Thoughts on Mrs. Young-Soon Han

The part that hit me the most from today’s reading was the interview of Mrs. Young-Soon Han, the Korean former liquor store-owner. Imagining a sweet little Korean lady slamming her fist on the table as she shared her feelings and memories about the riots was shocking to me; a little old lady, and especially a Korean, who would typically be more reserved than most, showed such emotion about her the discord between Koreans and Blacks. Reading her words helped me to empathize with what life was like for minorities, especially the Blacks and Koreans during those times. One line she speaks is, “I wish i could live together with eh [sic] Blacks, but after the riots there were too much differences.” I think that this line really expresses a common desire that many people share, the desire for unity and harmony amongst the many different races and culture groups in our country, but also the frustration that our society makes that an impossibility at times.