Philip Ahn Cuddy is a highly knowledgeable Korean/Korean-American historian whose expertise is on one of the most famous and respected modern Korean patriots, Dosan Ahn Chang Ho (도산 안창호) and his family. Dosan also happens to be Philip’s maternal grandfather.
Flip, as he is known by many, handles the lead role of maintaining the accuracy of the Ahn family’s accomplishments within modern Korean and Korean-American history. Not only is his grandfather recognized but other family members have made historical accomplishments as well. Flip’s mother, Susan Ahn Cuddy, was a pioneer who broke many barriers within the United States military as the first Korean American woman in the service as well as the first female gunnery officer (any race) in the US Navy. Flip’s uncle, Philip Ahn (whom Flip is named after), was a highly regarded actor in Hollywood during a time when there were very few Asian American actors.
Even today, Flip’s family accomplishments are still being recognized. This past January, Dosan was inducted to the Trumpet Awards International Civil Rights Walk of Fame in Atlanta, Georgia. Dosan happened to be the first person of Asian descent added to the distinguished list of honorees and Flip represented the Ahn family in receiving the honor for his grandfather.
In addition to discussing Flip’s Ahn family background, we discussed his professional pursuits along with his other passions such as surfing.
We were able to discuss with Flip about his background, family history and much more.