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How the L.A. Riots Was Remembered in Korean Cinema: Western Avenue and Shattered American Dreams

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초록

The L.A. riots, which happened during three days from April 29 to May 1, 1992, are viewed as the most deadly and destructive riots in American history. Depicted in blaring front-page headlines and violent pictures on television, this urban upheaval received epic exposure in many countries. In Korea, it was especially shocking due to the viewpoint that highlighted the conflict between Korean and African Americans. This paper aims to review the black‐Korean conflict during the 1992 L.A. riots in a Korean movie, Western Avenue. It is a film that narrates the despair of Korean Americans in the context of the L.A. riots, while placing American ideologies on trial. It is the only feature-length film to portray the story of Korean Americans in the L.A. riots. This paper examines some of the factors that resulted from the 1992 L.A. riots before the discussion of Western Avenue. Then, the paper analyzes the story of the Korean American in the film, focusing on how this film deals with the black‐Korean conflict during the 1992 L.A. riots.

Abstract

The L.A. riots, which happened during three days from April 29 to May 1, 1992, are viewed as the most deadly and destructive riots in American history. Depicted in blaring front-page headlines and violent pictures on television, this urban upheaval received epic exposure in many countries. In Korea, it was especially shocking due to the viewpoint that highlighted the conflict between Korean and African Americans. This paper aims to review the black‐Korean conflict during the 1992 L.A. riots in a Korean movie, Western Avenue. It is a film that narrates the despair of Korean Americans in the context of the L.A. riots, while placing American ideologies on trial. It is the only feature-length film to portray the story of Korean Americans in the L.A. riots. This paper examines some of the factors that resulted from the 1992 L.A. riots before the discussion of Western Avenue. Then, the paper analyzes the story of the Korean American in the film, focusing on how this film deals with the black‐Korean conflict during the 1992 L.A. riots.

참고문헌 (22)

  1. D. Hazen, "Inside the L.A. Riots", pp.10~ (1992), Institute for Alternative Journalism
  2. "According to the 1990 census in the United States, the total population of Korean Americans was approximately 800,000. Among them, Southern California residents were considered a quarter of that number. However, arguing that many Korean Americans did not register in that census, a Korean-language journal published monthly in the United States estimates that the total number of Korean Americans in 1990 might have been approximately 1.6 million", Korean Journal- Nationwide, pp.16~ (1990)
  3. "Los Angeles Times", A3~ (1992)
  4. "There are two other film works dealing with Los Angeles Riots of 1992 from the Korean-American perspective. These were documentary works: Clash of Colors: LA Riots of 1992 (2012, directed by David Kim) and Pok Dong (2006, directed by Alex Ko). Clash of Colors deals with how the riots affected the Korean American community in Los Angeles, while analyzing the complex social events before, during, and after the six-day catastrophe. Pok Dong examines the haunting impact of the LA riots on an immigrant family and creates a candid look at an immigrant family from Korea and their struggle with life while living the American dream", ~ (2006)
  5. I. Yoon, "Self-employment in Business among U.S. Ethnic Groups", Korea Journal of Population and Development, 25, pp.129~ (1996)
  6. G. Jeon, "The Korean Black Conflicts: A Critical Communication Approach", 박사, pp.1993
  7. K. C. Kim, "Koreans in the Hood: Conflict with African Americans" (1999), The John Hopkins University Press
  8. B. G. Wheeler, "Black California: The History of African- American in the Golden State", pp.274~ (1993), Hippocrene Books
  9. N. Abelmann, "Blue Dreams: Korean Americans and the Los Angeles Riots", pp.184~ (1995), Harvard University Press
  10. I. Yoon, "Who is My Neighbor?: Koreans' Perceptions of Blacks and Latinos As Employees, Employees, Customers, and Neighbors", Development and Society, 27(1), pp.50~ (1998)
  11. "Los Angeles Times", B3~ (1992)
  12. "The film does not provide specific demographic information about the characters, such as their ages or their immigration year. Therefore, I can only presume their ages and immigration year from the film's narrative structure. It is possible to get information on these matters through Marian. When she is attending elementary school, it is at least 3 years after immigration. And she is introduced as a junior of Yale University one or two years ago before the L.A. riots", ~
  13. E. Y. Yu, "Korean Women in Transition: At Home and Abroad", pp.15~28 (1987), California State University
  14. "Los Angeles Times", B4~ (1991)
  15. "Los Angeles Times", A6~ (1992)
  16. G. Jeon, "The Korean Black Conflicts: A Critical Communication Approach", 박사, pp.1993
  17. N. Abelmann, "Blue Dreams: Korean Americans and the Los Angeles Riots" (1995), Harvard University Press
  18. "In 1992, however, fewer than 20, 000 Koreans immigrated to the United States, the lowest level since 1972(Los Angeles Times, 15 August 1993, A14). It is impossible to prove the independent effects of the riots on Korean immigration, but there is a possibility that the L. A. riots play a role in the temporary decrease of Korean immigration to the United States", ~
  19. N. Abelmann, "Blue Dreams: Korean Americans and the Los Angeles Riots", pp.56~ (1995), Harvard University Press
  20. "The film shows part of their film project entitled “The Exotic,” a footage that is filled with the Oriental image of Marian in a Korean-style dance, wearing a Korean traditional robe. In this footage, Marian is characterized as an exotic woman who is naturally alienated from the others. Surrounding her with whites and blacks, it highlights Marian as unique among them. Beneath bluetoned lighting and a dark backdrop, her image is too eroticized. This scene even contains a symbolic sex act between Marian and a white man. The problem is that through this footage the spectator seldom senses Marian's agony at existing between two conflicting cultures. Therefore, the intended meaning of this footage is not easily caught; it is as intricate as the dance movement Marian performs, borrowing it directly from a traditional Korean “Monk’s dance.” After all, their project fails to introduce her fragile and delicate position in America", ~
  21. N. Abelmann, "Blue Dreams: Korean Americans and the Los Angeles Riots", pp.x~ (1995), Harvard University Press
  22. I. Yoon, "Who is My Neighbor?: Koreans' Perceptions of Blacks and Latinos As Employees, Employees, Customers, and Neighbors", Development and Society, 27(1), pp.58~59 (1998)

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