Harlins’ death at the hands of Korean shop owner Soon Ja Du, who served no jail time, inflamed community tensions in South Central Los Angeles that later manifest in the 1992 riots.
Today is the 21st anniversary of the uprising in Los Angeles shortly after the Rodney King trial verdict was announced. “Sa-I-Gu”, Korean for April 29, opens a window on Korean American women in Los Angeles whose stores – and lives – were devastated during in the aftermath.
From buses to community re-entry programs, the people of Los Angeles have spent the past two decades working tirelessly to transform the city’s racial and economic landscape. Here are three groups whose work stands out.