Containing Cultural Conflict In Little Tokyo Towers

[Mulboyne]

[floatl][/floatl]L.A. Times: Japanese and Koreans learn to live together in harmony in L.A.'s Little Tokyo
Hongsun Kim has heard it all. When the number of Koreans began multiplying in Little Tokyo Towers a few years ago, complaints about them from Japanese residents quickly began to surface, the Los Angeles social worker said. "They smell of garlic." "They don't follow the rules." "They're going to take over." Then, from the Koreans: "The Japanese are snooty." "They don't greet you in the elevator." "They disdain Korean culture." "They're trying to push us out"...Today, however, the tone in the towers -- a 300-unit senior housing facility on 3rd Street -- is strikingly different. A Korean resident whose relatives were jailed for protesting Japan's colonization of his motherland is teaching his native language to a dozen of his Japanese neighbors...Over the last two years, the residents of Little Tokyo Towers have made their home a case study in containing cultural conflict...more...

Related FG Thread: Big Trouble In Little Tokyo

[halfnip]

The Koreans are starting to take over Little Tokyo in downtown LA as well. They just bought up a lot of property and are forcing most Japanese tenants to move to other locations...

[xenomorph42]

I don't really see a problem with it. That area is really on its last leg. I remember back in the day when L.T. was such a fun active, vibrant place to hang out on the weekends, but now the place is a virtual ghost town. Most Japanese have relocated to the city of Gardena, so if the Koreans want to re-vitalize the area, put their shops there(since Koreans are moving there in droves anyway)and the Korean immigrants and overall Korean population is expanding rapidly. I used to live on 3rd and Vermont and it was a dump, since the Koreans took it over, it became a nice little area, much cleaner than before. So I think this is all much to do about nothing!
More power to them. At least they are willing to keep up the area. On the the other hand, both need to learn NOT only to live amongst each other, but also with other ethnic groups that live around them. Once in Korea town, I wanted to go to a local bar for some drinks, but my friends and I were told "Koreans Only" we were shocked and rather taken back. I had to pinch myself....isn't this the USA? This is not the segregated 1930's!
So if the Koreans want to live in Little Tokyo and both sides can get along and the Koreans want to invest and breath new life into the area fine, but at the same time, they also can't and should self-impose racial segregation. It's not what the US is about(especially Los Angeles)

[Greji]

Once in Korea town, I wanted to go to a local bar for some drinks, but my friends and I were told "Koreans Only"....

This like a job for Debito!