LAist: Neighborhood Project: Koreatown

fixmyufo

Sat, 05 Jan 2008 07:37:58 -0800

Again, perhaps the only book on the subject of Korean entrepreneurs in LA: With regard to the comment that Koreans appear to own a disproportionate share of businesses when they are not the largest ethnic Asian group-- Professor Ivan Light of UCLA has studied this phenomenon in his seminal book on this subject entitled IMMIGRANT ENTREPRENEURS: KOREANS IN LOS ANEGELES 1965-1982, which chronicles in detail the history and sociological theories of why Koreans in Koreatown have emerged with such entrpreneurial drive. I believe the book is the only one on the subject of Korean entrepreneurs in Los Angeles, it's worth looking at if you're interested.

fixmyufo

Sat, 05 Jan 2008 07:37:05 -0800

Nice comprehensive article on Koreatown. One historical error should be corrected. The article states: "History: Koreans first began moving into the area in large numbers during the 1960s, after the formerly wealthy commercial area began losing its allure thanks to classic Los Angeles sprawl. The pace of migration picked up in the 70s as upper middle class Koreans fled an oppressive South Korean regime, and what was formerly Wilshire Center was renamed Koreatown." In reality, Koreans did NOT start moving into the area "in large numbers" during the 1960s. I know this because my parents came to the United States from Korea in 1963, I was born in LA in 1965, and there were hardly any Korean people in LA in those days. For example, I was the only Korean kid in my class from kindergarten up to fifth grade. It wasn't until a decade later in the 1970s that Koreans started coming is large numbers, i.e., by the thousands. The historical timeline of "modern" Korean immigration to LA is important. I say "modern" because there have been several waves of Korean immigration to the US, starting with migrant Korean workers to Hawaii over a century ago, as well as Korean patriots coming to the US in the early 1900s to fight for Korean independence from Japan. None of the prior waves of Korean immigrants had any significant impact on the city of Los Angeles with regard to creating any identifiable culturally distinct neighborhood. This didn't happen until the modern wave came. The historical timeline of modern Korean immigration is relevant to any study of how and why LA's Koreatown has emerged as such a unique part of the city. Koreatown is unique even by Korean standards, which makes it even more interesting. Add to that the cultural mix of people who actually live and work in Koreatown. Go to any Korean market or restaurant and don't be surprised to hear a Hispanic worker speaking Korean, or a Korean worker speaking Spanish, and this common! You won't find this kind of symbiosis anywhere else. With regard to the comment that Koreans appear to own a disproportionate share of businesses when they are not the largest ethnic Asian group-- Professor Ivan Light of UCLA has studied this phenomenon in his seminal book on this subject entitled IMMIGRANT ENTREPRENEURS: KOREANS IN LOS ANEGELES 1965-1982, which chronicles in detail the history and sociological theories of why Koreans in Koreatown have emerged with such entrpreneurial drive. I believe the book is the only one on the subject of Korean entrepreneurs in Los Angeles, it's worth looking at if you're interested. Keep those articles coming! Cheers.

feetmanseoul

Fri, 16 Nov 2007 07:52:46 -0800

Wow! I caught wind of this late – we're doing some very similar stuff over here in Seoul as well. Check out our photo essays on the fashion centers of Seoul – Apkujeong and Myeongdong. For those nostalgic for Korea, you just might like them! One thing is, I'd like to see more people in the pics to make the spaces feel more inhabited. In any case, we focus on people more than buildings, so you might have to opposite sentiment regarding our shots. In any case, enjoy!

guest

Wed, 01 Aug 2007 22:56:26 -0800

Wow! Great video. It feel like -- here.

guest

Wed, 01 Aug 2007 01:51:13 -0800

great article, but i agree with the others who stated that it's just scratching the surface. still, it's a more comprehensive treatment of the neighborhood than i've typically seen. kemp, if you haven't done so already, it would be really interesting to read about a thai town/little armenia "neighborhood project", or perhaps one about little ethiopia. to militant angeleno (poster #12): just wanted to (good-naturedly) question your assertion that "The Korean population only represents the fourth largest Asian population in Los Angeles county (behind Filipinos, Chinese and Indians respectively)". based on both 2000 census data and 2005 census estimates, this simply isn't true; chinese actually represent the largest asian ethnic group by far, followed by filipinos, then koreans. japanese are a distant fourth, vietnamese fifth, and asian indians well behind in sixth (no specific info on the number of thai or cambodians, who are lumped into the "other asian" category). but i get your basic point - that koreans are not the largest asian ethnic group yet own and operate a disproportionate share of the small businesses throughout LA county.

albs

Thu, 26 Jul 2007 19:18:47 -0800

great in-depth coverage of ktown, very informative, and paints the neighborhood in a great light.. fantastic work!

pinoy

Wed, 25 Jul 2007 09:16:17 -0800

I grew up in this neighborhood for more than a decade. I've seen the area improve from the ashes of the LA riots and Red line construction. The red line construction was brutal, yet there was not much traffic then. The time where the saying you can be in any part of LA in 15 minutes was true. The last few years living there I've seen and met folks from the different state settling in the neighborhood. Many apartments are either raising rent or converting to condo. I read a lot of novels in that Wilshire branch which was originally located along Western and Oakwood.

guest

Tue, 24 Jul 2007 11:50:29 -0800

Absolutely GREAT report on one of LA's most fascinating areas. I hope you guys are getting lots and lots of traffic, because you deserve it. I'm going to create an account and come back often. Timothy Hallinan

Wad

Fri, 20 Jul 2007 14:57:46 -0800

Thanks for the neighborhood spotlight. I've been a long-time Koreatown resident and it's nice to see an article like this.

guest

Fri, 20 Jul 2007 14:01:04 -0800

This is a GREAT article on Koreatown. As a Korean-American, it's great to see our area be spotlighted like this. Many of things you wrote, I was not aware of. I love how you mention Koreans and their love for golf. You're right on the money about that. BTW, Dong Il Jang is the best BBQ place by far!

wangkon936

Fri, 20 Jul 2007 12:09:33 -0800

#17, Yes, just like the California Roll made it's way back to Japan...

guest

Fri, 20 Jul 2007 11:16:14 -0800

this is awesome! I already loved k-town, but you just made it 10x cooler! nicely done :) -stephy

LA City Nerd

Fri, 20 Jul 2007 09:06:25 -0800

Well, done. My LA City Nerdiness kicks in, though, and forces me to share that Tom LaBonge (CD4) also represents a portion of Koreatown, as does Eric Garcetti (CD13) - love those district lines! Also, I would argue to say that Pico/Normandie (Latino Byzantine Quarter) is not part of Koreatown. I would also mention the architecture of Chapman Market on 6th as noteworthy to this community. Also, due to the "Korea"town factor, the Seoul International Park should get at least a shout out, right? That's just this Nerd's opinion, trying not to be snarky. PS Love the "House of Breakfast," the distant cousin from a previous marriage of Los Feliz's "house of Pies," I think.

Militant Angeleno

Thu, 19 Jul 2007 23:38:07 -0800

Oh yeah, the Korean BBQ found in K-Town have made their way back across the Pacific as well. In the BBQ restaurants in Seoul, you can have your BBQ local style or "California Style" which refers to the cut, quality and flavor of the meat found in Los Angeles' Koreatown.

guest

Thu, 19 Jul 2007 16:56:33 -0800

Bullocks Wilshire is not in Miracle Mile. Miracle mile is more west (approximately fairfax to highland) - along museum row. Maybe you are thinking Mid-wilshire? But yes, for a non-Korean, you did a very good job of describing the area, although I agree with #9 that you are just scratching the surface. Thanks for portraying this are in a positive light despite its "gritty" reputation. Please include Frank & Hank's as one really cool dive bar if you ever expand on this article (western b/t 5th and 6th). Snow, the owner, is cool and the drinks are so cheap. And, you have to talk about the Korean cafe culture - we love to pay for expensive drinks in nicely decorated spaces (cafe mak on shatto, koffea on berendo, etc) Oh, and the korean bbq place you love is "cham soot gol." My personal fav is ____ (name is eluding me) on olympic and serrano in the strip mall next to Yu Chon.

Kemp

Thu, 19 Jul 2007 16:19:44 -0800

#6, The old Bullocks Wilshire didn't fit into my K-town boundaries for the piece. That's more Miracle Mile I think. #4 and #12, correction duly noted. My bad. It's hard to be perfect when blogging at 2am. And everyone else, thanks for the kudos!

wangkon936

Thu, 19 Jul 2007 15:54:34 -0800

Oh, btw... Your section on bars and nightlife was entirely too short. You may want to amend it sometime in the future. For bars, there is still HMS Bounty. Some of the Korean style bars of note would be Prince (7th and Catalina), S-Bar (Wilshire and New Hampshire), Blink (Wilshire and Alexandria) and Orchid (6th and Oxford). Orchid is particularly non-Korean friendly and they have a knowledgeable bartender who won't screw up cocktail drinks. The clubs in Koreatown are more geared to the Korean and Korean American sub-culture so information on them in the mainstream blogsphere is sparse. For the sake of completeness, Ktown has really two (with one in Downtown/Pico Union along Wilshire and the other in Miracle Mile): Karnak at Wilshire and Berendo and Velvet Room on Wilshire and Normandie. Also, there has been a new fried chicken place that opened up in K-town called KyoChon Chicken on 6th and Serrano. It's a chain with that double fried chicken that's all the rage in New York right about now.

guest

Thu, 19 Jul 2007 14:31:09 -0800

This Neighborhood Project is amazing! Keep it up 'ists! :D _C$

Militant Angeleno

Thu, 19 Jul 2007 14:17:44 -0800

Some Militant insight into the Korean community that most of you are not aware of: Yes, Pho is Vietnamese, not Thai (That's such an embarrassing error that it needs to be corrected ASAP). But 90% of all K-Town pho joints are actually Korean-owned and operated, largely due to the huge pho craze that swept Seoul in the mid-late 1990s. Also 90% of the "Japanese" restaurants (especially sushi) in K-town are also Korean-owned and operated. Many other Asian groups have even criticized Koreans for co-opting many of their innovations. The Korean population only represents the fourth largest Asian population in Los Angeles county (behind Filipinos, Chinese and Indians respectively), yet their business presence lends to tell you otherwise. The reason? The B-1 visa, which is largely known by the Korean immigrant community to be THE legal ticket into the U.S. basically, one can stay in the US legally under the B-1 provided they own and maintain a business. And many of them manage to keep aloft due to huge investments from overseas and a local Korean community credit/trust system. The Militant would also like to ask about the omission of California Market on Western. That place rocks with their refrigerated banchan deli section.

guest

Thu, 19 Jul 2007 12:44:36 -0800

Actually, I would argue that Koreatown is home to more low-income Korean families than wealthier Korean families. Although in recent years, the gentrification has caused increased numbers of wealthier folks to move in, Ktown still remains the first-stop for many poor Korean immigrants who first move to the U.S.

Tony Pierce

Thu, 19 Jul 2007 12:24:36 -0800

great job Kemp - i think the driving ranges are my favorite parts of KTown

wangkon936

Thu, 19 Jul 2007 11:28:02 -0800

Great article Kemp, very good overview. As a Korean speaking Korean American, I've dived a bit into the underbelly of ktown and you have just scratched the surface of how colorful the place is. BUT... you give a great primer. Keep up the good work man!

auron

Thu, 19 Jul 2007 11:24:47 -0800

Wow, great post, amazingly comprehensive. I love Koreatown, I'm not at all Korean but live in a majority Korean building not far from the eyesore that is the Aroma Wilshire ;). I love this community so much that I've been taking Korean classes out at the KCCLA. And not just for the bars and the like; I'm not the clubbing sort, but this community is just so great, and for some reason (probably its density and urban feel) tends to draw a LOT of New Yorkers. Not a matter of it becoming a hotbed of development... it already is one, and it's exciting to be here to watch it ;). I only moved here in February, and when I visited here last August, I stayed with friends a couple blocks from Wilshire/Vermont. As much as I fell in love with LA, I also really fell in love with K-Town.

mikesycz

Thu, 19 Jul 2007 11:01:13 -0800

great job.

angel g

Thu, 19 Jul 2007 10:47:50 -0800

I agree with Elise, a lot of stuff to cover--good job. However, how could you forget the Bullocks Wilshire Building, now Southwestern Law School's Library?? Its such a classic.

Kathy

Thu, 19 Jul 2007 10:37:40 -0800

This was a GREAT post. Really comprehensive coverage of the area.

guest

Thu, 19 Jul 2007 10:02:55 -0800

Really great post, very comprehensive. One little thing though—pho is Vietnamese, not Thai.

Elise Thompson

Thu, 19 Jul 2007 09:48:41 -0800

You have some of my favorite buildings! That was a lot to cover - good job!

kimmie

Thu, 19 Jul 2007 09:44:03 -0800

I love Koreatown. But I must admit, growing up there, I didn't feel the same way. As I've gotten older, I have a deeper appreciation for the community more and more. Maybe it's because I didn't feel the love back then--not being Korean or just not understanding culture as a small child. Now, I love, stand up for and embrace Koreatown with open arms. I mean, there's got a be a reason my family won't move, don't you think? I still consider Koreatown "my community" even though I'm no longer within the K-town vicinity.

fredcamino

Thu, 19 Jul 2007 08:38:40 -0800

Great work. I love Koreatown. It's going to become a true hot bed in the next few years.