Caught in the Middle

by Min, Pyong Gap

• ISBN13: 9780520204898
• ISBN10: 0520204891
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1996-12-01
• Publisher: Univ of California Pr

Summary

In this unflinching exploration of one of the most politically charged topics of our time, Pyong Gap Min investigates the racial dynamics that exist between Korean merchants, the African American community, and white society in general. Focusing on hostility toward Korean merchants in New York and Los Angeles, Min explains how the "middleman" economic role Koreans often occupy--between low-income, minority customers on the one hand and large corporate suppliers on the other--leads to conflicts with other groups. Further, Min shows how ethnic conflicts strengthen ties within Korean communities as Koreans organize to protect themselves and their businesses. Min scrutinizes the targeting of Korean businesses during the 1992 Los Angeles riots and the 1990 African American boycotts of Korean stores in Brooklyn. He explores Korean merchants' relationships with each other as well as with Latin American employees, Jewish suppliers and landlords, and government agencies. In each case, his nuanced analysis reveals how Korean communities respond to general scapegoating through collective action, political mobilization, and other strategies. Fluent in Korean, Min draws from previously unutilized sources, including Korean American newspapers and in-depth interviews with immigrants. His findings belie the media's sensationalistic coverage of African American-Korean conflicts. Instead,Caught in the Middleyields a sophisticated and clear-sighted understanding of the lives and challenges of immigrant merchants in America.

Table of Contents

List of Illustrations and Tables
Acknowledgments
Introduction	p. 1
Host Hostility and Middlemen's Reactions	p. 15
Korean Communities: New York and Los Angeles	p. 27
Korean Immigrants' Economic Segregation	p. 46
Hostility toward Korean Merchants in Black Neighborhoods	p. 73
Sources of Hostility toward Korean Merchants	p. 96
Koreans' Efforts to Improve Relations with African Americans	p. 126
Korean-African American Conflicts: Positive Effects	p. 146
Koreans Merchants' Collective Responses to Suppliers, Landlords, and Government Agencies	p. 169
Collective Actions and Power in the Korean Community	p. 193
Korean Businesses: Negative Effects	p. 210
Conclusion	p. 218
Notes	p. 227
References	p. 235
Index	p. 257
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