Korean American leaders look back on the 1992 LA Riots to create new priorities

Korean American leaders look back on the 1992 LA Riots to create new priorities

Transcript¹

In Los Angeles, Korean American leaders have been marking 30 years since riots tore apart the city following the beating of Rodney King. Korean-run businesses were disproportionately destroyed.

A MARTINEZ, HOST:

Here in Los Angeles, Korean American leaders are marking 30 years since the Los Angeles race riots. Korean-run businesses were disproportionately affected² during the six days of civil unrest. Josie Huang from member station KPCC reports.

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)

UNIDENTIFIED MUSICIAN: Let's go. Let's go. Hey, hey.

JOSIE HUANG, BYLINE³: If you passed through Koreatown on Friday night, you'd think, outdoor rap concert. Except it was an event to remember some of LA's darkest days.

CONNIE CHUNG JOE: The reason we have musicians who are going to attract a younger crowd is because we wanted to do some education and awareness⁴ building.

HUANG: One of the organizers, Connie Chung Joe, is with the group Asian Americans Advancing Justice. She was 14 when a nearly all white jury in 1992 acquitted⁵ the LAPD officers who had beaten Black motorist Rodney King.

JOE: As I was taking the bus home, there were fires everywhere. And some uncles that I found out later on had also grabbed guns, went to the top of their stores in order to protect it.

HUANG: Racial tensions in LA had been mounting before that day. The same month King was beaten, a Korean American shopkeeper in South LA named Soon Ja Du had accused 15-year-old Black girl Latasha Harlins of theft and fatally shot her in the back of the head. Du was sentenced to probation⁶ but did not serve time. Connie Chung Joe says it's a history many younger Korean Americans are missing.

JOE: They don't know who Latasha Harlins is. They don't know what happened between the Korean and Black communities. They don't know about 40 to 50% of the property damage during the LA uprising being to Korean businesses.

HUANG: For today's Korean American leaders, the events of '92 established new priorities like creating greater unity⁷, says New Jersey⁸ Congressman⁹ Andy Kim.

ANDY KIM: What happened wasn't just about Korean Americans in LA. It affected all of us around the country.

HUANG: He was in LA to show solidarity¹⁰ at the event, which was co-planned with Black organizations.

KIM: You got to be a friend before you need a friend, you know, this idea that you got to build those relationships and not just call upon people when you need help.

HUANG: Also at the concert was Breanna Pak (ph). She's 27 and grew up knowing little about the unrest until college. Her views are informed more by recent social movements like Black Lives Matter.

BREANNA PAK: I think it's just important to remember, like, everyone's a person. So you have to kind of, like, treat everyone with the same respect.

HUANG: Pak was here because she liked the artists. She was joined by hundreds who, like her, weren't even alive in '92. Together, they observed the past while moving to a beat.

For NPR News, I'm Josie Huang in Los Angeles.

1 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

2 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

3 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

4 awareness   

n.意识，觉悟，懂事，明智

参考例句：

• There is a general awareness that smoking is harmful.人们普遍认识到吸烟有害健康。
• Environmental awareness has increased over the years.这些年来人们的环境意识增强了。

5 acquitted   

宣判…无罪( acquit的过去式和过去分词 )； 使（自己）作出某种表现

参考例句：

• The jury acquitted him of murder. 陪审团裁决他谋杀罪不成立。
• Five months ago she was acquitted on a shoplifting charge. 五个月前她被宣判未犯入店行窃罪。

6 probation   

n.缓刑(期)，(以观后效的)察看；试用(期)

参考例句：

• The judge did not jail the young man,but put him on probation for a year.法官没有把那个年轻人关进监狱，而且将他缓刑察看一年。
• His salary was raised by 800 yuan after his probation.试用期满以后，他的工资增加了800元。

7 unity   

n.团结，联合，统一；和睦，协调

参考例句：

• When we speak of unity,we do not mean unprincipled peace.所谓团结，并非一团和气。
• We must strengthen our unity in the face of powerful enemies.大敌当前，我们必须加强团结。

8 jersey   

n.运动衫

参考例句：

• He wears a cotton jersey when he plays football.他穿运动衫踢足球。
• They were dressed alike in blue jersey and knickers.他们穿着一致，都是蓝色的运动衫和灯笼短裤。

9 Congressman   

n.（美）国会议员

参考例句：

• He related several anecdotes about his first years as a congressman.他讲述自己初任议员那几年的几则轶事。
• The congressman is meditating a reply to his critics.这位国会议员正在考虑给他的批评者一个答复。

10 solidarity   

n.团结；休戚相关

参考例句：

• They must preserve their solidarity.他们必须维护他们的团结。
• The solidarity among China's various nationalities is as firm as a rock.中国各族人民之间的团结坚如磐石。