Korean Americans in Los Angeles decry Trump Jr.
Korean Americans in Los Angeles have denounced President Donald Trump's oldest son, Donald Trump Jr., for making light of trauma triggered by the ongoing protests against immigration raids.
The Korean American Federation of Los Angeles (Kafla) condemned Trump Jr. for invoking the trauma of the 1992 Los Angeles riots by posting a photo of an armed Korean American during the unrest, writing "Make Rooftop Koreans Great Again!" in a social media post on Sunday.
“While the situation in LA has not yet stabilized, Donald Trump Jr. shared a post mocking the current unrest by referencing the ‘rooftop Koreans’ from 33 years ago,” the group said. “As the son of the sitting president and a major influencer with around 15 million followers, his actions carry grave risks amid such a tense atmosphere.”
“We strongly urge that no one ? for any reason ? exploit the past trauma of the Korean American community,” Kafla added.
On Sunday, Trump Jr. posted a photo of a man presumed to be Korean American, holding a firearm on a rooftop during the 1992 riots. During the 1992 Los Angeles riots, Korean-owned businesses were specifically targeted for looting and arson. With little help from law enforcement, Korean Americans formed armed self-defense groups and took positions on rooftops to protect Koreatown. This image of resistance became known locally as “rooftop Koreans,” a term that has since become iconic.
Trump Jr.’s post appeared to invoke the chaos of the 1992 riots to justify the Trump administration’s hard-line response to current unrest.
President Trump recently ordered 2,000 California National Guard troops into Los Angeles. References to the 1992 riots have increased among Republican figures since then.
However, major U.S. media outlets, including the New York Times, noted that the scale and severity of the current anti-immigration raid protests are incomparable to the widespread violence and lawlessness of 1992. While there have been isolated confrontations, they fall far short of the near-anarchy seen in some parts of LA during the riots.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass both strongly opposed the deployment of the National Guard, arguing that it would provoke protesters and escalate tensions.
Kafla also condemned the federal government for conducting raids without due process and urged local lawmakers to take action, calling the move as "unilateral and heavy-handed actions by ICE, which disregard proper legal procedures."
"We urgently call on our local elected officials to take action and provide solutions to this crisis," Kafla said in a statement on Friday. "In addition, we will work closely with local organizations to ensure that no individuals are unjustly harmed by this situation."
The organization added that confusion is spreading among residents ? including Korean Americans ? amid reports of arrests involving people with limited English proficiency or who could not immediately verify their immigration status. Businesses in affected sectors have reportedly sustained significant losses.
Local media reported that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents raided downtown LA’s apparel wholesale market ? known as the Santee Alley district ? on Sunday, arresting at least 44 people.
Some of the targeted businesses were Korean-owned. However, the Korean Consulate General in Los Angeles and Kafla said they have found no evidence that any Korean nationals were among those detained.