Koreatown, Los Angeles, California
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Koreatown is a community in the Mid-Wilshire area of the City of Los Angeles, California. Technically, as defined by the Los Angeles Department of City Planning, Wilshire Community Plan, adopted September 19, 2001, Koreatown “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.” However, the name "Koreatown" is usually used by residents to refer to most of the area of Wilshire Center (see also) as well. Both neighborhoods have large numbers of Korean residents and businesses. This article focuses on the official Koreatown neighborhood, to differentiate it from Wilshire Center, which is a more commercial and historic area.
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[edit] Geography
Wilshire Center lies to the north, Pico-Union to the east, Harvard Heights lies to the south, and Country Club Park lies to the west. In reality, development of Korean businesses and residential areas have expanded what is referred to as "Koreatown" by those who live in and around the community. To the north, Koreatown extends north to Melrose Avenue, west to Wilton Place, east to Hoover Street, and south to Pico Boulevard. Also, it should be mentioned that much of Koreatown is shared or overlapped with Mexican businesses and residences.
Major thoroughfares include Olympic Boulevard, Western Avenue, Normandie, and Vermont Avenues, and 8th and 12th Streets. The Santa Monica Freeway is about 2 miles to the south.
The area is about 3 miles west of downtown Los Angeles.
[edit] History
Prior to the 1960s, Wilshire Center (at that time including Koreatown) was a wealthy commercial and residential district. As Los Angeles rapidly decentralized along newly constructed freeway corridors, Wilshire Boulevard and the areas surrounding it went into a lengthy decline. With property values drastically diminished, the area saw a heavy influx of Koreans during the 1960s, after restrictions on immigration to the United States from East Asia were lifted in 1965.
In the 1970s, the Heavy-Chemical Industry Drive initiated by South Korean president Park Chung Hee, which displaced much of Korea's petty bourgeoisie, resulted in even more Koreans settling in Wilshire Center, part of which was soon rechristened "Koreatown." The name "Koreatown" had more to do, however, with the predominance of Korean-owned businesses in Mid-Wilshire's major arteries--Western Avenue, Olympic Boulevard, Wilshire Boulevard, Eighth Street, Sixth Street, Third Street and Vermont Avenue--than with the demographics of the residents, as large parts of the area were heavily Latino throughout the 1970s and 1980s while the level of Korean residents in other areas remained low as well.
[edit] Language restrictions on Korean businesses outside of Koreatown
In 1988, Pomona enacted an ordinance requiring businesses that displayed signs with "foreign alphabetical characters," to "devote at least one-half of the sign area to advertising copy in English alphabetical characters." Similar ordinances were also passed in Monterey Park, San Gabriel, and Rosemead. This ordinance was phrased to impact Asian American-owned businesses generally, but it was enforced to hamper Korean shopkeepers particularly.[1] The Pomona ordinance was struck down in 1989 by a federal district court as an unconstitutional restriction on the First Amendment right to free speech and the Fourteenth Amendment right to equal protection.
[edit] Violence, riots, and aftermath
Further tensions arose when Korean shopkeepers who had experienced actual incidents of armed store robberies or had heard reports of armed store robberies treated black and Latino customers with suspicion. The 1992 Los Angeles riots, also known as the Rodney King uprising or the Rodney King riots, were sparked on April 29, 1992 when a predominately white jury acquitted four police officers accused in the videotaped beating of black motorist Rodney King when he resisted arrest following a high-speed car chase.
Many Korean-owned businesses were looted, damaged, and burned down during the 1992 Los Angeles riots, due to "lack" of police power in the area. Over time, it was depicted by the media and other sources as if Koreans were the reason why such uprising took place. The true reason focused on neither the Korean nor the black citizens in the area.
In the aftermath, much of the Korean population decamped to the San Fernando Valley and Orange County. The vacuum was largely filled by Mexican and Central American immigrants, who continued to make up a large part of the population of the area, particularly in the eastern portions of the neighborhood. At the end of the 1990s, Latino-Americans made up over three-fourths of Koreatown's population, while Asian Americans made up less than one-fifth of the total population. There was some popular television footage of armed Korean-American business owners atop their stores prepared to defend their property.
[edit] Revitalization
The early 2000s have seen a revitalization of the area with many Korean-Americans returning, seeking a more urban lifestyle than could be found in Korean-heavy suburbs like Cerritos, and Irvine. The neighborhood has also become invigorated with the arrival of a new generation of middle-class immigrants from Korea, seeking better positions than are generally available in South Korea's stagnant economy.
Koreatown now brims with vibrant nightlife and commerce, and the construction of mid-high end residential buildings, including numerous apartments and condominiums continues to attract new residents. As of 2000, the estimated population of Koreans in Los Angeles is about 186,350 or 2% of the population [US Census 2000]. However, the actual number is likely much higher due to the large number of undocumented and/or illegal immigrants living in Los Angeles. Koreatown's presence has also notably expanded east into Westlake and west into Country Club Park.
Recently, Koreatown has been infused with college students due to inexpensive housing, public transit to UCLA and USC, and a vibrant nightlife.
[edit] Nightlife
Koreatown is well known for its nightlife atmosphere, which includes exclusive clubs and numerous bars. It's not unusual to see an alcohol establishment on every block, and with the large number of already existing liquor licenses, new licenses are hard to get. Some of the Korean nightclubs in Koreatown and Wilshire Center include Karnak, Le Prive (now Le Cercle Super Club), Velvet Room, 2626, and Express. Every club has an age group, ranging from the early 20's to late 50's. Koreatown is known for noraebangs (Korean karaoke), bakeries, cosmetic stores, salons/barber shops, PC rooms, and many more. Koreatown is also known for Korean BBQ, tofu houses, noodle shops, and a wide selection of 24-hour restaurants. The Wiltern Theater lies just to the north, and plays host to a variety of high-profile and indie rock evening concerts.
For a detailed listing of busineses in Koreatown, see KtownLove.com
[edit] Transportation
Koreatown is served by two subway lines: the Red Line, which runs north-south along Vermont Avenue, and the Purple Line, which runs east-west along Wilshire Boulevard. These two lines have relieved some of its traffic congestion and increased the mobility options of its residents.[citation needed] Four subway stations are located in Wilshire Center; on the Purple (Wilshire) Line, Wilshire/Western station sits across from the famous Wiltern Theatre, while Wilshire/Normandie station is situated among a number of high-rise and historical buildings just north of the center of the district. The Wilshire/Vermont transfer station connects downtown and the Red Line going toward North Hollywood.
In addition to these two subway lines, LA Metro also runs numerous Rapid and Local buses through the district. Rapid lines cut across Koreatown, including Line 710 (Crenshaw), Line 720 (Wilshire), Line 728 (Olympic), Line 754 (Vermont), and Line 757 (Western).
Recently, Hanguk Taxis or "Korean Taxis," have sprouted up in Los Angeles' Koreatown. These are unlicensed, privately operated taxis driven by recent Korean immigrants.
[edit] Emergency services
[edit] Fire service
Los Angeles Fire Department Station 13 is in the hood.
[edit] Police service
Los Angeles Police Department operates the Rampart Community Police Station at 2710 West Temple Street, 99026, serving the neighborhood [2]. A new Police Station is currently being built on 11th St and Vermont.
[edit] Education and Youth Services
The area is served by the Los Angeles Unified School District.
Area schools include:
- Kim Elementary School
- Berendo Middle School
- Virgil Middle School
- Dual zoning for Belmont High School and Miguel Contreras Learning Complex
Los Angeles City College is a few miles north of Koreatown in the neighborhood of East Hollywood.
The Hollywood-Wilshire YMCA operates the Wilshire Youth Program Center[3] in Wilshire Center, serving children and teens. It will be upgraded to a full-service facility starting in 2008.
The Seoul International Park[4], a city park, has ball fields and a recreation center.
[edit] Landmarks
- Koreatown Plaza
- Koreatown Galleria
[edit] Religious structures
- First Unitarian Church of Los Angeles on 8th Street
- Oriental Mission Church (OMC)
There are many smaller churches in the area, as well as Korean Buddhist temples and the Zen Center of Los Angeles. Cahuenga Elementary school
[edit] References
- Ordinances discriminating against Korean-owned businesses.
- Asian American Business Group v. City of Pomona, 716 F. Supp. 1328 (C.D. Cal. 1989).
- US Census 2000 Statistics for Los Angeles
[edit] See also
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