Korea's Past, America's Present

The LA riots reached the magnitude it did because of many reasons including underlying rivalries and factors that actually intensified motives. For instance, the tensions present amongst the Koreans and African Americans before and during the 1992 LA uprisings were generally unknown to the oblivious and sheltered public, or basically everyone outside of the war zone. However, even more of an unknown factor contributing to the 1992 uprising was the influence Korea’s history had on their actions during the riots. The histories that unraveled in their homeland before they immigrated to the United States provide insight to the decision they made to use violence as a desperate means of protection in 1992.

Starting in 1920 when Japan began their 35-year colonial rule over Korea, the Korean people fought ruthlessly to preserve their culture despite being crushed under Japanese authority. During this time, Koreans were forced to work in Japanese factories and to offer “comfort women”, or sex slaves, to the Japanese soldiers. In 1945, the US facilitated the forced removal of Japanese Americans in Korea. Just five years later in 1950, havoc returned to Korea when the North Koreans invaded the South, resulting in the death of nearly 3 million Koreans, 1 million Chinese, and 54,000 Americans. Because of all this unrest, many Koreans eventually left their homes and lives behind and began to buy, develop, and/or create businesses in the LA community.

These histories ultimately anticipated the violence and the tense, war-like atmosphere of the 1992 LA riots. When the riots began in 1992, Koreans turned to the authorities for direction or any sort of protection and received nothing. Having no alternative options, the Korean storeowners and others grabbed their guns, hoping to protect the only things they had, themselves and their businesses. Familiar with fighting during moments of urban unrest, the Korean Americans’ decision to initiate extreme protective measures during the riots somewhat reflected the Koreans who took up arms in self-defense against the Japanese during the colonial rule.

http://afe.easia.columbia.edu/main_pop/kpct/kp_koreaimperialism.htm

Grace Yi