In the Neighborhood : Lynwood: City Tries to Pull Together

On April 2, Lynwood grocer Michael Kim, owner of Charles Market, chased and shot a 14-year-old boy for reportedly taking a bag of cookies and then reaching for what Kim thought was a weapon. The teen has been released from the hospital and the case is still under investigation.

Because the grocer is a Korean American and the victim is a Latino, comparisons have been made with the 1991 fatal shooting of Latasha Harlins, the 15-year-old African American killed by a Korean merchant who said she thought the girl was stealing orange juice. Some say Kim’s response was extreme and a coalition of Latino and African American leaders have demanded that he be prosecuted.

But while many outside Lynwood have suggested the incident was racially motivated, many living within city limits say the ethnic backgrounds of the grocer and teen-ager are not the issue; it is the growing crisis of violence in our community that affects all of us, regardless of race. The city has been galvanized to work together to prevent racial divisiveness over this incident, and, as a result, has launched a community peace campaign.

Here is a sampling of views from concerned citizens: PAUL RICHARDS

Mayor of Lynwood

Shortly after the incident we put into effect our multi-point response. This was announced immediately--the day of the incident. It consisted of:

* Calling for a full and fair investigation of the incident by the sheriff and district attorney.

* Reactivating race relations task force.

* Initiating a hot line for people to call into the city to offer information or suggestions.

* Organizing a Korean merchant outreach effort. The Lynwood Korean Business Assn., the Asian Pacific Dispute Resolution Center and others have come forward to announce their support.

* Getting the clergy involved to ask parishioners in Lynwood and the surrounding area to pray for peace.

* Kicking off of a green ribbon campaign, a community peace effort. Green ribbons alone won’t do anything, (but) we’ve distributed thousands of them to help raise the level of consciousness in the community.

* Offering an open line to the media to provide information as just as quickly as it is available to the city and at the same time asking the media to cooperate and promote our city peace effort. (The day after the shooting) there was very little in the media about Lynwood’s cry for help to the greater community in sustaining calm and a whole lot about a shark that washed up on the beach. Everyone wants to come out and cover that a Latino youth was shot by a Korean merchant, and that’s news, but the bigger issue is violence in our community and how do we maintain calm and respond.

We have to resist the temptation to draw comparisons with the Latasha Harlins case. The big issue is ‘Why is a person quick to use a gun?’ not ‘Why is a Korean person quick to use a gun?’

ARMANDO REA

City councilman, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputy for 15 years

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Another council member and I disagreed with the decision to go ahead with the news conference. There was no point to go to the news. It was simply another crime in our city to become a part of the statistics on violent crime in L.A. County and that was to be dealt with by the sheriff and the district attorney.

Once (political leaders) bring out the issue of color, folks will believe that. It can cause division and separation.

It was a crime of opportunity on one part and a crime of anger and frustration on the other part.

Suggesting that the incident is about race is flatly wrong. But now, when events like this hit the news, they tend to fall into (the category of) show business.

MICHAEL RUELAS

Senior, Vista High School

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Some older people say Kim should have shot the kid. But kids are saying that it’s not right. He shouldn’t have shot him over a bag of cookies. It would have been understandable if the kid had a gun too, but he didn’t.

People aren’t saying it’s racially motivated. I think (others) are assuming that it is because they try to find an excuse for everything and that’s the No. 1 excuse.

CHAN HO

Owner, B&C; Liquor

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We met with the city. Everybody likes peace, they don’t want violence. The city tries to help but it’s pretty hard. There are too many things involved.

In my opinion, things have cooled down. Right after, I heard from a lot of customers about it. But not so much now.

Merchants have had a meeting. They are worried. We have to have good relations with the community. We’re trying to do more talking.

DANNY SMITH

L.A. Sheriff’s Department detective, one of original investigators of the shooting

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The community has been very supportive of Mr. Kim. Some politicians would have you believe otherwise but the only ones who have made any hostile overtures are the gang members.

I did a walk-through of the area from the market to the point of the shooting with Mr. Kim. It’s a couple of blocks. People of every race, color, sex and age group came up and told him to hang in. Overwhelmingly, they said Mr. and Mrs. Kim were nice, polite, friendly people. They said she would often let them take groceries without paying the full amount.

There is no issue of color here, not from people in the community.

ARTURO REYES

Resident of Lynwood for eight years

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Mayor Richards overreacted. It was not a racial issue. It was just another crime. The police and the district attorney have to do their job and get to the bottom of this without any political interference.

Mr. Kim is well-liked by the community. I go by his store everyday. The victim is a Latino, and I’m a Latino. It’s very easy to claim racial discrimination when, in fact, there should be more police out on the streets and then crime would go down. When people don’t see the police around they’re going to take advantage.

These people who say it’s racial don’t live in the city. They should speak to the community first instead of trying to make this a racial issue. LORNA HAWKINS

Lynwood resident for 22 years, president of Drive by Agony, an organization for victims of violent crimes

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Too many people want to put their two cents into this situation, and they don’t even know what they’re talking about. I think the city officials responded quickly.

If people learn where others are coming from things might change. If I say I want to start a store and I come from a country where we don’t smile and other people come into the store and smile, I’m going to want to know why they’re smiling. I think it’s about that simple. We’re not used to each other. And we should want to learn about each other.

RACHEL CHAVEZ

Member of the Lynwood school board

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I think the city reacted quickly to keep cooler heads prevailing and so far, so good. People are passing the green ribbons to proclaim that we’re going to work together and that we’re against violence.

I’m with those who say it wasn’t anything racial. It was just a sign of our times. We can’t condone theft, and I personally can’t condone guns being used to solve problems. If we had to take a stand on something it would have to be against violence.

I see how hard the Korean merchants work and when their businesses get going I see that they do hire people from the community.

A Snapshot of Lynwood 1980 Population: 48,548 Hispanic 43% Black 34% Anglo 19% Other 4% 1990 Population: 61,945 Hispanic 70% Black 21% Anglo 6% Asian 2% Other 1%