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Angela Oh on the 1992 L.A. Riots, the Chin Case and a Candid Critique of Asian Americans
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Attorney Angela Oh, perhaps the most prominent Korean American leader to emerge from the 1992 L.A. Riots, discusses that seismic event in relation to the Vincent Chin case, critical lessons learned, and the problematic nature of pan-Asian unity. Frank and incisive, she comments on topics ranging from the cultural profundity of silence to global leadership. She forcefully calls upon Asian Americans to do some serious self-reflection and confront the prejudice and arrogant attitudes within themselves.

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When did you first hear about the Vincent Chin case?

What does the Vincent Chin case mean for Asian Americans?

In the year after the shooting of an African American teenager Latasha Harlins by a Korean storekeeper in L.A., hate crimes against Korean Americans topped that of all anti-Asian incidents. During this time, where was the whole coalition and movement against anti-Asian hate crimes that had emerged out of the Vincent Chin case?

When the Korean community came under attack, did the pan-Asian sense of unity that had prevailed in the Vincent Chin case carry over to the L.A. Riots?

At that time, were there efforts within the Korean community to build a pan-Asian-type coalition to deal with the crisis?

The media plays an important role in any movement. In the Vincent Chin case, the media, for the most part, took the side of the Asian American community. In the L.A. riots, the media was generally hostile toward the Korean community. Why the difference?

During the L.A. riots, why did it seem as though there were very few Korean American voices, until you appeared on the scene?

When Asian Americans hold up a mirror to themselves, what should they critique?

Speaking out is a big part of what people perceive as leadership in this country, whereas silence is seen as a weakness. Could you speak about how silence is viewed differently in American and Asian cultures?

Why are there so few Asian Americans in positions of national prominence?

What are the lessons that Korean Americans and Asian Americans learned from the 1992 L.A. Riots?

What are the lessons of leadership from the Vincent Chin case to the L.A. Riots to the future?

As a community, do we do a good job of grooming our leaders?

How do you assess the status of Asian Americans today?