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Old 04-14-2014, 08:21 PM
 
Location: Melbourne, Australia
9,572 posts, read 20,708,643 times
Reputation: 2833

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=An8LJ_fv0mo

Saw this documentary, it's pretty gripping viewing...would recommend you see the whole thing.

I don't know much about the riots in general, but I didn't realise that Koreans were so involved, mostly as victims, of the riots. If what the video is saying is true it seems the LA city government, police and the media did a pretty deplorable thing. I know there are many complex social issues here, but yeah I think basically the media, as it typically does, as well as certain other agitators, stirred up the poor and dispossessed of South Central, mostly African Americans, and used Koreans/Korean Americans as scapegoats. As to the relationship between the two 'races' as these issues are usually framed in America, I'm sure there were good and bad on either side. Those who just wanted to work hard and make a life for themselves and contribute to the community, as well as those who didn't really give a damn about the poor people and took advantage of them. Likewise there were some poor people who just saw the Korean business owners being successful and probably decided to take it out on them. No doubt xenophobia also played a role.

I hope that 22 years on things have improved markedly in Koreatown/South Central and between the two groups in general. I went to Koreatown in LA in 2011, it had a lot of Korean businesses.etc. I think that's one thing that's so interesting about LA, all the different ethnic enclaves that still exist over the vast, sprawling southern Californian urban landscape.

Any insight/opinions would be interesting. Did anyone experience the riots first-hand? Or know much about them?
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Old 04-15-2014, 06:45 PM
 
3,875 posts, read 3,860,007 times
Reputation: 2527
The riots should not have gotten that out of control. LAPD Chief Darrel Gates deliberately restrained his police force and let this get way out of hand.

I remember when it was announced that their would be cops all along Alameda blvd. to contain the rioting and I looked out the next day up and down Alameda and so no cops anywhere.

This riot should have forcibly been put down early. After the riots these idiots had to drive even further to shop and do business as they burned down a good deal of their neighborhoods.

Several Mexican American coworkers I had told me afterwards that they saw Blacks in large numbers in their neighborhoods doing business when before it was only a few.

Is it any wonder why a lot of companies won't do business there?
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Old 04-16-2014, 10:21 AM
 
57,022 posts, read 35,063,814 times
Reputation: 18824
Quote:
Originally Posted by antarez View Post
The riots should not have gotten that out of control. LAPD Chief Darrel Gates deliberately restrained his police force and let this get way out of hand.

I remember when it was announced that their would be cops all along Alameda blvd. to contain the rioting and I looked out the next day up and down Alameda and so no cops anywhere.

This riot should have forcibly been put down early. After the riots these idiots had to drive even further to shop and do business as they burned down a good deal of their neighborhoods.

Several Mexican American coworkers I had told me afterwards that they saw Blacks in large numbers in their neighborhoods doing business when before it was only a few.

Is it any wonder why a lot of companies won't do business there?
Which companies won't do business there? Wal-Mart has tried several times to move into South Los Angeles.

In any case, the whole black vs Korean thing is overblown. On an individual basis, they get along just fine. This particular riot was an outlier, and happened after a string of incidents that caused tensions to boil over. Especially the shooting of Natasha Harlans.

Regardless, the Koreans are STILL THERE and doing good business. The blacks have money to spend and the Koreans have goods to sell. The arrangement is working just fine. If it wasn't, the Koreans wouldn't be there.
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Old 04-16-2014, 03:10 PM
 
32,516 posts, read 37,054,443 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by The Postman View Post

Did anyone experience the riots first-hand? Or know much about them?
Yep. There were businesses burned and looted in my neighborhood. Looking back on it.... the first night was about the verdicts and a lot of pent-up anger. By the next morning a mob mentality took over and it was about whatever you wanted it to be about.

Two things I'll never forget: The Rev. Cecil Murray of the First AME Church pleading for peace with tears running down his face. He knew it was coming and he knew there wasn't anything he could do. But still he begged for peace. And the morning it ended. When Edward James Olmos took a broom, walked into a parking lot full of glass and debris, and started sweeping. He.just.started.sweeping.

Hundreds if not thousands of us got our brooms and started doing the same thing. People all over L.A. literally put down their guns - which were used to destroy AND defend - and started cleaning up the mess. It was the greatest example of the power of non-violence I've ever witnessed.

Last edited by DewDropInn; 04-16-2014 at 03:27 PM..
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Old 04-16-2014, 03:53 PM
 
57,022 posts, read 35,063,814 times
Reputation: 18824
Quote:
Originally Posted by DewDropInn View Post
Yep. There were businesses burned and looted in my neighborhood. Looking back on it.... the first night was about the verdicts and a lot of pent-up anger. By the next morning a mob mentality took over and it was about whatever you wanted it to be about.

Two things I'll never forget: The Rev. Cecil Murray of the First AME Church pleading for peace with tears running down his face. He knew it was coming and he knew there wasn't anything he could do. But still he begged for peace. And the morning it ended. When Edward James Olmos took a broom, walked into a parking lot full of glass and debris, and started sweeping. He.just.started.sweeping.

Hundreds if not thousands of us got our brooms and started doing the same thing. People all over L.A. literally put down their guns - which were used to destroy AND defend - and started cleaning up the mess. It was the greatest example of the power of non-violence I've ever witnessed.
Wow. Great story.
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Old 04-16-2014, 06:11 PM
 
Location: Melbourne, Australia
9,572 posts, read 20,708,643 times
Reputation: 2833
Quote:
Originally Posted by DewDropInn View Post
Yep. There were businesses burned and looted in my neighborhood. Looking back on it.... the first night was about the verdicts and a lot of pent-up anger. By the next morning a mob mentality took over and it was about whatever you wanted it to be about.

Two things I'll never forget: The Rev. Cecil Murray of the First AME Church pleading for peace with tears running down his face. He knew it was coming and he knew there wasn't anything he could do. But still he begged for peace. And the morning it ended. When Edward James Olmos took a broom, walked into a parking lot full of glass and debris, and started sweeping. He.just.started.sweeping.

Hundreds if not thousands of us got our brooms and started doing the same thing. People all over L.A. literally put down their guns - which were used to destroy AND defend - and started cleaning up the mess. It was the greatest example of the power of non-violence I've ever witnessed.
Yeah that's good to hear, they didn't mention that in the doco.
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Old 04-20-2014, 04:05 PM
 
271 posts, read 340,489 times
Reputation: 138
The reality is,people have never and will never address the systematic white supremacy that created the atmosphere that resulted in the LA Riots. There is only so much systematic oppression (and denial of committing that oppression) that a marginalized group can take.
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Old 04-20-2014, 05:31 PM
 
Location: Sacramento, Ca.
2,441 posts, read 3,420,685 times
Reputation: 2629
Quote:
Originally Posted by othello212 View Post
The reality is,people have never and will never address the systematic white supremacy that created the atmosphere that resulted in the LA Riots. There is only so much systematic oppression (and denial of committing that oppression) that a marginalized group can take.
And...
It was never clarified to outsiders, most of which enjoy siding with the Koreans, that South L.A. people were not out to stupidly burn down their own neighborhoods. They were angry at how they were being dealt with as customers by businesses owned by suspicious people who appeared to want nothing to do with them outside of getting money from them. Very few of the businesses affected by the riots were black-owned. So essentially, they were not destroying their own community, but instead what appeared to them as what was wrong with the community: Poor business practices by people they had shallow relations with. Was it all the Koreans intention or fault? No, and it would be unreasonable to conclude. But the people of South Central certainly never deserved to be vilified for how it turned out. But I'm sure some who are biased against them will always find reason to.
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Old 04-20-2014, 06:06 PM
 
Location: Melbourne, Australia
9,572 posts, read 20,708,643 times
Reputation: 2833
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr. Opinionated View Post
And...
It was never clarified to outsiders, most of which enjoy siding with the Koreans, that South L.A. people were not out to stupidly burn down their own neighborhoods. They were angry at how they were being dealt with as customers by businesses owned by suspicious people who appeared to want nothing to do with them outside of getting money from them. Very few of the businesses affected by the riots were black-owned. So essentially, they were not destroying their own community, but instead what appeared to them as what was wrong with the community: Poor business practices by people they had shallow relations with. Was it all the Koreans intention or fault? No, and it would be unreasonable to conclude. But the people of South Central certainly never deserved to be vilified for how it turned out. But I'm sure some who are biased against them will always find reason to.
But the question is, how were the Korean businesses the problem or part of the problem? And if so how much? It's not like things were all rosy before the Koreans moved in.
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Old 04-21-2014, 11:43 AM
 
1,850 posts, read 1,130,907 times
Reputation: 2435
They were angry at how they were being dealt with as customers by businesses owned by suspicious people who appeared to want nothing to do with them outside of getting money from them.


Suspicious because they followed patrons around in their shops? Because if they didn't all their merchandise would "walk" out the door!

Poor business practices by people they had shallow relations with.

Business relationships ARE shallow. There here to make money, not friends.
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