Family & Ethnicity Soon Ja Du follows Christianity. [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. [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?" Elden Ring 86. A store video camera captured the incident, which came just two weeks after LAPD officers were videotaped beating Rodney G. King. In her book American Dream, Sapphire wrote the poem Strange Juice (or the murder of Latasha Harlins) giving voice to the murdered girl. title. The video exclusively showed that Du shot Harlins when she attempted to leave the store empty-handed. [39] While King's case was the immediate catalyst to the violence, cases like that of Harlins fueled anger and demonstrated injustices against black people, which ultimately led to the riots. Du reached under the counter, retrieved a revolver, and fired at Harlins from behind at a distance of about three feet (one meter). [4] The killing of Harlins came 13 days after the videotaped beating of Rodney King. There, we were faced with a discrimination of language. Du claimed to have asked Harlins if she intended to pay for the orange juice, to which Du claimed Harlins responded, "What orange juice?" Looking back, it was a hard life. In 1998, the California State Assembly named April 29 as Latasha Harlins Day. Absolutely. But in the end, we wound up getting married and came to the United States. Latasha was killed by convenience store owner Soon Ja Du in March 1991. I thought for sure he would die. 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. I think that it was. Karlin added, this is not a time for revengeand no matter what sentence this court imposes Mrs. Du will be punished every day for the rest of her life.. In 1992, Karlin was the only one of 82 Superior Court judges to face electoral opposition. On television, they would visually focus on fires and looting And the broadcasters, though it was not a conflict between Koreans and blacks, they began to add those elements little by little. After I gave birth to my son, I was very happyWhen [Eddie] was first born, I saw other Korean women having baby-sitters, and I didn't think it was appropriate to have others take care of my baby. Following her passing, there was public outcry about why the teenager was senselessly killed. 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. [29] While the jury convicted Du of manslaughter, which normally carries a maximum of 16 years in prison, the judge, Joyce Karlin, commuted her sentence to probation and a $500 finethis angered many in the black community, as well as other community members, who felt that the sentencing set a dangerous precedent. The entire event was captured on the store's security camera and the tape was used in the trial of Soon Ja Du. Before her appointment to the bench, Karlin was an assistant U.S. attorney for 14 years. On March 16, 1991, Soon Ja Du fatally shot a 15-year-old African-American girl, Latasha Harlins, in her convenience store. I respect everyone on this School Board. Because though he was born here, he experienced the difficult times when he was young, when we had brought him to our workplaces in our struggling days. [39] In both cases, there was video evidence depicting wrongdoing and in both cases, the defendants did not serve any jail time. Shinese Harlins-Kilgore CEO of the Latasha Harlins Foundation, left, offers a t-shirt recognizing her cousin, Latasha . The gun drops from the woman's hands. The case of Soon Ja Du,. My son got sucked into the war. At the time of her own death in 1991, Latasha was a student at Westchester High School. Her novel is informed by the true story of the murder of 15-year-old Latasha Harlins by a Korean woman, convenience store owner Soon Ja Du, who was convicted of voluntary manslaughter, not murder, and in Your House Will Pay, real-life injustice and inequality are presumed. Additionally, many Black Los Angelenos were still furious over the lenient sentencing of Soon Ja Du in the murder of LaTasha Harlins. It should be a time for healing." In the beginning, we brought our son to work. title. The judge said, No matter what sentence this court imposes, Mrs. Du will be punished every day of her life. Just days after King's beating, a 15-year-old Black girl named Latasha Harlins was killed by a Korean-American convenience store owner over a $2 bottle of orange juice. Soon Ja Du started working as a sofa fitter and then a knitter at a garment factory in St. John Knits. On the morning of March 16, 1991, Soon Ja Du was on duty at the store, while her husband was outside. She testified on her own behalf, and she said that she believed that her life was in danger when the shooting occurred. Tensions had already reached a boiling point a year earlier, when Soon Ja Du, a Korean American liquor store owner, fatally shot Latasha Harlins, a 15-year-old Black girl, in South Los Angeles. Discover more articles in our categories Celebrity & News & Wiki. Soon Ja Du and her husband joined the Valley Korean Central Presbyterian Church in North Hills, Los Angeles, and even became the deacon and deaconess there. On the morning of Saturday, March 16, 1991, Soon Ja Du shot Latasha Harlins, a 15-year-old African-American girl in the Empire Liquor Store, in Vermont Vista, Los Angeles. I am also the type to get enraged by that kind of thing. Most Read; . That along with the not-guilty verdicts in the King case became a rallying cry during the 1992 . But when you put Koreans into the scene, this must have made them think, Yes, that owner of the liquor store only took money from me, but never gave back.. Steph Cha's page turner is inspired by the tragic 1991 killing of fifteen-year-old Latasha Harlins, by convenience store owner Soon Ja Du. I think so. The L.A. Du claimed she shot her in self-defense: Harlins had been caught putting a bottle of . So he was very enraged and convinced that he had to go out and combat. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. "[44][45] Karlin was re-elected to the Superior Court bench by a reduced margin from previous elections. He came as a motorcycle mechanic. Harlins turned to walk away when Du took out a gun and fired. Soon Ja Du and her family migrated to Los Angeles in 1976 when she was 35 years old. That day, I only watched the television and felt ill at ease, but still thought that it would never come to my house. Latasha's life and her legacy are the subject of the 20-minute documentary, A Love Song for Latasha. So it scared me, and I did not like the darkness that resembled the prison color. Since Du was guilty of intentional homicide, the jury recommended a maximum sentence of 16 years for the crime. On April 30, 1992 Edward was fatally shot by crossfire. August 30, 2020 On March 16, 1991, at around 10 a.m., Latasha entered the Empire Liquor store to purchase the container of orange juice. So in the earlier days of our immigration, we worked three jobs. I think that it was." Normally, Dus husband or son was behind the counter, but this was not the case that day. During the 1992 L.A. uprising, Lee's 18-year old son, Edward Jae Song Lee entered the fray to help protect his Koreatown neighborhood, which was virtually abandoned by police. 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. Since childhood, Eddie had a sense of justice and was full of energy. The property later became a market under different ownership. Trial Judge in Joyce Carlin-Doo v. Harlins, Did Mrs. Du react inappropriately? 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. [39] After the verdict in King's case was delivered, massive riots ensued in Los Angeles, protesting the miscarriage of justice for black victims and racial inequality. As Latasha was attempting to leave the store, Du shot her in the back of the head. They raised a family in Los Angeles and for many years worked multiple low-wage jobs to provide for their children. Soon Ja Du is a Korean woman who co-owns the Empire Hotel in Vermont Vista, Los Angeles. Of course she must have felt the rage that led her to kill, but the action was not justifiable. In 1981, Soon Ja Du and her husband, Billy Heung Ki Du, purchased the Empire Liquor Store, a convenience store in Los Angeles San Fernando Valley. Harlins then turned her back to Du and attempted to leave the store when Soon Ja Du pulled out a gun and shot her in the back of the head, killing Latasha Harlins instantly. Hector Tobar worked at the Los Angeles Times for two decades: as a city reporter, national and foreign correspondent, columnist and with the books and culture department. Soon Ja Du is a Korean immigrant whose family owned the Empire Liquor Store at the intersection of 91st St. and Figueroa Ave. back in the 90s. The court stated that the crime was committed under extreme provocation and that Dus capacity to act rationally in the situation was undermined by her past experiences with the robberies. Her father is a doctor and her mother is a nurse. Soon Ja Du was born on Saturday, December 27, 1941 ( age 79 years; as of 2020 ), in North Chungcheong Province, South Korea. sentence five years of probation, 400 hours of community service, and a Riots: 15 Years After Rodney King. [27], During the 1992 riots, Du's store was looted and burned down; it never reopened. Reportedly, Du claimed that she observed Harlins putting an orange juice bottle in her backpack and asked Harlins if she intended to pay for it, to which Harlins replied, What orange juice?. Therefore, Du grabbed Harlins by her sweater, accused her of stealing, and snatched her backpack. Add a bio, trivia, and more. During the 1992 Los Angeles riots, Dus store was looted and burned down, and it never reopened. Other Hmong Americans are now blamed for Thao's inaction. start time. Then, hell broke loose following the acquittal of white officers who had beaten Rodney King, an African American man, within an inch of his life on camera. Pronunciation of soon ja du with 1 audio pronunciation and more for soon ja du. We earned about $300-400 combined. It is not a time for revenge. Joyce A. Karlin, the judge whose light sentencing of a Korean-born grocer in the 1991 shooting of a 15-year-old black girl inflamed already simmering racial tensions in Los Angeles, said Monday that she was resigning from the bench. Harlins then picked up the orange juice bottle that had fallen in the chaos, but Du took the bottle from her. Joyce said this about the sentence "This is not a time for rhetoric. But by then I did not have the luxury of dreaming on any longer; all the dreams had dissipated. Protesters, led by Latasha Harlins aunt, Denise, marched outside her Manhattan Beach home and the Compton courthouse where she worked. However, on the morning of the shooting, Du was working behind the counter, and her husband was outside resting in the family van. Karlin defended her sentence of Du as within legal guidelines, a decision made after careful deliberation on the evidence. (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. But when I went to a market, I would be met by stares of people looking at me as a stranger. She graduated from a university in Seoul, South Korea, where she studied literature. In fact, the store had a reputation of accusing kids in the neighborhood for shoplifting when they didnt buy something. [11], Shortly before 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, March 16, Harlins entered the store. AGE 60s Soon Ja Du Mission Hills, CA View Full Report Aliases Used To Live In Relatives Soon-Ja Sunghul Du Joseph Sungchul Du Joseph Sunghul Du Sandy S Du S Dujoseph All Rights Reserved. The LAPDs ballistics report also noted that the pistol used by Du had been modified to require far less trigger pressure than a regular pistol. Soon Ja Du - the market's Korea-born owner saw the orange juice sticking out of Harlins' backpack and assumed she was stealing it, even though the teenager had cash in her hand. number of children. Jung Hui Lee spoke to "Let It Fall: LA 1982-1999," an ABC News documentary, about the riots that followed the Rodney King beating verdict. Browse 2 soon ja du stock photos and images available, or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. The short documentary film A Love Song for Latasha (2019) gives some biographical background on the life of Latasha Harlins, drawing on memories from her cousin and her best friend. My son was shot by someone who had fired from the roof, and it turned out that the people on the roof werent blacks, but Koreans. — -- Jung Hui Lee and her husband emigrated from Korea to the United States in 1972, settling first in Virginia and later in California in pursuit of the American Dream. The killing happened on March 16, 1991, just over two weeks after four police officers brutally beat Rodney King. Money comes and goes. In a written statement, Karlin, 46, now a judge in Juvenile Dependency Court, said she was ending her seven-year judicial career to spend more time with her family. [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. Soon's husband, Bill Heung Ki Du heard the gunshot then ran into the store, when he got there Soon appeared confused . Soon Jadu followed Christianity. The property later became a market under different ownership. On Monday, December 15, 1958, Soon Ja Du got married to Billy Heung Ki Du. [23], The incident and reduced sentencing by the court exacerbated the existing tensions between African-American residents and Korean-American merchants in south-central Los Angeles. The Harlins family turned the death of Latasha and the sentence of Du into a cause celebre, holding vigils outside the Du residence every year on the anniversary of her sentencing. Defendant was sentenced to ten years in state prison. Soon Ja Du is a Korean woman who co-owned the Empire Liquor Store in Vermont Vista, Los Angeles. Her father an executive who also became the president of Warner Bros. International. Death Certificate made a statement about where the Black community is now and where Cube thought it needed to be.The Predator is a reactive album, largely concerned . It wasn't surprising. Karlin said she would remain involved in the juvenile justice system, pursing volunteer work in that area. The shooter, Soon Ja Du, got away with zero jail time for the murder. #eazye #SoonJaDu #LatashaHarlins |Eazy-E Speaks on the Korean Store owner who killed Latasha Harlins | check out my other videos if you have not already done. In 1981, Soon Ja Du and her husband, Billy Heung Ki Du, purchased a convenience store, Empire Liquor Store, in San Fernando Valley, Los Angeles. They raised a family in Los Angeles and for many years worked multiple low-wage jobs to provide for their children. When The Times endorsed one of her opponents, she wrote an impassioned, angry letter to the editor in defense of both her decision and the principle of judicial independence. Soon, Ja Du and her family moved to Los Angeles in 1976, when she was 35 years old. Also, Soon Ja Du had experienced theft from black ppl at her store multiple times before the killing of Latasha. In Korea, I met my husband. On the afternoon of March 16, 1991, the 15-year-old Harlins That could be our day job and we could own businesses because every time we go into a store, they're either following us, giving us dirty looks, disrespecting us don't you want to have something on your own?'" She then moved to Juvenile Dependency Court, a transfer she had requested before the Du case. Soon Ja Du with her husband Billy Heung Ki Du. HTTP Two neighborhood children ran terrified from the store.3 Blood still had not started to . Those feelings turned to rage when the woman who shot Harlins, Soon Ja Du, avoided jail time. Protesters noted that a week after the death of Latasha Harlins, a Glendale man received a more severe sentence than Du for kicking a dog. 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. Soon, Ja Du and her husband joined Valley Korean Central Presbyterian Church in North Hills, Los Angeles, where they even became deacon and deaconess. Or if not, help at least. A Love Song for Latasha is available to stream on Netflix now. Her father was a doctor, and her mother was a nurse. Du was tried and convicted of voluntary manslaughter over the killing of Harlins, based in part on security camera footage. He had an older sister here, so we came to LA. Latasha's aunt, Denise Harlins, founded The Latasha Harlins Justice Committee in her honor. Im saddened for the system that were going to be losing her.. Even though Soon Ja Du, the accused, was found guilty of voluntary manslaughter, the judge gave her a very lenient sentence: a $500 fine, 400 hours of community service, and 5 years of probation with no jail time. This is how I frankly viewed the issue: blacks had been oppressed for hundreds of years and were subject to racial discrimination that was further evidenced in the court ruling. Joyce said this about the sentence This is not a time for rhetoric. In Virginia, we couldnt even rent a room because of racial discrimination And later we realized that they had never seen Asians before. Thankfully I lived without conflict until then. And even on the streets, I could tell that people were not kind. That had a profound impact on me personally. Du didn't see the But what is justice today is justice always. In many ways, the shooting death of 15-year-old Latasha Harlins on March 16, 1991 by convenience store clerk Soon Ja Du, a. Soon Jadoo and her husband Billy Shankidoo. 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