Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Riots of 1992 were a pivotal moment for the Korean American community as a demonstra-
tion of the need for more integration into mainstream society. The rights of Korean Americans were
neglected in the then police department’s handling of the riots. The Korean American community was
paralyzed by its lack of voice in the local social and political systems.
Today, Korean American community members are a great deal more civically empowered, having
forged close relationships with local government officials, and created and maintained a strong relationship
with the neighborhood police department. There have also been numerous efforts in the last 20 years to
increase interethnic partnership among the Korean American, Latino and African American communities. The
current board of the LAPD Olympic Booster Association, on which all three communities are represented, is
one among many examples of collaboration.
This essay contest, hosted by the Korean American Coalition (KAC) and Elite Educational Institute,
offers an opportunity for a generation of young Americans to gain deeper insight on an event in contempo-
rary LA history that shaped our community. This is also a chance to learn how the Korean American commu-
nity fits into the incredibly diverse ethnic landscape of Los Angeles today.
The 4.29 Center's core program is its mediation service. Trained and certified neutral Mediators as-
sists disputing parties in arriving at a mutually acceptable agreement. The 4.29 Center also encourages dis-
puting parties to communicate, negotiate, and settle disputes privately, without the burden of time-
consuming and costly legal action.
Since 1998, the 4.29 Center has been funded in part by Los Angeles County's Dispute Resolution Pro-
gram. Funding is also provided by the Wilshire Center/Koreatown Neighborhood Council.
PROMPT
Interview a Korean American who experienced the 1992 L.A. Riots first-hand. Write about how the event
made an impact on that person’s life, and how they feel the community as a whole was affected by the Riots.
Based on your interview, and individual research conducted about the Riots, share your opinion of how this
event may have impacted the Korean American community, the African American community and the Latino
community in LA. How has the Korean American community changed as a result of the Riots? Finally, discuss
what improvements, if any, should be made in cultural relations between the Korean American, African
American, and Latino communities in Los Angeles.
Please transcribe the interview, and submit it, along with the interview audio file, as attachments to your
essay. The word count on the interview will not be counted toward the essay word limit.
If you encounter difficulties with audio recording or require more information, contact Esther Park at
esther@kacla.org or 213-365-5999 ext.401