Susan Ahn Cuddy - Blazing a Path for Asian Women

Right: Korean Independence Activists and notable Korean Americans Ahn Changho, Susan Ahn, Helen Ahn, Philip Ahn, Soorah Ahn, Philson Ahn, and Ralph An in 1917, Left: Lt. Susan Ahn Cuddy c. 1945

Born in 1915, Susan Ahn Cuddy passed away in 2015. She lived an entire century filled with remarkable achievements, many of them firsts!

Ahn Cuddy was the first Asian-American in the WAVES (Women Accepted for Voluntary Emergency Service), the first female gunnery officer in the U.S. Armed Forces, the first Asian-American woman to work in naval intelligence, and the first Asian-American woman to be a codebreaker and section chief in the National Security Agency. (She was also the first Asian American baseball player at Los Angeles City College when she was 19!)

This exceptional woman, who achieved such an impressive list of firsts, was the oldest child of Korean immigrants who came to the United States in 1902 to escape the Japanese occupation of Korea.

Ahn Cuddy’s parents, Dosan Ahn Chang Ho and Helen Ahn were the first Koreans to immigrate to the US as a couple legally. Ahn Chang Ho was a prominent political figure in his home country, and he was very active in the resistance against the Japanese occupation of Korea. The newly arrived couple established their home in California and would have five children, all born in the US.

Ahn Cuddy’s father, Ahn Chang Ho (also known as Dosan), played a significant role in the Korean independence movement. He was also a Korean community leader in the US and credited with establishing the first Koreatown in America, which was located in Riverside, California. Dosan continued to build resistance against the occupation of Japan and returned several times to Korea to support the movement from the ground. During his visits back to his home country, he was jailed repeatedly, and in 1938, while in custody, he passed away. Her father’s death had a tremendous influence on Susan and her siblings. They would always remember their father telling them to be good American citizens, but never forget their Korean heritage. Dosan also encouraged his children to be free-thinking and independent and never forced his girls to be traditional “ladies.” As a result, Susan was very active in sports and gained a sense of inner confidence and resilience that would serve her well.

Three years after Dosan's death, the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, and America entered WWII. Two of Susan Ahn’s brothers joined the military, and she wanted to do the same. She felt that it was her duty to fight the Imperial Japanese Army for America, for Korea, and her father. At first, she applied to WAVES (the women's branch of the United States Reserves during WWII). However, she was rejected.

During that time, anti-Asian sentiment was high, and many white Americans were mistrustful of any Asian person, regardless of their ancestry. In 1942, Franklin D. Roosevelt also signed Executive Order 9066, which resulted in the detention of over 120,000 Japanese Americans, and this made it even harder for Ahn. However, she was determined, applied again, and accepted on the second try.

Once she started her training, it became apparent that she was exceptionally suited for the many challenges of being in the military. She excelled and was trusted with positions that required a high level of technical and mental focus, such as teaching pilots to use simulators to improve their flying skills and becoming a gunnery instructor, and teaching aircraft crews how to aim at moving targets. Eventually, Ahn transferred to the Office of Naval Intelligence in Washington, D.C., where her knowledge of the Korean language would prove to be a valuable asset.

In 1947, Ahn met Francis X. Cuddy, a chief petty officer and a codebreaker fluent in Japanese. They fell in love and decided to marry. However, they couldn’t have their wedding in Virginia, where they were living, because the anti-miscegenation law (which made interracial marriages illegal) was still in effect in some states. The parents from both sides of the family were also against the marriage, so the couple also had to contend with social ostracization from their own families.

It took five years for Ahn’s mother to speak to her again. Even though it was a rocky start, Susan and Francis enjoyed a long and happy marriage, and they had a son and daughter.

After Ahn Cuddy left the Navy, she worked as an intelligence analyst and section chief at the National Security Agency (NSA). In the 1950s, during the Cold War, she oversaw a think tank that collected and analyzed intelligence on the Soviet Union. She also worked on top-secret projects for the Defense Department and received a fellowship to the University of Southern California, where she focused on Vietnam and Indochina relationships.

Even after Susan Ahn Cuddy retired, she continued to benefit society. She dedicated the remaining years to supporting the growing Korean community in Los Angeles and preserving the stories of pioneering immigrants. She was also very passionate about mentoring young people, teaching them about community organizing and Korean history, and encouraging them to follow their dreams.

Ahn Cuddy was a trailblazer who opened the path for women and Asian Americans in the military and intelligence services.

Her son Phillip commented in an interview with Today,

"Just imagine if she failed any of the responsibilities the U.S. Navy threw at her. Many men in the Navy were tough on her and set her up to fail. She impressed everyone with her multifaceted ability, keen aptitude, and gets-the-job-done attitude. She changed how women were perceived in some of the most difficult-rooted American traditions."

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References:

U.S. Department of Defense. n.d. “Lt. Susan Ahn Cuddy: A Trailblazer Of Merit and Warrior Ethos In the N.” https://www.defense.gov/News/Feature-Stories/Story/Article/2586537/lt-susan-ahn-cuddy-a-trailblazer-of-merit-and-warrior-ethos-in-the-navy/.
“Susan Ahn Cuddy - Los Angeles Times.” 2019. Los Angeles Times. September 13, 2019. https://www.latimes.com/83909365-132.html.

“TODAY All Day AAPI Special: Our Culture, Our Stories.” 2021. https://www.today.com/news/susan-ahn-cuddy-legacy-navy-s-1st-asian-female-officer-t219877.