，曾接受特種部隊訓練，精通武術、空手道，再加上他義務擔任知名刑事鑑識專家李昌鈺的顧問，是佩戴美國康乃狄克州警徽的義警，了解美國警政制度，因而積極促成南海岸中華文化協會與爾灣警局建立互動關係。

有一段時間，柯約瑟每月與爾灣警局局長 David Maggard 開會，主要任務是為爾灣警局招募通華語的警官，並加強警局與華裔的交流，他曾在警局開課， 向警官們介紹華人移民的習俗與文化，並推出華裔居民與警長喝茶的活動。柯約瑟也曾組織近 20 位華裔， 到警局接受義警訓練，以隨時支援警方，加強服務華 裔社區。

同時，柯約瑟也經常與警方商討如何超前佈署， 維護爾灣治安，防範亞裔幫派份子入侵，因此，爾灣警局不但有專人追蹤不同語言的廣告，只要發現違法行為，即由便衣警官跟進取締。

柯約瑟坦言：「爾灣的治安名列全美第一，爾灣警局在幕後所下的功夫，常是居民沒有想到的。」舉例而言，警局經常關切患有精神疾病的居民，以預防家庭暴力事件，但是碰上新移民家庭，由於語言、文化的差異，往往特別難以溝通，這正是需要中英雙語警官的一個案例。

柯約瑟是全美知名的百人會成員，曾支持不少華裔競選公職，例如：趙美心、劉雲平、江俊輝等。在他的印象中，爾灣華裔早期不太關心地方政治，直到 2000 年前後，爾灣中文學校面臨租金大幅上漲，家長們才意識到要爭取在市議會、學區為華人發聲的民意代表。近年來，南海岸中華文化中心定期舉辦候選人政見發表會，有助於推動華裔透過投票參與地方事務，提高華裔的影響力。

新冠疫情居家閉疫期間，柯約瑟利用這段空檔潛心寫作，先後出版了《世界是平的，就等你去闖：阿瑟創業傳奇驚魂記》、《且行且珍重：阿瑟人生的奇幻漂流》兩部自傳，書中以幽默的語氣、坦率的筆調， 道出他成長、留美及創業過程中，所面臨的變化與挑戰，就連幾度受騙上當的事，都毫不保留的細數來龍去脈，希望讀者從他的故事中學到失敗與成功不可分的關係。（蕭迪玉撰文）