Rooftop Koreans or Roof Koreans refer to the Korean American business owners and residents during the

1992 Los Angeles riots The 1992 Los Angeles riots, sometimes called the 1992 Los Angeles uprising and the Los Angeles Race Riots, were a series of riots and civil disturbances that occurred in Los Angeles County, California, in April and May 1992. Unrest began in S ...

who armed themselves and took to the rooftops of local businesses to defend themselves. The unrest in urban areas was sparked by the acquittal of four Los Angeles Police Department officers in the beating of Rodney King and resulted in rioting, and looting, along with widespread violence and arson throughout the city.

Background

Tensions had existed between the Korean and African American communities in Los Angeles, with previous violent incidents including the

killing of Latasha Harlins Latasha Harlins (January 1, 1976 – March 16, 1991) was an African-American girl who was fatally shot at age 15 by Soon Ja Du ( ko, 두순자) after Latasha knocked Soon Ja Du to the ground, a 51-year-old Korean-American convenience store owner ...

, an African-American teenager who was fatally and controversially shot by a Korean-American

convenience store A convenience store, convenience shop, corner store or corner shop is a small retail business that stocks a range of everyday items such as coffee, groceries, snack foods, confectionery, soft drinks, ice creams, tobacco products, lottery ticket ...

owner, Soon Ja Du. Du was tried, convicted, and given ten years in prison. However, the sentence was suspended, and she was instead placed on five years' probation with 400 hours of community service and payment of $500 restitution, as well as Harlins' funeral costs. The sentencing was widely regarded as extremely light, with a failed appeal reportedly contributing to the

Events

Following the Rodney King verdict, Los Angeles police were unable to provide protection to many affected areas due to the overwhelming scale of the riots. Controversially, they opted instead to set up a defensive perimeter around the Beverly Hills and West Hollywood cities, cutting off Koreatown and abandoning other minority and low-income communities, leaving the Koreatown community to mostly fend for themselves. In response, many Korean business owners and residents took matters into their own hands. Local Korean radio stations in Los Angeles put out a call to help Korean business owners, leading to volunteers arriving with their own firearms. The intersection of 5th Street and Western Avenue served as a flashpoint, where the California Market (also called Gaju or Kaju) Korean grocery store was a major point of conflict. Other locations that were defended by citizens with firearms included 8th and Oxford, as well as Western and Third Street. '' The Los Angeles Times'' stated there were multiple people on the roof of the grocery with "shotguns and automatic weapons" while Ebony Magazine noted the use of "rifles and handguns." Because South Korea has a two year

mandatory military service Conscription (also called the draft in the United States) is the state-mandated enlistment of people in a national service, mainly a military service. Conscription dates back to antiquity and it continues in some countries to the present day un ...

for males, it was noted that many Korean immigrants had experience with handling firearms. The actions of the rooftop Koreans sparked debates about gun control and vigilantism, while simultaneously spurring praise for the residents' bravery and resourcefulness. Edward Song Lee, a Korean American was shot and killed mistakenly by his peers when protecting shops near 3rd street. Hector Castro, a Latino was also fatally shot in Koreatown during the riots. Authorities could not determine who killed him, as both merchants and rioters were shooting in the area. Police were on "tactical alert" thus not responding to any calls from citizens. Order was not restored until President Bush invoked the Insurrection Act (declaring it an insurrection) deploying 15,000 troops. Order was restored almost immediately.

Influence

The rooftop Koreans have been cited by gun rights advocates for the value of citizen ownership of firearms and "being your own first responder." In recent years, it has also been the subject of social media memes, contributing to ease of tensions with African American communities especially in the 2014 Ferguson unrest, the emergence of Black Lives Matter, and the increased racial tensions around

Stop Asian Hate ''Stop Asian Hate'' is a slogan and name for a series of demonstrations, protests, and rallies against violence targeting Asians, Asian Americans, and others of Asian descent. They were held across the United States in 2021 in response to racia ...

References

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External links

Rifles on the roof - April, 1992
- photo of California Supermarket during 1992 riots by Glenn Gilbert
The True Stories Behind The ‘Rooftop Koreans’ Who Took Up Arms During The L.A. Uprising
- ''All That's Interesting'', Natasha Ishak, November 5, 2020 American people of Korean descent Korean-American culture in Los Angeles Korean-American history Koreatown, Los Angeles Anti-Korean violence Anti-Korean sentiment in the United States 1992 Los Angeles riots Vigilantes in popular culture