the Korean 1.5 generation, attainment of bilingualism and biculturalism has not been easy, but they have been willing to pursue success in this society. The Korean family exerts a powerful influence by intelligence, emotional development, and background of prior Korean generations. (American Sociological Review 45 (1980:571-582) For all their ingenuity, the Korean Americans have experienced their times of setbacks. Their small businesses have almost always been located near downtown areas of large inner cities, on the edges of black and Hispanic neighborhoods. They often have been the flashpoints of friction between the owners and the people they serve. In 1991, the Reverend Al Sharpton led a boycott of Korean grocers in Brooklyn, New York.{American Social History, Page 887) During the Los Angeles riots that occurred after the Rodney King verdict in 1992, Korean merchants were targeted. Over eighteen hundred Korean American businesses worth millions of dollars were burned to the ground and vandalized. That was the largest urban riot in the history of the United States. Marlin Fitzwater, spokes- man for President George Bush, blamed President Johnson's "Great Society", people of color saw it differently, many white people condemned the violence as unjustified. Even Rodney King appealed to the rioters to stop the violence. Despite the hostilities in different areas, Korean entrepreneurs are still committed to building successful businesses. By their successes in New York and Los Angeles, tin low-income neighborhoods, they have spearheaded urban renewal. (Articles and Papers, "Why Koreans Succeed" by Heather MacDonald, City Journal, Spring 1995) Koreans have been such a recent addition to the culture and mainstream of the United States, we cannot make general assessments of validity of their contributions to society. All indications appear to indicate they have made, and will continue to make, a positive, inspiring impact, as they continue...
