Koreatown: Commercial Area

Since its establishment in Los Angeles, Koreatown served as “a simulacrum of Seoul in Southern California” (Abelmann and Lie). Korean immigrants gathered here to start their new lives alongside others who shared their native language and culture. A large majority of stores in the neighborhood were run by Korean Americans, and Korean signs stood all around. “There were about 6,000 Korean retail outlets in Los Angeles County, a main source of livelihood for...300,000 to 400,000 Korean-Americans...There are more than a million Korean-Americans in the nation [at the time]” (Mydans). However, in reality, Koreatown was far from the picture perfect cultural neighborhood it set out to be; not far beneath its surface, the city faced both economic and social issues. 

Koreatown was known for its “reputation as a bad neighborhood-an impression solidified by the riots” (Abelmann and Lie). In fact, “Koreatown [had] the highest crime rate in all of Los Angeles” (Abelmann and Lie). As mentioned previously, shoplifting and other cases of crime were practically daily occurrences for the civilians. Additionally, “the median household income of Koreatown residents [was] roughly half of the California average” (Abelmann and Lie). As such, the people living in Koreatown faced financial hardship which combined with the frequent crime rates to lead to high poverty and unemployment rates. It is also significant that Koreatown was home to a multiethnic community, which led to common occurrences of discrimination. Many Korean shopkeepers outright did not respect African American customers and blamed them for making the neighborhood more dangerous. Oftentime, “Black groups...led boycotts of Korena shops” to protest this racist behavior (Mydans). Therefore, in addition to facing discrimination and social injustice by white Americans, African Americans also felt unjustly oppressed by Korean Americans. With Latasha Harlins’ case fresh in their minds, the Black community thus targeted Koreatown during the uprising to demonstrate their frustration. 

During the rioting, “Korean Americans were the single most visible group of victims. More than half of the 3,100 Korean American businesses in Los Angeles suffered damages, totaling $350 million” (Abelmann and Lie). Over the five days, Korean American shop owners tried to defend their stores, but overall, the entire neighborhood was devastated. With the complex relationship between white, Black, and Korean communities, the L.A. riots “have come to be characterized as the nation’s first multiethnic riot”(Abelmann and Lie). African Americans were not only fighting against their oppression by white Americans and police officers, but also by Korean Americans. The intense looting and destruction of Koreatown effectively demonstrates the rage that African Americans felt. Though South Los Angeles still struggles with poverty, high crime rates, mass unemployment, and discrimination, the city and the people have worked to improve conditions since the 1992 riots. The LAPD, though still guilty of racial profiling and violence, has become more transparent, and the Korean American community has become more involved with activism, mending racial tension, and protesting against police brutality. While there are still many necessary improvements and inequalities to address, the 1992 L.A. Uprising forced all communities to finally start tackling the longstanding issues that have plagued the city. 

Abelmann, Nancy, and John Lie. Blue Dreams: Korean Americans And the Los Angeles Riots. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 1995.

Abelmann and Lie offered a deep dive into how the 1992 L.A. Uprising affected the Korean American community. They account and examine issues which previously existed and engendered Black resentment against Korean Americans. Additionally, they also describe the experiences of Korean Americans during the riots and in the aftermath as Los Angeles struggles to rebuild. 

Bates, Karen Grisby and Anjuli Sastry. “When LA Erupted In Anger: A Look Back at the Rodney King Riots.” NPR. NPR, 26 Apr. 2017, www.npr.org/2017/04/26/524744989/when-la-erupted-in-anger-a-look-back-at-the-rodney-king-riots. 

The article by Bates and Sastry gives a detailed account of what happened during the riot and how the uprising affected several different areas of South Los Angeles. 

Cannon, Lou. Official Negligence: How Rodney King And the Riots Changed Los Angeles And the LAPD. New York: Times Books, 1997.

Lou’s analysis of the 1992 Los Angeles Uprising provides a great deal of information spanning the entire timeline of the rioting, from Rodney King’s beating to the impacts the rioting had on the political environment and police department. With many direct quotes, Lou goes step by step through the riot and examines the entire event unfolding.  

Madhubuti, Haki R., 1942-. Why L.A. Happened: Implications of the '92 Los Angeles Rebellion. Chicago: Third World Press, 1993.

Madhubuti compiles a series of essays from several authors which discuss the factors that caused the Los Angeles rioting.

Mydans, Seth. “Riots In Los Angeles: Pocket of Tension; A Target of Rioters, Koreatown is Bitter, Armed, and Determined.” The New York Times Company. The New York Times, 2 May, 1992, https://www.nytimes.com/1992/05/03/us/riot-los-angles-pocket-tension-target-rioters-koreatown-bitter-armed-determined.html. 

Mydans’ article accounts the personal responses of Korean Americans to the rioting of Koreatown. 

The Associated Press. “Rodney King Riot: Timeline of Key Events.” AP NEWS, Associated Press, 26 Apr. 2017, apnews.com/article/fa4d04d8281443fc8db0e27d6be52081.  

The Associated Press provides a concise timeline of events outlining the uprising.