KSP Intern Evan Kim was in high school when he first saw a meme about the Roof Koreans. “I didn’t know what a ‘Roof Korean’ was at the time,” he said. “Even the phrase ‘Roof Korean’ or ‘Rooftop Korean’ is so strange.” For the Winter/Spring 2022 KSP semester on the 30th Anniversary of the Los Angeles Civil Unrest, as part of his yearlong project, Evan led a workshop for KSP participants on the multiple perceptions of this iconic Korean American figure, and how the image has been sensationalized and co-opted by the mainstream media, Second Amendment Rights activists, prideful Korean Americans and even t-shirt companies.
Links in presentation
Los Angeles Times article “Not your 1992 LAPD” (Jan. 18, 2011)
Urban Dictionary entry for “Rooftop Koreans”
Resurgence during George Floyd protests: HuffPo article “The Real, Tragic Story Behind that ‘Roof Korean’ Meme You May Have Seen” (June 11, 2020)
The Libertarian Institute article “Roof Koreans: How Civilians Defended Koreatown from Racist Violence During the 1992 LA Riots” (June 12, 2020)
Sample Reddit thread on “Roof Koreans”
Sample “Roof Korean” merch
*All photos are for non-commercial use.