Koreatown, Los Angeles
Koreatown | |
---|---|
Maria Elena Durazo (D) | |
• U.S. House | Jimmy Gomez (D) |
Area (about 150 blocks)[1] | |
• Total | 2.7 sq mi (7 km2) |
Population (2008)[1] | |
• Total | 124,281 |
• Density | 46,208/sq mi (17,841/km2) |
Population changes significantly depending on areas included and recent growth. | |
ZIP Code | 90010, 90005, 90006 |
Area code(s) | 213, 323 |
Koreatown (
Koreans began immigrating in larger numbers in the 1960s and found housing in the Mid-Wilshire area. Many opened businesses as they found rent and tolerance toward the growing Korean population. Many of the historic Art Deco buildings with terra cotta façades have been preserved because the buildings remained economically viable for the new businesses.[3]
Despite the name evoking a traditional
History
1900s–1980s
In 1882, the United States and Korea established the
By the 1930s, approximately 650 Koreans resided in Los Angeles.
In the late 1960s, the surrounding neighborhood began to enter a steep economic decline. The once-glamorous mid-Wilshire area became filled with vacant commercial and office space that attracted wealthier South Korean immigrants.[11] They found inexpensive housing and many opened businesses in Koreatown. Many of the area's Art Deco buildings with terracotta facades were preserved because they remained economically viable with the new commercial activity that occupied them.[3] The Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 removed restrictions on Asian migration and helped further the growth of the immigrant community in Koreatown.
By the late 1970s, most businesses in the Olympic Boulevard and 8th Street areas were owned by Koreans.[10] This economic boom led to the creation of Korean media outlets and community organizations, which played a key role in developing a sense of communal identity in the neighborhood.[10] The ethnic enclave was able to establish itself as the primary hub of the Korean community in Southern California,[12] and the residents successfully lobbied for the installation of the first Koreatown sign in 1982.[10]
1992 Los Angeles riots
During the time of the riots, there was racial strife between Black and Korean Americans. In many predominantly Black neighborhoods, Korean citizens owned the majority of businesses. When White residents left the area, Koreans purchased their businesses from them for little money. Rapper Ice Cube spoke of this, along with Asian suspicion of Black residents in his 1991 album Death Certificate during the song "Black Korea".[13]
On March 16, 1991, a Korean store owner, Soon Ja Du, shot and killed a 15-year-old Black customer,
The 1992 Los Angeles riots stimulated a new wave of political activism among Korean-Americans, but also split them into two camps. The liberals sought to unite with other minorities in Los Angeles to fight against racial oppression and scapegoating. The conservatives emphasized law and order and generally favored the economic and social policies of the Republican Party. The conservatives also tended to emphasize the political differences between Koreans and other minorities, specifically Blacks and Hispanics.[16][17] Despite this divide within the Korean American community, the 1992 riots also inspired further efforts to build coalitions. The 1992 Koreatown Peace Rally was a record-setting demonstration with over 30,000 attendees representing intergenerational and interethnic solidarity.[18]
The week-long rioting and looting destroyed much of Koreatown. There was $50 million worth of damage done, half of which was on Korean-owned businesses.[19] During the riots, roads between Koreatown and safer neighborhoods were blocked off. Some Korean-Americans speculated that they were being trapped in the danger. One resident said, "It was containment. The police cut off traffic out of Koreatown, while we were trapped on the other side without help. Those roads are a gateway to a richer neighborhood. It can't be denied."[14] Some Korean Americans who survived the riot have said that people of minority races and ethnicities were not served fairly by the current social system.[20]
An 18-year-old Korean American, Edward Song Lee, and his three friends went to protect a Korean-owned pizza shop, along with other store owners and volunteers who would constitute the rooftop Koreans. Lee was accidentally shot to death by Korean shopkeepers who mistook him and his friends for looters.[21] Hyungwon Kang captured a photograph of Lee's body in the street.[22]
The 1992 unrest had a significant impact on the community, solidifying the importance of community-based nonprofit organizations, such as the Koreatown Youth and Community Center (KYCC) and Koreatown Immigrant Workers Alliance (KIWA) (see Community Organizations section).[23] These organizations advocated for reparations and protections for Korean Americans, who received little support from government authorities as a result of their low social status and language barrier.[24]
The effects of the riots and looting, which displaced Korean Americans and destroyed their sources of income, combined with little aid having been given to those who suffered, are still being felt today as LA-based Koreans continue to struggle with poverty.[citation needed][22]
2000s–present
In late 2008, the City of Los Angeles designated Koreatown a special graphics district (along with Hollywood and the downtown neighborhood of
Koreatown is now a commercially driven area, but continues to have problems of poverty and gentrification.[6][citation needed] The construction of the Robert F. Kennedy Community Schools at the former site of the Ambassador Hotel highlighted the challenge of balancing resource expansion with business development and historic preservation.[10] The schools were constructed with the intention of increasing educational opportunities for low-income Latina/Latino and Korean students,[26] but the $578 million construction cost made the complex the most expensive public school in United States history.[26] By 2020, Koreatown was "known for having one of the largest concentrations of nightclubs and 24-hour businesses and restaurants in the country.[27] Other developments, such as the opening of new metro stations, shopping centers, and strip malls, have made Koreatown a popular tourist destination while also increasing economic inequality for locals.[10] Protests against and in favor of building a homeless shelter took place in 2020.[27]
Since Koreatown has a Latino majority,
Geography
The neighborhood lies 3 miles (5 km) west of downtown, 4 miles (6 km) southeast of
The boundaries of Koreatown are blurry; The most familiar thoroughfare is Wilshire Boulevard, from Vermont to Western avenues. But the area extends south as Olympic Boulevard and north to Beverly Blvd, with spillover into adjacent Westlake and Hancock Park.[34]
The beginnings of Koreatown
In the early 1900s, Koreans clustered around the downtown Los Angeles Bunker Hill area.[10][need quotation to verify] This housing segregation was due to racial covenant laws that restricted them to mixed-race, low-income districts.[10] By the 1930s, Koreans began to move to Jefferson Boulevard between Western and Vermont Avenue.[10]
The next major shift began in the 1960s. As the African American population increased in southern Los Angeles, middle-class White Americans began to move out of the mid-Wilshire district.[10] The area north of Olympic Boulevard transitioned from a predominantly white suburb to a home for Asian residents.[6] The area has become the mainstay of the Korean American community, although varying sources have established different boundaries for Koreatown.
In 1980, the neighborhood of Koreatown was officially designated by Los Angeles.[35]
City of Los Angeles boundaries
The city of Los Angeles has set the official boundaries for Koreatown as Vermont Avenue on the east, Western Avenue on the west, Third Street on the north, and Olympic Boulevard on the south. A business corridor running about 3/4 of a mile along Western Avenue to Rosewood Avenue is also included as part of Koreatown.[36][37][38]
In 2010, the City of Los Angeles considered expanding Koreatown further west to include Wilshire Park and Park Mile. The request was rejected, and the committee reiterated that the western boundary for Koreatown was at Western Avenue.[39]
The Koreatown Regional Commercial Center runs along Olympic Boulevard and is "generally bounded by Eighth Street on the north, Twelfth Street on the south, Western Avenue on the west, and continues east towards Vermont Avenue", according to the Wilshire Community Plan of the City of Los Angeles.[40]
Google Maps
Google Maps draws the following boundaries for Koreatown: Vermont Avenue on the east, Western Avenue on the west, Third Street on the north and Olympic Boulevard on the south.
Mapping L.A. boundaries
According to the Mapping L.A. project of the Los Angeles Times, Koreatown has the following boundaries:
This version of Koreatown includes the neighborhoods of Wilshire Center, Wilshire Park and part of Park Mile.[41]
Climate
Climate data for Koreatown, Los Angeles | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 68 (20) |
69 (21) |
70 (21) |
73 (23) |
75 (24) |
80 (27) |
84 (29) |
85 (29) |
84 (29) |
79 (26) |
73 (23) |
69 (21) |
76 (24) |
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 47 (8) |
49 (9) |
50 (10) |
53 (12) |
57 (14) |
60 (16) |
64 (18) |
65 (18) |
63 (17) |
58 (14) |
51 (11) |
47 (8) |
55 (13) |
Average precipitation inches (mm) | 3.39 (86) |
3.72 (94) |
3.14 (80) |
0.82 (21) |
0.29 (7.4) |
0.06 (1.5) |
0.02 (0.51) |
0.14 (3.6) |
0.32 (8.1) |
0.39 (9.9) |
1.12 (28) |
1.93 (49) |
15.34 (390) |
Source: [42] |
Demographics
Koreatown is one of the densest neighborhoods in the United States.[43]
The 2000 U.S. census counted 115,070 residents in the 2.7-square-mile neighborhood—an average of 42,611 people per square mile, the highest density of any community in
Koreatown is considered "highly diverse" ethnically. The breakdown is
The median annual household income in 2008 dollars was $30,558, a low figure for Los Angeles, and the percentage of households that earned less than $20,000 was high. The average household size of 2.7 people was about the same as the rest of the city. Renters occupied 93% of the housing units, and house- or apartment owners the rest.[41]
The percentages of never-married men and women, 44.6% and 36.2%, respectively, were among the county's highest. There were 2,833 military veterans in 2000, or 3.3%, a low figure for Los Angeles.[41]
Homeless population
In 2022, there were 435 homeless individuals in Koreatown.[44]
Economy
Olympic Boulevard has blocks dominated by Korean-language signs and new blue-tile-roofed shopping centers. This initial Korean business area has spread to an area bounded by Olympic Boulevard, Vermont Avenue, 8th Street and Western Avenue. The Korean business area also sprawls to the north and south along Western and Vermont for three miles, and to the east and west along Olympic for two miles.[45] South Korean investment has been a large contributor to the neighborhood economy since the 1960s. Since the early 2000s, that investment has increased greatly, ballooning to an estimated $1 billion in new construction investment.[46] Jamison Services, Inc is Koreatown's biggest landlord[47] and most prolific residential builder.[48] The area also has a vibrant nightlife with many lively restaurants and clubs, especially Korean barbeque restaurants and karaoke bars.[49]
The
Government
The Wilshire Center - Koreatown Neighborhood Council is designated by the City of Los Angeles to represent the area's citizens' concerns to the city. The area represented by the council includes Koreatown and
Representatives
Koreatown lies within
Fire service
Four Fire Stations of the Los Angeles Fire Department serve Koreatown:
Station 29 serving Southwest Koreatown at Wilshire Blvd. and Wilton Avenue.
Station 13 serving Southeast Koreatown at Pico Blvd. and Westmoreland Avenue.
Station 52 serving Northwest Koreatown at Melrose Avenue and Western Avenue.
Station 6 serving Northeast Koreatown at Temple Street and Virgil Avenue.
Police service
The Los Angeles Police Department provides police service to the City of Los Angeles, broken up into 21 local divisions. Koreatown is served by Olympic Division. The new station completed construction and opened for service on January 4, 2009.[58]
Education
21.4% of Koreatown residents aged 25 and older have a four-year degree, an average rate for both the city and the county. The percentage of residents with less than a high school diploma was high for the county.[41]
Schools within the Koreatown borders are:[59]
- LAUSDcharter high school, 221 North Westmoreland Avenue
- Ambassador School of Global Leadership, LAUSD K-12, 701 South Catalina Street
- New Open World Academy, LAUSD K-12, 3201 West Eighth Street
- UCLA Community School, LAUSD K-12, 701 South Catalina Street[60]
- Virgil Middle School, LAUSD, 152 North Vermont Avenue
- Young Oak Kim Academy, LAUSD, 615 S. Shatto Place
- Cahuenga Elementary School, LAUSD, 220 South Hobart Boulevard
- Saint BrendanSchool, private elementary, 238 South Manhattan Place
- New Horizon School/Los Angeles, private elementary, 434 South Vermont Avenue
- Saint James' Episcopal Day School, private elementary, 625 South Saint Andrews Place
- Camino Nuevo Charter Academy, LAUSD charter, 697 South Burlington Avenue
- Saint Gregory Nazianzen, private elementary, 911 South Norton Avenue
- Wilton Place Elementary School, LAUSD, 745 South Wilton Place
- Hobart Boulevard Elementary School, LAUSD, 980 South Hobart Boulevard
- Mariposa-Nabi Primary Center, LAUSD, 987 South Mariposa Avenue
- Pilgrim School, private preK-12, 540 South Commonwealth Avenue
- Larchmont Charter School - Layfayette Park Campus, 8-12, 2801 W 6th Street
- Berendo Middle school - 1157 S Berendo St, Los Angeles, CA 90006
- Los Angeles Senior High- 4650 W Olympic Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90019
Other education
The Korean Education Center, affiliated with the government of South Korea, is in Suite 200 at 680 Wilshire Place.[53]
Public libraries
- Pio Pico Koreatown Branch Library (피오 피코 코리아타운 도서관) of the Los Angeles Public Library serves the area.
Festivals
Annual festivals include the
Community organizations
- The popular Anderson-Munger YMCA at 3rd and Oxford offers swimming, exercise programs, child and teen programs, and social services to the community.
- Koreatown Immigrant Workers Alliance (KIWA) organizes in the community on behalf of social change.
Transportation
The
In addition to the two subway lines, Metro operates numerous
The
Notable places
- The Korean American National Museum - 3727 West 6th Street [64]
- The Korean Cultural Center - 5505 Wilshire Boulevard [65]
- Korean Pavilion and parklet, Normandie Avenue just north of Olympic Boulevard
- Koreatown Plaza - 928 South Western Avenue [66]
- Chapman Park Market, 3405 West 6th Street[67][68]
- The Wiltern Theater at Wilshire Boulevard and Western Avenue.[31]
- Liberty Park - 3700 Wilshire Boulevard [69]
- LA Metro subway station, Western Avenue and Wilshire Boulevard.[31]
- Bimini Baths
- Cafe Brass Monkey
See also
- History of the Korean Americans in Los Angeles
- Korean Bell of Friendship
Notes
References
- ^ a b c "Koreatown". Los Angeles Times Neighborhood Project. Retrieved April 11, 2010.
- ^ a b U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Koreatown
- ^ a b Hawthorne, Christopher (November 29, 2014) "KOREATOWN'S COOL OLD BUILDINGS POINT TO L.A.'S FUTURE" Los Angeles Times (online).
- ^ "L.A. Koreatown Businesses Catering to Booming Latino Population". New American Media. Archived from the original on December 4, 2014. Retrieved June 11, 2013.
- )
- ^ S2CID 147663578– via UCLA Asian American Studies Center.
- ^ Loc, Tim (October 4, 2016). "10 Things You May Not Know About Koreatown". LAist. Archived from the original on March 22, 2019. Retrieved March 22, 2019.
- )
- ^ "Oscar Legacy | Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences". Oscars.org. August 24, 2012. Archived from the original on April 8, 2010. Retrieved September 1, 2012.
- ^ S2CID 146221294.
- ^ Reyes-Velarde, Alejandra (March 22, 2019). "Hi Duk Lee, visionary who founded Los Angeles' Koreatown, dies at 79". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved March 22, 2019.
- ISSN 0458-3035. Retrieved March 23, 2019.
- ^ Mock, Brentin (April 25, 2017). "What We Forgot About the 1992 L.A. Riots". Bloomberg. Retrieved December 13, 2018.
- ^ a b Lah, Kyung (April 29, 2017). "The LA riots were a rude awakening for Korean-Americans". CNN. Retrieved December 13, 2018.
- ^ "How Koreatown Rose From The Ashes Of L.A. Riots". NPR.org. Retrieved December 13, 2018.
- ^ Edward J.W. Park, "Competing visions: Political formation of Korean Americans in Los Angeles, 1992-1997" Archived August 26, 2013, at the Wayback Machine Amerasia Journal, 1998, Vol. 24 Issue 1, pp 41-57
- ^ Nancy Abelmann and John Lie, Blue dreams: Korean Americans and the Los Angeles riots (1997)
- ISSN 0458-3035. Retrieved March 21, 2018.
- ^ Sastry, Anjuli; Bates, Karen Grigsby (April 26, 2017). "When LA Erupted In Anger: A Look Back At The Rodney King Riots". NPR.org. Retrieved December 13, 2018.
- ^ Mock, Brentin (April 25, 2017). "What We Forgot About the 1992 L.A. Riots". Bloomberg. Retrieved December 13, 2018.
- ^ "'Let It Fall': Jung Hui Lee, whose son was killed during the LA uprising, in her own words". ABC News. Retrieved July 22, 2019.
- ^ a b Campbell, Andy; Ferner, Matt (April 28, 2017). "What Photographers Of The LA Riots Really Saw Behind The Lens". Huffington Post. Retrieved December 13, 2018.
- S2CID 145496140.
- S2CID 144670407.
- ^ Zahniser, David (April 18, 2008). "Koreatown billboard district is proposed". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 7, 2010.
- ^ ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved March 21, 2018.
- ^ a b Yearwood, Lori Teresa (February 7, 2020). "I Was Homeless in Salt Lake City. But Nothing Prepared Me for What I Saw in Los Angeles". Slate Magazine. Retrieved February 8, 2020.
- ^ "Population of Communities of the City of Los Angeles". Los Angeles Almanac. Archived from the original on January 11, 2010. Retrieved August 15, 2015.
- ^ DeWolf, Christopher (June 4, 2007). "Cities / People / Place » Where Latinos Speak Korean". Urbanphoto. Archived from the original on October 3, 2012. Retrieved September 1, 2012.
- ^ Steinhauer, Jennifer (February 25, 2009). "For a New Generation, Kimchi Goes With Tacos". The New York Times. Retrieved May 7, 2010.
- ^ a b c d The Thomas Guide, 2006, page 593, 594, 633 and 634
- ^ "Central L.A." Mapping L.A., Los Angeles Times
- ^ Google (September 7, 2017). "The Koreatown Neighborhood as indicated on Google Maps" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved September 7, 2017.
- ^ "Where Exactly Is Koreatown?". Los Angeles Magazine. October 19, 2015. Retrieved December 15, 2019.
- ^ "LA has 'the best Koreatown outside of Korea'". May 6, 2019.
- ^ "09-0606 (CFMS)". Cityclerk.lacity.org. Retrieved September 1, 2012.
- NBC Southern California
- ^ "L.A. council committee sets firm boundaries for Koreatown district". Daily Bulletin. Associated Press. August 2010. Retrieved September 6, 2017.
- ^ http://clkrep.lacity.org/onlinedocs/2009/09-0606_rpt_en_8-11-10.pdf [bare URL PDF]
- ^ "Wilshire Community Plan" (PDF). City of Los Angeles.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Koreatown" Mapping L.A., Los Angeles Times
- ^ "Zipcode 90010". www.plantmaps.com. Retrieved March 23, 2021.
- ^ Kiefer, Peter (July 26, 2019). "L.A.'s Koreatown Pops as Hollywood Stars, Execs Relocate to Booming Neighborhood". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved July 27, 2019.
- ^ "Homeless Count by City/Community". LAHSA. Retrieved April 14, 2023.
- ^ Holley, David (December 8, 1985) "Koreatown Suffering Growing Pains" Los Angeles Times
- ^ Ferrell, David (November 8, 2007) "Glitter Babies Vs. Thugs" LA Weekly. Retrieved January 27, 2009.
- ^ Jamison Begins Clearing Way for Another K-Town Development
- ^ Construction Finally Ramps Up at 3980 Wilshire Boulevard
- ^ Navarro, Mireya (August 8, 2004) "It's Koreatown, Jake" The New York Times
- ^ "Worldwide Offices." Asiana Airlines. Accessed September 20, 2008.
- ^ "Contact Info." Korean Air. Accessed September 20, 2008.
- Grupo TACA. Retrieved on January 27, 2009.
- ^ Consulate-General of South Korea in Los Angeles. Retrieved on December 24, 2008.
- Consulate General of the People's Republic of China in Los Angeles. Retrieved on January 30, 2009.
- ^ "Wilshire Center Koreatown Neighborhood Council".
- ^ "City Directory | City of Los Angeles". lacity.gov. Retrieved February 6, 2023.
- ^ [1] Archived August 2, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Vives, Ruben (January 18, 2009) "Residents celebrate opening of Koreatown police station" Los Angeles Times
- ^ "Koreatown Schools" Mapping L.A., Los Angeles Times
- ^ "Robert F. Kennedy Community Schools: UCLA Community School". Pilot School Network: Robert F Kennedy Community Schools. Retrieved October 12, 2018.
- ^ School website Southwestern Law School
- ^ "Earth Day". Wilshire Center. April 22, 2011. Retrieved September 1, 2012.
- ^ "KTOWN NIGHT MARKET IN L.A." SweetandtastyTV. June 26, 2016. Retrieved June 26, 2016.
- ^ "The Korean American National Museum".
- ^ "The Korean Cultural Center".
- ^ "The Koreatown Plaza".
- ^ [2] Postcard of original site
- ^ Piccalo, Gina (October 21, 2000) "A New Generation Savors the Pleasure of the City's First Mall" Los Angeles Times
- ^ "Liberty Park". Google Maps.
Further reading/viewing
- Nancy Abelmann and John Lie, Blue dreams: Korean Americans and the Los Angeles riots (1997)
- H.C. Laux and G. Theme, "Koreans in Greater Los Angeles: socioeconomic polarization, ethnic attachment, and residential patterns," in W. Li, ed. From urban enclave to ethnic suburb: New Asian communities in Pacific Rim countries (U of Hawaii Press, 2006) pp 95–118
- Lee, Dong Ok. "Responses to Spatial Rigidity in Urban Transformation: Korean Business Experience in Los Angeles," International Journal of Urban & Regional Research, March 1995, Vol. 19 Issue 1, pp 40–54
- Light, Ivan and Edna Bonacich. Immigrant Entrepreneurs: Koreans in Los Angeles, 1965-1982 (1989).
- Youngmin Lee and Kyonghwan Park, "Negotiating hybridity: transnational reconstruction of migrant subjectivity in Koreatown, Los Angeles," Journal of Cultural Geography, Oct 2008, Vol. 25 Issue 3, pp 245–262
- Kim, Katherine Yungmee, "Los Angeles's Koreatown" (2010)
- Lee, Sum Tin Wong, " The Ups and Downs of Koreatown" (1997)
- "Koreatown – Visiting (102) – Huell Howser Archives at Chapman University". Visiting... with Huell Howser. Episode 102.