Blacks and Koreans

I fear for my father’s safety and well-being because of the way the media have perpetuated the problems existing in South-Central Los Angeles. My father is a Korean-American merchant in South-Central L.A. and as his son I fear for his life every day.

The media have done a great job of exploiting the two minority groups that live in an area where just surviving is a daily struggle. Both minority groups are trying hard to endure their cultural differences and are having a difficult time just surviving. However, the media consistently misrepresent how these two groups exist, which in turn is pitting African-Americans and Korean-Americans against each other. Yet this friction is what both groups are trying so hard to overcome.

The African-American community has a right to be angry at Korean-American merchants because of the way the media have misrepresented these merchants. Due to the media’s way of sensationalizing the news and manipulating the minds of its audience, I fear retaliation against my father for Latasha Harlins’ life. I have gone as far as to warn my parents to lie about their ethnicity and give a false name if they feel threatened. I can’t but feel victimized by the media as well as for all the other Korean-American merchants in Los Angeles.

SOO HYUN LIM

Balboa Island