This article called, "Use and Abuse of Race and Culture: Black-Korean Tension in America" written by Kyeyoung Park discusses a criminal case that took place in south central Los Angeles, on March 18, 1991, where a black teenager was shot and killed by a Korean grocer, Soon Ja Du, in a dispute over a small bottle of orange juice.
             This article also explores the town of Compton, a poor town in Los Angeles and Kyeyoung's intentions of showing us how white racism is reconstructed in the context of Black- Korean tension and how that tension is no longer based on skin color but on cultural differences. The author came to this conclusion through observational research as well as through conversation and interviewing both Blacks and Koreans from the particular area. The key consultants for the author were people who live in Compton, and who experienced the tension between Blacks and Koreans.
             The death of the black teenager is not what created a huge controversy in Los Angeles between Blacks and Koreans, but the sanction the Korean grocer received from the Superior Court Judge Joyce Karlin. According to the judge the black teenager was caught stealing by the Korean owner, who shot the gun claiming that it was a self defense action. Due to that statement the Korean grocer received a very light sanction, only being fined with $500, put on probation, and performing 400 hours of community service. The Black community felt that the judicial system was racist because it gave the Korean shop keeper such a light sentence, but if a Black person committed the same crime he would get a more severe punishment. This parallels white racism in this society, because when it comes to judicial sentencing, white offenders usually receive lighter punishments than their Black counterparts. To the Black community, Koreans have replaced whites in their neighborhood. This is an interesting point, because it questions the meaning of race, and prove...