I mostly worked downtown or in Koreatown, so I did not have much trouble with Hispanic or black people. Karlin and Dus son also attended that ceremony. On the morning of Saturday, March 16, 1991, Soon Ja Du shot and killed Latasha Harlins, a 15-year-old African-American girl, at the Empire Liquor Store in Vermont Vista, Los Angeles. [11], Shortly before 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, March 16, Harlins entered the store. Even before I saw the papers, the radio had announced that there had been a Korean victim. Defendant was sentenced to 10 years in state prison. In 1998, the California State Assembly named April 29 as Latasha Harlins Day. On November 15, 1991, the jury found Du guilty and delivered the verdict stating that Du fired the gun voluntarily. He has also worked as features editor at the LA Weekly and as editor of the bilingual San Francisco magazine El Tecolote. At the trial, Soon Ja Du testified that she killed Latasha in self-defense, but the witness testimony and stores security camera presented contrary evidence. Du's husband, Billy Heung Ki Du, heard the gunshot and rushed into the store. Pronunciation of soon ja du with 1 audio pronunciation and more for soon ja du. Her defense was an accidental shooting by way of self-defense. But how the broadcasters continued to put Koreatown into focus and made an issue out of it, both puzzled and enraged us. 1 reference. Harlins put a $1.79 bottle of orange juice in her bag and, security cameras SOON JA DU The Korean grocer's killing of a 15-year-old black girl, Latasha Harlins, in a dispute over a bottle of orange juice, raised tensions in the black community just two weeks after King's beating. [39] In both cases, there was video evidence depicting wrongdoing and in both cases, the defendants did not serve any jail time. Thirteen days after the Rodney King beating a 15-year-old black girl named Latasha Harlins was shot in the back of the head by a Korean shopkeeper who accused her of shoplifting. entered the the Empire Liquor Market, which was owned by Du's family. Harlins then turned around and tried to leave, but Du retrieved a revolver from under the cash-counter and shot Harlins at the back of her head. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. After speaking to his wife, who asked for the whereabouts of Harlins before fainting, he dialed 9-1-1 to report an attempted holdup. She was buried next to her mother in Paradise Memorial Park, Santa Fe Springs, California. Though she faced a maximum sentence of 16 years in prison, she did not have to spend time behind bars following the conviction. Defendant Soon Ja Du was convicted of voluntary manslaughter in the killing of Latasha Harlins, a customer in defendant's store. The Rodney King images on television shocked me. Soon Ja Du Now; . But our voice was so faint because the Korean community was very small. [29] In the eyes of many in the black community, it was tragic that Soon Ja Du did not receive any jail time for her crime. On April 30, 1992 Edward was fatally shot by crossfire. Her fictional stand-in for the real-life Soon Ja Du is a woman who is "both a very good mother and just a legitimately terrible person," Cha says. Those tensions were later interpreted by some members of the public and activists as being one of the catalysts for the 1992 Los Angeles riots. The victim's family felt as if justice had not been served, because Du did not have to spend time in prison for her actions. 1 reference. As Latasha was attempting to leave the store, Du shot her in the back of the head. [9][7] Their unstable marriage eventually ended in 1983. In many ways, the The uneasy relationship rapidly deteriorated after the killing of Latasha Harlins, a 15-year-old girl who was shot in the back of the head by Korean convenience store owner Soon Ja Du in 1991 over an allegation of shoplifting. The 15-year-old Black girl was shot in the back of the head after going into a liquor market to buy a bottle of orange juice on March 16, 1991. When Harlins struck Du multiple times and pushed her away, Du threw a stool at her. The decision has long been considered controversial. It is not a time for revenge. I thought for sure he would die. family and race Soon Jadu followed Christianity. Following her passing, there was public outcry about why the teenager was senselessly killed. [29] Despite intervention from leaders of both communities, the time after the death of Latasha Harlins was characterized by boycotts, tense debate, bitterness, Molotov cocktails, and more convenience store murders. But I did not know that my husband was in the process of filing for immigration; we were dating then. Upon hearing of retirement, Denise Harlins stated, "I'm glad to hear that she's removed herself from the bench and that she's retired. [46], Hip-hop artist 2Pac took particular note of the death of Harlins and in 1993 released a song titled "Keep Ya Head Up" which was dedicated to Latasha Harlins. Latasha Harlins was born January 1, 1976,[5][6] in East St. Louis, Illinois, to Crystal Harlins and Sylvester "Vester" Acoff Sr. Latasha had one younger brother, Vester Acoff Jr., and one younger sister, Christina. [29] However, while tensions had exponentially increased because of the killing of Harlins, they were built on existing conflict that had been present in the community. Now that you've learned the tragic truth behind those "roof Koreans" memes, take a look at the shocking . It was at this location that Soon Ja Du would shoot Latasha Harlins on March 16, 1991. Du didn't see the And as I did not work, I did not have much contact with people. Denise Harlins, the maternal aunt of Latasha Harlins, led protests outside Karlin's home and the Compton courthouse. Du said that Latasha went to put the juice in her backpack before paying for it, and she then assumed that the teenager had intended on stealing it. Really. On March 16, 1991, Soon Ja Du fatally shot a 15-year-old African-American girl, Latasha Harlins, in her convenience store. Even now, you know the big trash bins, with several of those placed next to the building; its a terrifying memory even now. So it scared me, and I did not like the darkness that resembled the prison color. Other Hmong Americans are now blamed for Thao's inaction. [39], Karlin's rulings in the case prompted Los Angeles County District Attorney Ira Reiner to instruct his deputies to effectively bar Judge Karlin from trying cases by invoking a statute to remove a judge for any reason. However, it was close to Latashas house and so she went there. [13][14] The videotape[15] showed that Du grabbed Harlins by her sweater and snatched her backpack. She graduated from a university in Seoul, South Korea, where she studied literature. She graduated from a university in Seoul, South Korea, where she studied literature. Most Read; . Riots. After a brief scuffle over a bottle of orange juice, Du had shot Harlins in the back of the head as the girl was leaving the Empire Market on Figueroa Street in South-Central Los Angeles. They raised a family in Los Angeles and for many years worked multiple low-wage jobs to provide for their children. Harlens was a student at Westchester High School in Los Angeles, California. The property later became a market under different ownership. the first day of the riots is now referred to as "sa-i-gu" or, 4-2-9 among l.a.-based korean-americans, a community that had already been rattled by the 1991 fatal shooting of a 15-year-old. In January . Before, people used to be more self-absorbed in trying to make it out here, but the thought that it should no longer be so, that Koreans must rather unite, that Koreans should not just be in hiding, was birthed in the mind of all. When The Times had endorsed one of her opponents, she wrote them a strongly worded letter stating, If judges have to look over their shoulders as they decide a case; if they have to test the political winds in order to arrive at a politically correct verdictthen the judicial system and the freedoms it guarantees will be destroyed.. I for one am sick and tired of less than five percent of this community trying to tell the rest of us what to do, what to think, and what to say. The mural was created by visual artist Victoria Cassinova. Soon Ja Du with her husband Billy Heung Ki Du. [31] The distrust ran possibly even further, because in the same editorial the writer exclaims, "The real question is, why was my brother's brains blown out fighting for those Koreans?" I have been honored to spend the last 20 years serving the public but now I want to devote time to my family, Karlin wrote. You need to protect us. And we had an arguments saying, You cant go out.. [6], In early 2021, a mural celebrating Latasha Harlins was unveiled in front of Algin Sutton Recreation Center. (Never Ignorant About Getting Goals Accomplished)", "True to the Game: Ice Cube's 'Death Certificate', https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Killing_of_Latasha_Harlins&oldid=1132450844, African-AmericanAsian-American relations, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 8 January 2023, at 23:25. It is not a time for revenge. Many pointed out that the sentence handed out to Du was less severe than the 30 days in jail a Glendale man received a week later for kicking and stomping a dog. Tupac and Latasha were born four years apart. And their spirits seem joined this week, as Latasha makes a brief but emotional appearance in the recently aired second episode of O.J. convenience store clerk Soon Ja Du, a Korean immigrant, laid the foundation of anger and resentment that would eventually explode after the King verdict. I started working at a sewing factory downtown. Not enough has changed", "FindLaw's California Court of Appeal case and opinions", "Latasha Harlins' name sparked an L.A. movement. Height, Husband, Children, Height, Net Worth 2022, Jana Maradona Wiki, Height, Age, Boyfriend, Family, Biography and More, Malaika Arora Bio, Son, Age, Husband, Height, Net Worth and Wiki, Shraddha Kapoor Bio, Age, Movies, Family, Songs, Net Worth and Wiki, Fast Ways to Win Profit When Playing Online Slot Games, How to Protect Your PDFs with Passwords and Permissions, Aly Raisman Wiki, Age, Net Worth 2022, Salary, Boyfriend, Parents, Height. On the morning of March 16, 1991, 15-year-old Latasha Harlins was shot in the back of a head by a Korean-American store owner and clerk, Soon Ja Du over $1.79. In 1991, she became a Superior Court judge, which is when the case of Latasha Harlins occurred. [22] In July 1992, Latasha's brother and sister received a $300,000 settlement from a civil suit brought against Soon Ja Du, which was paid by the store's insurance policy. The Los Angeles Police Department ballistics report also stated that the handgun used by Du was altered in such a way that it required much less pressure on the trigger to fire than an ordinary handgun. I think this led the blacks to harbor ill feelings. These successful stars have us asking, "Remember when?" See all the photos. Two eyewitnesses9-year-old Ismail Ali and his 13-year-old sister Lakeshia Combsdisputed that claim, saying that Du called Harlins a "bitch" and accused her of trying to steal, to which they claimed Harlins replied that she intended to pay for the orange juice. Before, Joyce worked as an Assistant United States Attorney in Los Angeles and even presided over the Darnell Garcia case. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. Thereafter, Shakur made frequent mention of Harlins in his songs, including in tracks like "Something 2 Die 4 (Interlude)" ("Latasha Harlins, remember that name 'Cause a bottle of juice is not something to die for"), "Thugz Mansion" ("Little Latasha, sho' grown/Tell the lady in the liquor store that she's forgiven/So come home"), "I Wonder If Heaven Got a Ghetto" ("Tell me what's a black life worth/A bottle of juice is no excuse, the truth hurts/And even when you take the shit/Move counties get a lawyer, you can shake the shit/Ask Rodney, Latasha, and many more"), "White Mans World" ("Rest in Peace to Latasha, Little Yummy, and Kato"), "Hellrazor" ("Dear Lord if ya hear me, tell me why/Little girl like Latasha, had to die")[47][48] and "N.I.G.G.A" ("Korean motherfuckers was crooked/So niggas had to burn and loot 'em [] Lickin' off shots for Latasha, that's proper"). That, I still regret it. [33], Tensions only continued to mount, particularly after police officers were found not guilty of beating Rodney King. Latasha's life and her legacy are the subject of the 20-minute documentary, A Love Song for Latasha. Download this issue now: Nonsubscribers: Purchase the e-book of this issue . In 2020, Netflix released a documentary titled Latashas Love Song, celebrating the life of Latasha Harlins. Carlin added: This is not the time for revenge Whatever sentence this court imposes on Mrs. Du, she will be punished every day for the rest of her life. . This California farm kingdom holds a key, Six people, including mother and baby, killed in Tulare County; drug cartel suspected, Im afraid for her life: Riverside CC womens coach harassed after Title IX suit, New Bay Area maps show hidden flood risk from sea level rise and groundwater, Who would execute a baby? Then many Koreans, after I had already immigrated to the United States, came in the 80s. During the 1992 Los Angeles riots, Dus store was looted and burned, and has never reopened. This must have angered them Yes, this conflict was initially between the black and white races. Soon Ja Du was born on Saturday, December 27, 1941 ( age 79 years; as of 2020 ), in North Chungcheong Province, South Korea. search. It is not a time for revenge. [28], After the widely publicized shooting of Latasha Harlins, relations between the black and Korean communities continued to deteriorate rapidly. Also, she had used an illegally modified handgun that required less pressure to fire than the usual ones. title. Her death occurred just a few weeks after the circulation of the video of L.A.P.D. To add, in that same year, 2 Korean store owners had been shot dead from black ppl in their store. Harlins reciprocated to this by punching Du twice and knocking her down to the ground. Shes an outstanding jurist, very caring and very compassionate, Henning said. 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