Not a Land of Equal Opportunity - Los Angeles Race Riots, 1992

Why Are We Interested in Looking at This Conflict

This is the riot that highlight to the rest of the world that the land of opportunity, the sole economic super-power, the United States of America has ways to go before it can achieve racial harmony. In your analysis of this ethnic conflict, don't focus on assigning blame too quickly. Try and figure out why people act the way they did. Understand where the anger come from and how political and economic frustration of different groups of people can seemingly create a riot out of nowhere.

Questions that You MUST Answer for Your Presentation

1. What happened in this conflict? You may wish to consider the following:
• Historical timeline
• Profile of the main players/parties involved in this conflict
• Impact on the country and the world.
• Or anything else you find significant.
2. What do you think is the KEY REASONS that led to this conflict becoming full-blown.
3. But this conflict wasn't triggered by race alone. What other forces have contributed to the creation of this conflict or worsen it?
4. Your group's reflections after completing your research?
5. There are some similarities to Singapore. Please share with the class what these are.

You may wish to start your research by getting to know this conflict using the sources below. However, do feel free to add your own sources if you feel interested enough to do additional research.

A Wikipedia Summary

Estimates of the number of lives lost during the unrest vary between 50 and 60, with as many as 2,000 people injured. Estimates of the material damage done vary between about $800 million and $1 billion. Approximately 3,600 fires were set, destroying 1,100 buildings, with fire calls coming once every minute at some points. About 10,000 people were arrested. Stores owned by Korean and other Asian immigrants were widely targeted, although stores owned by whites and blacks were also targeted. Despite the race riot image the event retains, much of the looting and violence was done by young men, both black and Hispanic, and much of the looting was opportunistic theft of luxury goods. Criminals used the chaos to their own benefit, and street gangs settled scores with each other and fought the police.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1992_Los_Angeles_riots

Visions from the Past

A Youtube video recap of the 1992 Los Angeles Race Riots that brought racial inequality of the United States to the world's attention.

Although the main trigger for this riot is the racist action of White LAPD officers against an African American, Rodney King, the ones who suffered most are the urban poor - the Korean Americans and the African Americans.

Here is the Korean perspective:

Web Resources

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1992_Los_Angeles_riots
http://www.asiasource.org/news/at_mp_02.cfm?newsid=79441
http://archives.cnn.com/2002/US/04/28/la.riot.anniversary/index.html

Here's What You Are Supposed to Do

[insert questions]