Violence and trauma as constitutive elements in Korean American racial identity formation: the 1992 L.A. riots/insurrection/saigu

This paper proposes a new understanding of race as an artifact constructed from racist violence and the trauma it engenders. The paper applies Jeffrey Alexander's concept of 'cultural trauma', i.e. when 'members of a collectivity feel they have been subjected to a horrendous even...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Ethnic and racial studies 2012-11, Vol.35 (11), p.1999-2018
Main Author: Kim, Rose M.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Asian Americans
Asian Cultural Groups
Collectives
Consciousness
Cultures and civilizations
Ethnic groups. Acculturation. Cultural identity
Ethnic Identity
Ethnic relations. Racism
Ethnicity
Identity
Interethnic relations
Korean American
Koreans
Los Angeles, California
Mass media
Media
Minority & ethnic violence
Neighbourhoods
Police Community Relations
Race
Race relations
Racial identity
racialization
Racism
racist violence
Rebellions
Riots
Social unrest
Society
Sociology
Sociology of communication and mass media. Sociolinguistics
Sociology of knowledge and sociology of culture
Trauma
U.S.A
Violence
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Summary:This paper proposes a new understanding of race as an artifact constructed from racist violence and the trauma it engenders. The paper applies Jeffrey Alexander's concept of 'cultural trauma', i.e. when 'members of a collectivity feel they have been subjected to a horrendous event that leaves indelible marks on their group consciousness', to the case of Korean immigrant merchants who were victims of violence during the 1992 L.A. riots/insurrection/saigu in Los Angeles, California, following the acquittal of four white police officers charged with violently assaulting a black motorist. Though the violence was contained to distinct neighbourhoods, the larger society experienced the terror because of the mass media. Over time this media-event led to the construction of a new identity rooted in violence and trauma. Through an examination of various texts, this paper argues that the Korean-American collective consciousness shifted discursively from an identity rooted in nationality to one incorporating race.
ISSN:0141-9870
1466-4356
DOI:10.1080/01419870.2011.602090