Presidential Visit to Koreatown

President George H. W. Bush met with Korean-American leaders in the Koreatown area of Los Angeles and discussed the devastation in the area caused by the riots one week earlier. The riots occurred after the acquittal of four white police officers accused of beating a black suspect during an arrest captured on videotape by a Los Angeles resident. The president stated that his heart aches for those who lost their jobs, but affirmed his faith in the community to rebuild. The city and federal response to the riots came under criticism from Korean-Americans in the area, many of whom owned shops that were singled out for destruction by the rioters. President Bush advocated the reaffirmation of the American Dream for those who lost their livelihood in the rioting. close