Black-Korean Relations:

Abstract

Relations between African Americans and Korean Americans have been defined mainly by those interactions between Korean merchants and Black consumers in urban communities. The nature of this conflict has resulted in angry attitudes that have escalated the conflict to boycotts of Korean business interests, beatings due to mistaken identities, deaths on both sides and, as we noted in the recent urban uprisings, looting and burning of targeted-Korean businesses. Although the conflict appears to stem from econmic and cultural differences, it is not possible to undertand its roots without examining and understanding the results of years of Euro-centric white racism and the struggle of the two principals to the conflict as its victimes. This paper suggests using a strategy of dialogue between memebers of the two groups, at all levels, in order to reduce or resolve the conflict even thought the factors which might contribute to the conflict have not been or can not be eliminated.