+During the 1980s, many Korean immigrants pursued economic prosperity by opening small, family-run stores in Black neighborhoods of LA. There could be tension between Korean and Black Angelenos. Many Korean storeowners feared and resented their Black customers, [feeling that they were responsible for shoplifting and robberies](https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/history/korean-african-american-relations). Conversely, many [Black people felt disrespected by the Korean proprietors](https://www.researchgate.net/publication/43224676_Communicative_Behavior_and_Conflict_between_African-American_Customers_and_Immigrant_Korean_Retailers_in_Los_Angeles) who operated in their community, and yet viewed them with suspicion. This clip, from an episode of Bill Moyers’ Listening to America series, discusses the dramatic case of a Korean storeowner who shot and killed a Black child, Latasha Harlins, after an altercation. According to scholars Carol Park and Edward Chang, over 2,200 Korean-owned stores were damaged, burned, or looted in the chaos that followed the Rodney King verdict. This clip provides some examples of ways Korean Americans responded to the riots. Certainly, many families were economically and emotionally devastated by the loss of their livelihood, and angry at the looters. However, many community members sympathized with the challenges faced by Black Angelenos, blamed the media for inciting tensions, and tried to work for racial reconciliation.
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