Immigration Studies on Korea Town Los Angeles - Term Paper Example

Immigration Studies on Korea Town (KTown) Los Angeles History and General Overview Over the years,there has been interesting debates on whether anybody in Los Angeles is actually from there. These debates have been fueled by the perception that while plenty of people were born and raised in Los Angeles, the city has a strong image in which everybody is apparently from somewhere else (Yu 531). The Korean Town in Los Angeles is a notable demonstration of the power of urban ethnic places; it presents an intriguing case study of the renewal and removal of an ethnic enclave by changing US capitalism’s historical stages. The town has over the decades served as one of the leading tourist destinations, as well as a town for political and economic motives. At other times, it serves as gestures of cultural diplomacy in promoting community interests, creating public goodwill, and generating consent in the larger geopolitics of Southeast Asia and the United States relations (Lin 166). The history of this town can be traced to 1781 when Los Angeles was founded as an agricultural settlement. Initially, the Chinese immigrants disembarked through San Francisco as workers with railroad companies and silver and gold mining. The Korean immigrants were facing increasing competition and hostilities with native laborers. These hostilities culminated to one of Los Angeles’ notable incidents- Chinese Massacre, that happened in October 24, 1871 (Lin 171). Until 1920s, it was an exclusion era for the Southeast immigrants who were lacking rights of property ownership and citizenship as well. All along, they were experiencing numerous economic and legal barriers to the formation of their larger immigrant community. The Korea Town as it is known today was reborn between 1933 and 1938 as an assortment of several settlements. (Lin 179). Korea Town as a Crossroads Town Henry Yu in his article argues that everyone in Los Angeles is tied in long links to people in other places, therefore drawing a map dense with scrawling lines of its inhabitants’ journeys. According to him, the Korean Town is a crossroads town because people living there do not know if this town they are calling home will be a place where they will stop. He goes ahead and argues that there are roads that lead to other towns and places, and that people come and go (Yu 542). The Korean Town is a melting point of cultures where people make friends and meet neighbors, as well as try to make the town a better place to live. However, there is a lingering question of whether those who came to this town remember the journeys that they took, the people they knew before, and the places where they were. He argues that if historians followed the struggles of the Koreans, Latinos, and Chinese immigrants to Los Angeles and built their histories, the society as a whole would have seen a history of lives that were well-lived and stories that were worth telling about the town and its immigrants (Yu 542). Yu’s argument about the Korean Town being a town at crossroads is informed by some of intriguing facts and realities, as well as questions that have not been addressed comprehensively. Understanding of the Korean Town in Los Angeles, in its present form, requires the thinking about how migration is narrated. The definition of migration as the actual movement of people from one point to another is not adequate in defining the intrigues of Chinese, Korean, and Latinos migration and the ultimate development of the Korean Town in Los Angeles (Yu 532). Such definition ignores some of the critical aspects of migration by any particular community, and in this case their migration into Los Angeles. It escapes the aspect of nationalism in explaining their migration and the ultimate development of the town. Nationalism is a rationale that cannot be ignored in understanding the subject at hand; it is critical in explaining the hostilities and competition that they faced upon migrating to Los Angeles, and the nationalism spirit that inspired the eventual development of the town (Yu 532). Moreover, economic and political interests in the town best explain the argument that Korean Town is at crossroads. The whole issue of the town brings to the fore the question of assimilation into the host society. In addition, national concerns are of critical importance in this regard particularly in regard to the control and security of bodies that are fundamental in the society as a whole (Yu 532). While there were some migrants whose movements in the United States provoked little concern, migration of the Chinese, Koreans and Latinos to the United States was initially viewed as a “problem” to the American society. Understanding this aspect can explain why the town is at crossroads; it helps to understand the prevailing social relationships in the town. More importantly, it is critical in understanding why the town finds itself in crossroads as regards important political, economic, and diplomatic decisions nationally and internationally (Yu 533). Korea Town in Relation to Ethnic Communities as a Place of Investment The Korea Town presents an intriguing case study of ethnic communities’ investments and the changing nature of capitalism in the American society. The arrival of the Southeast Asians in the late eighteenth century and the arrival of new immigrant laborers from South East Asia after the Vietnam War have expanded the Korean Town significantly. Ethnic communities from Korea, China, Singapore and even Japan have increased the capital flows in the Korea Town in Los Angeles, thus making it an investment hub (Lin 166). The new South East Asian business interests, as well as the place of entrepreneurs make up an ethnic growth machine, which works in partnership with the public governmental interests and white developers in boosting profitable redevelopment projects and cultural tourism in the town. The expanding economic growth in the town reflects the new transitional dynamics of the town inhabited by diverse ethnic communities. Even though the town was historically victimized particularly by the urban growth machine and the white establishment, the Southeast Asian communities including the Koreans and the Chinese are now part of the mainstream conspiracy of urban growth machine with much bigger influence in determining their prospects for the future (Lin 167). The ethnic communities in Korea Town in Los Angeles have been playing active roles investment in the town. They have made the best of their experiences of urban segregation and removal; they now partner with municipal stakeholders and preservationist in constructing new settlements in the town. The decorative gateways and walled courtyards have over the years been built with these ethnic communities’ architectural designs (Lin 168). The communities are now being represented by a bold new group of second-generation entrepreneurs and leaders born on the United States soil with citizenship rights and legal title of purchasing real property. Los Angeles Korea town has expanded both economically and demographically in the global period. This growth is indicative of the flexible niche marketing strategies and specialization systems of the contemporary ethnic communities’ regime in the town (Lin 170). The stakeholders of the town have new opportunities of presenting their cultural attractions for popular consumption and tourism in the modern world. New generations of the ethnic communities in the town particularly the community leaders, activists, and entrepreneurs have more control compared to the communities in the past. These groups work with power brokers of the Los Angeles City and the downtown business elite to further their interests (Lin 170). It is imperative to point out that while the Korea Town has witnessed exponential growth over the years, there are still serious challenges in the town that need to be addressed. Residents of the town are generally poorer, less acculturated, and less educated compared to the ethnic communities in Southern California. The demand for housing in the town still outstrips the supply, and the elderly population is challenged by lack of housing they can afford. Nonetheless, the town is entering an era of new possibilities because ethnic places are increasingly becoming an important factor in economic growth. They are no longer a barrier to development and urban renewal (Lin 201). Korea Town Becoming a Hybrid City The Korea Town has the potential of becoming a hybrid city for Koreans and Americans. The town has entered a period of new possibilities, as places that were considered ethnic are increasingly becoming a factor in urban renewal. The Korea town is linked to strategies that not only attract global immigrant labor and investment capital, but also reducing the barriers between two major cultures in the town; Korean and American cultures (Lin 201). After decades of ethnic and cultural tensions in the town, there has been increasing focus among the communities in the town to co-exist harmoniously as they capitalize on the emerging opportunities in the town. The developments in the town have signified the ascendance of Los Angeles as a global city. This has had spiral effect on how ethnic communities relate. The communities in the town are experiencing broader cultural, social, and demographic changes. Koreans and Americans are the largest ethnic communities and the huge sweeping changes are presenting a great potential of changing the identity of the town to be a hybrid city for the two communities (Li 200). The town in the contemporary era stands a better chance of becoming a hybrid city because of its history and recent developments. The town has more opportunities for the natives and immigrants, which is associated with the postindustrial city in the modern global economy (Lin 202). The Korean and American cultures have become increasingly intertwined in recent years, as culture becomes a growing growth sector in urban economies. The two cultures are intersecting in many ways as the town’s opportunities increase. The town is no longer an enclave of the some ethnic communities’ cultures, but a melting point to many cultures, key among them the Korean and American cultures. Economic ventures in the town have created new opportunities and boosted the growth of multi-cultural environment where all cultures co-exist harmoniously. This has helped to reduce tensions between cultures and therefore enhance the possibility of a hybrid city (Lin 202). Conclusion It is evidently clear that the Korea Town in Los Angeles has a long history and it is an important feature in the history of Los Angeles City and the United States as a whole. As has been noted, it is a crossroads town because people living there do not know if this town they are calling home will be a place where they will stop. There are roads that lead to other towns and places, and that people come and go. The definition of migration as the actual movement of people from one point to another is not adequate in defining the intrigues of migration and the ultimate development of the Korean Town in Los Angeles. Such definition ignores some of the critical aspects of migration by any particular community, and in this case Chinese, Korean and Latinos migration into Los Angeles. It escapes the aspect of nationalism in explaining their migration and the ultimate development of the town. In addition, the Korea Town presents an intriguing case study of ethnic communities’ investments and the changing nature of capitalism in the American society. The ethnic communities in Korea Town in Los Angeles have been playing active roles investment in the town. Works Cited Lin, Jan. The Power of Urban Ethnic Places: Cultural Heritage and Community Life. New York: Routledge, 2009. Print. Yu, Henry. Los Angeles and American Studies in a Pacific World of Migrations. American Quarterly, 2004; 531-543 Read More