How the L.A. Riots Was Remembered in Korean Cinema: Western Avenue and Shattered American Dreams

Abstract

The L.A. riots, which happened during three days from April 29 to May 1, 1992, are viewed as the most deadly and destructive riots in American history. Depicted in blaring front-page headlines and violent pictures on television, this urban upheaval received epic exposure in many countries. In Korea, it was especially shocking due to the viewpoint that highlighted the conflict between Korean and African Americans. This paper aims to review the black-Korean conflict during the 1992 L.A. riots in a Korean movie, Western Avenue. It is a film that narrates the despair of Korean Americans in the context of the L.A. riots, while placing American ideologies on trial. It is the only feature-length film to portray the story of Korean Americans in the L.A. riots. This paper examines some of the factors that resulted from the 1992 L.A. riots before the discussion of Western Avenue. Then, the paper analyzes the story of the Korean American in the film, focusing on how this film deals with the black-Korean conflict during the 1992 L.A. riots.