On My Own

In the Los Angeles riots 2300 Korean shopkeepers lost their businesses in one day. The riots showed them the fragility of their economic base because their businesses depended on the impoverished, oppressed and rebellious classes. This is an account of Korean-black relations in Chicago and Los Angeles, with extensive quantitative analysis at the national level. In-Jin Yoon argues that a complete understanding of the contemporary Korean-American community requires systematic analyses of patterns of Korean immigration. He explains how small business has become the major economic activity of Korean immigrants, and how Korean businesses in minority neighbourhoods have intensified racial tensions between Koreans and black and Latin minorities.