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Assignment
4: Reflections on Political Tour of Koreatown
Think
back to the first day of class.
Many people addressed various perceptions and stereotypes
regarding the community of Koreatown.
Considering the research assignment given last week as well
as visiting Koreatown, what are your perceptions of this community?
How did the community tour assist in changing, or not changing,
your perception of Koreatown? How
does education fit into the community tour?
Please be sure to include any personal reflections and allude
to any readings that you might see as relevant to this assignment.
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Taking a Closer Look: Community Tour of Koreatown
By Cheryl Samson
When you ask a random person what they know
of Koreatown, most will probably respond with answers relating to
their experiences at Korean BBQ restaurants, nightclubs, karaoke
bars, and the infamous LA uprisings. This falls under the assumption
that Koreatown is similar to other ethnic enclaves in Los Angeles,
where one ethnicity inhabits a specific area. Areas like Little
Tokyo, Little Saigon, Thai Town, and Chinatown, all carry these
assumptions and beliefs. In many ways some of this is true. When
you drive through these areas, the ethnic specific restaurants and
small businesses are visible to the public, demonstrating a strong
ethnic presence. What are invisible to the public are the workers
and the inhabitants of these ethnic enclaves that can break the
myth of one majority ethnic group in the area. In Los Angeles alone,
one of the most frequently used languages is Spanish defining the
large Latina/o and Chicana/o immigrant population. This is true
for most areas in Los Angeles, and Koreatown is no exception.
With a 65-70% Latina/o population, Koreatown
consists of mostly Latina/os, Chicana/os, Koreans, and a small minority
of Pilipina/os. Driving through Koreatown and the various streets,
you could see both Latino and Korean pedestrians walking by Korean-owned
businesses. At Wilton Elementary, I saw more Latino students on
the playground than Korean and even at the first park we arrived
at, the same observation verified this belief. Five to ten years
ago, I would have assumed Koreatown to be a community of mostly
Korean residents. Two years ago this notion was proven to be wrong.
I did my research assignment on the organization,
Korean Immigrant Workers Advocates (KIWA). One of the workers from
KIWA, Liz Sunwoo, accompanied us on our tour and spoke to us at
Wilton Elementary School. She informed us about the various services
that KIWA offers as well as their last successful campaign at the
restaurant "Elephant Snack." It was at this campaign that
Latino workers were being paid below minimum wage by the Korean
owners. This is one instance that demonstrates the exploitation
of one minority group from another and illustrates the oppression
that can arise from a multicultural area. KIWA continues to serve
the workers in Koreatown, whether they are Latino or Korean, and
they are currently working on the legalization cases of immigrant
laborers.
The community tour provided me with a better
insight into the area we know as Koreatown. I was not aware of the
multiple preschools in the area, which clearly demonstrated the
emphasis on early education. The small businesses we saw down the
main streets also demonstrated the vast working class community.
When specifically addressing the youth, the readings that we had
read this week illustrated the ideas of Latina/o, Korean, and Pilipino
youth. Many of the pieces that they wrote showed that they were
conscious of their working class parents and family. A lot of their
entries discussed their awareness of their community and the immediate
needs of safety in their neighborhood, which can be as simple as
requesting a crosswalk guard.
The community tour was definitely beneficial
in exposing me to more aspects of Koreatown that I was originally
unaware of. Koreatown is visually growing in its population and
small businesses and visually you can see the contrast between its
working class community and the upper class community of the neighboring
Hancock Park. The diversity of Los Angeles is something that I feel
more people should pay more attention to. Los Angeles is truly a
multicultural city with many hidden aspects that make it unique
and historical. I wish more community tours were conducted in the
various enclaves that it possesses enabling any individual to appreciate
its diversity and rich history. Koreatown is one of the many areas
that contain a tradition of stories, development, struggle, and
community.
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