Asian Life in Los Angeles | Asian American Poll

ASIAN LIFE IN LOS ANGELES
(Updated Wednesday, Jan 22, 2025, 04:39:09 AM to reflect the 100 most recent valid responses.)

CONTACT US | ADVERTISING INFO

© 1996-2013 Asian Media Group Inc
No part of the contents of this site may be reproduced without prior written permission.

WHAT YOU SAY

[This page is closed to new input. --Ed.]

To: My 2 Cents

You stated:
"Why is there so much hatred from black against Asians? Are they jealous that Asian businesses are successful? I think that the riots were just an excuse for a lot of people to fight, burn things down, and steal. Yes the police should have done a better job, but the real culprits are the ones that perpetrated these crimes- the blacks."

You should have kept your 2 cents. That is exactly what your comment is worth - 2 cents.

While it is true that young African-American men disproportionately account for violent criminals - and I make absolutely no excuse for these knuckleheads - can't we all agree that there are more white criminals than black criminals. As such, why is there hardly any focus on whites who commits crimes against Asians?

The reason is the media can't sell news stories talking about whites who take advantage of Asians. They only focus on poor black/Asian relations. This is a money-maker.

Question: If white people care so much about young black men victimizing Asians, why is there still such a prevalent view that Asian-Americans are foreigners? Why is it that every time we have a conflict with China, whites start to view Asian-Americans skeptically? Where's all the concern then? Where's all the love then? Even second, third and fourth generation Asian-Americans who speak pefect English are asked by white people: "so what country are you from originally?"

However, in all fairness, Asians do tend to cope with white bullshit alot better than they cope with black people's bullshit. Why not a total no-bullshit policy regardless of race?

Leaves one to wonder WHY?
GeoffDB02 geoffdb02@aol.com Wednesday, May 01, 2002 at 22:43:30 (PDT)

To: Neither Black Nor Korean

You stated:
"Given the one-sidedness of the agreement as well as the hot-temperedness of the Koreans, the failure of the agreement is not a surprise."

Let's get this straight, Korean sell merchandise in black neighborhoods and it's lopsided for them to give back to the community they do business in? Isn't this what we expect of IBM, Compaq, HP, Safeway, GM, etc? Isn't this what we call being good corporate citizens? Maybe I missed something in my civics class!

You stated:
"I found it incredible that an editor of a newspaper would misquote a major environmental disaster in such manner."

That's a cheap shot on your part. On a a nationally televised news program are you going to tell me that you can't discount some nervousness on a panelist's part given the intensity and emotionalism of the issue? Give the brother a break.

You stated:
"The Korean said that they did not hire anyone because they cound not afford it. It was grandma, grandpa, niece, nehhew, sisters, brothers, aunts and uncles who managed the store."

I actually agree with this approach. It's good business sense. If more African-Americans applied this business technique it would make life better for us.

Hey, I have no problem with Asians doing business in black communities. All I ask for in return for my hard earned dollars is courtesy and quality service. In the same respect, I'm sure many Korean storeowners would appreciate young black kids not stealing their merchandise. Respect works both ways; it is earned.

GeoffDB02 geoffdb02@aol.com Wednesday, May 01, 2002 at 22:29:26 (PDT)

This is such a sad and complicated issue. A lot of the posts here manage to be overtly racist towards Blacks and Latinos and in the next sentence talk about how THEY are racist against Asians! Hypocritical much?

One very important lesson for Asians to learn from the riots is that when human emotion is stripped down to its rawest form, and you come upon a similar situation in which you will be judged soley by what you look like, it isn't going to do much good to defensively posture that you're not Korean, you're Taiwanese/Japanese/Filipino/Vietnamese or whatever. If you are surrounded by a hostile group looking for a scapegoat, if you look like a duck, you're a duck. Talk to non-Korean Asians about their experiences during the riots and if they went anywhere near the tension zone, they probably have stories to tell.

Personally, I admire the Black and Latino communities for their organization and political clout. If the Asian community had HALF of the community solidarity that Blacks and Latinos have in this city, we might actually have an influence on politics or the media. There is no unified Asian-American voice. Success seems to breed passivity.

Not to excuse the reaction, but to give another insight into the relationship between Korean shopkeepers and the Black community: A year before the Rodney King aquittal, a Korean shopkeeper killed a black teenager over a carton of orange juice and received only probation. Surveillance videotape showed the teenager girl left money on the counter, she was not trying to shoplift, and yet the Judge felt that intentionally shooting a girl in the back of the head deserved a lesser sentence than vehicular manslaughter (the closest example I can think of a pure "accident"). I'm not saying the Korean shopkeepers did not put up with years of harassment from their customers, but it was clearly mutual disrespect from both groups.

And finally: HoHo Looter: Your post is pure ignorance and trash. So you think that it's better now that the Koreans are "humble." Let me guess, because Asians should "know their place" and be passive, right? You're just as bad as everyone else on this board that is anti-Black and Latino. I probably know South Central better than you do. I am in South Central every day (and no, my family does not own a store). By the way, I am an Asian female and the reason why I have not had a problem in South Central (or Compton, or Watts, or Lynwood, Florence, Inglewood, Crenshaw or Long Beach or anywhere else) is that unlike YOU, I do not generalize entire races of people, I actually get to know people as individuals first. And being fluent in Spanish helps.

I have found most of the posters on this message board to be woefully ignorant and embarassingly shallow (all the focus on which ethnicity is prettier for Christssake). I urge you to step out of your narrow little world and take a ride down Crenshaw, Western, or Vermont someday. There are many, many hardworking upstanding citizens whose only real fault is being poor. You ignorant, immature individuals (and you know who you are), should be ashamed of yourselves.

Take it from someone older and wiser.

L.A. Chica Wednesday, May 01, 2002 at 18:23:58 (PDT)

They need to stop hating and start congratulating... Too many people are b*tching about what they DON'T have rather than getting their butts up and working for it.

A counter-argument to this may be: Well, there is a cultural bias/history against a group of people. In this case, that would be blacks...

I would still have to say: well what about those successful people who make it out of their unfortunate situation? I believe that it is work ethics and values that are lacking. And when these two components are missing, one strays from the right path.

Asians came in the country without even KNOWING the language. Now I believe THAT is a major disadvantage and handicap.

In conclusion, stop ranting/complaining and start doing something about it!

By the way, Asians in LA, keep up the good work and continue to make that dollar!!!

Peace.
asians tryin to make money in LA Wednesday, May 01, 2002 at 12:47:07 (PDT)

Too bad they did not have this before the riots. Has anyone here ever actually been to South Central, I seriously doubt it.

i live about ten minutes away and can testify to the fact that your belief of why the riots took place is completely wrong. i'm neither black nor korean, and when i moved here, i was apprehensive of koreans and felt that the looting of their stores were well-deserved. (i was young when i moved out here on my own and received all my information from the media). as soon as i voiced these opinions to my dad, however, he sat me down and explained the cultural differences. as my interaction with the storeowners, waitresses, etc., in koreatown grew, i realized that all this talk about them being arrogant or rude was just a myth. most of the time, they just can't speak English. and black and white patrons probably receive the best service. it's too bad not too many black kids had parents who are mature enough to sit them down to explain cultural differences.

here's another incident...when i first moved here, i was driving around south central and a black guy and his girlfriend, both on THC, rear-ended me. they begged me not to call the police because they did not have insurance. I, being the kiddie-liberal that i was and believing that there was something fundamentally wrong with our heirarchical society that would punish a person who could not afford insurance, gave in to their request that i take my car to their uncle's 'auto body shop'. so two days later, i found myself driving south central looking for the auto body shop...and saw the couple waiting for me outside a HOUSE. their uncle comes out and tells me to leave my car. "this is a damn *house*, not an auto body shop," i thought, but the lady told me to trust her, and i did have her sign a contract beforehand, so i felt less hesitant about the situation. i left my car there, went to a friend's home, came back, and discovered that he SPRAY PAINTED my whole back bumper! and they had the nerve to say, "doesn't it look nice?"

at that point, i could have called the police for a police report, etc., etc., because i had a provision in the contract that she would nonetheless be responsible for any subsequent repair if her uncle's job was unsatisfactory. i decided not to b/c i was a kid--and they were nice. Bottom line is, though, koreans wouldn't have done that to me--because there is something called 'honor' in their culture.

liberals, sociologists, etc., like to give people excuses for their wrongdoings. one argument is that poor people are predisposed to commit crimes as a result of their upbriging, surrounding, and lack of choices. still, i think the best rebuttal is that the MAJORITY of poor people do not commit crimes.

penelope Wednesday, May 01, 2002 at 11:48:23 (PDT)

What is your point man? Why do you have to rehash all of this over again? Race relations have improved in LA after the riots in case you didn't know. Well for everyone except you, but you don't seem to like anyone and no one seems to like you so I guess that is to be expected. People respect and interact with each other more on both ends. And excuse me; there are black and hispanic businesses. You simply refuse to see anything that does not conform to your sweeping generalizations and sheltered life experiences and are once again talking out of your ignorant ass. Quit watching K-CAL 9 Action News for all of your life opinions. You are one ignorant little close-minded loudmouth. Do you have any friends? I hope not.

That LA Times poll is crap. How can 10% of one community be represented and the other 10% be left out especially in this instance? What is the Times thinking?

People will get along either by choice or necessity. As groups expand into each other�s enclaves and become more Americanized this will become much less of a problem. People simply have to grow up with each other to be used to each other. Immigrants of any race usually stick to their own kind. People who have grown up in the US tend to be more open to others. It's that simple.

Anti-Envy Wednesday, May 01, 2002 at 08:33:56 (PDT)

When looking at LA riot, we also have to look at the geography of LA. the poorer areas of south central or compton is essentially buffered by Koreatown which "protects" the richer areas of santa monica, hollywood, and Bel Air.

Now when the LA riot occurred, the national guard was essentially guarding these rich neighborhood to the north while more or less abandoning Koreatown.

If you look at footages of LA riot, while angry black mob might incite violence, beating up lone white or asian people, burning down stores, much of the looting were done by latinos.

Now, there is definitely a culture gap between blacks and koreans--I mean, I haven't seen a single white person complaining that we don't hire white people in our mom and pop stores. However, we do hire latinos, as they work for very low wages.

I think a lot of Koreans were genuinely condescending towards blacks; however, there were also a lot of misunderstanding on the part of blacks as well from ignorance about korean culture. Take any black person and place him in the middle of Seoul, and he'll notice that most people don't walk around smiling, and most neighbors dont' greet each other on the streets. This in contrast to African american community where the small pop and ma store owners are integrated part of the community. But koreans in large white suburbs often don't integrate into white communities either, and the white community don't seem to care one way or another.

But this problem is essentially an economic problem. If you trace early immigrant history, poor Irish and poor Italian families clashed all the time. Of course, they didn't have racism working against them.

The lessons learned from the LA riot from the Korean community, although many have learned to be "race sensitive" another lesson has been to steer clear from these poverty stricken area. Initially Koreans moved to do business in these areas as business was quite good--now I think another race related incident might trigger another riot--encouraging many Korean small business owners to move out into the suburbs.

I think this is a catch 22 situation. Inflammatory African American leaders like Al Sharpton might be happy that Koreans moving out might mean even cheaper rents for African American small business entrepreneurs. But this sort of insidence is bad for african american home owners in the area who face an ever depreciating value of their homes, and also poorer quality of services available to the people in the area.
ka Wednesday, May 01, 2002 at 07:59:13 (PDT)

NEWEST COMMENTS | EARLIER COMMENTS