Santa Ana’s Korean Merchants Fitting In : * Efforts to Promote Rapport With Latinos Are Succeeding, Fortunately for Everyone

The vice president of the Downtown Santa Ana Business Assn., Teresa Saldivar, thought too many Korean merchants in the city were creating the impression that they were the type to take the money and run. She wanted to see more community involvement, even if it was just buying a raffle ticket.

Korean merchants told Saldivar her group’s poll of business people might be a good way of communicating, but how could they know? It only came in English or Spanish.

Last year Saldivar had the poll translated into Korean. A number of Korean merchants began reaching out beyond their shops, buying uniforms for elementary school students and donating bicycles to a graffiti-removal program.

The attempt to help residents and business people in predominantly Latino Santa Ana and the increasing number of Koreans there understand each other better appears to be succeeding. And it must, for everyone’s sake.

We all remember the Los Angeles riots of 1992, when tensions among ethnic groups exploded into violence. The possibility of similar unrest in Orange County galvanized a number of groups to improve communications and try to defuse potentially volatile situations.

As the number of Korean businesses in Santa Ana grew to an estimated 600, Latino merchants said they and their Latino customers perceived the Koreans as aloof.

Korean shopkeepers said that besides language problems, they were accustomed to having community problems handled by the government in their native land, not by the community.

Newcomers must adapt to the customs of their new land. The Koreans have received an assist from the Santa Ana Chamber of Commerce, which has a Korean Business Committee, which last month published its first Korean-language newsletter.

Merchants are also learning about strength in numbers, having members with similar complaints or requests banding together to speak with government agencies. Those activities are providing an example for other cities in an increasingly diverse Orange County.

Community involvement is what Korean businessman Brian B. Ouh stressed before he was killed in a 1991 traffic accident. In recruiting Asian vendors for his Fiesta Bargain Store in Santa Ana, Ouh stressed the need that they speak Spanish and respect the community where they did business. It is heartening to see others continuing his efforts.