Grade: 7-12Subject: Civics and Government, English Language Arts, U.S. History
Number of Activities: 3
This lesson plan helps students understand the context of the 1992 L.A. civil unrest (L.A. riots). Korean Americans in solidarity with Black Americans and others, formed coalitions to call for racial justice, community healing and rebuilding. Various police reforms, community programs and rebuilding efforts came about after. The lesson covers the importance of building community consciousness and coalitions to fight systemic racism. By using the transcripts from the segment this lesson plan will ask the students to analyze the movement by using guiding questions to identify the issue, research the problem, respond to the problem and reflect on why learning about this topic is important to their lives and current social movements.
Students will be able to:
- Understand the context of the 1992 Los Angeles civil unrest (L.A. Riots) and importance of building community consciousness and coalitions to fight systemic racism.
- Learn how the communities, government and businesses came together to address the civil unrest.
- Identify issues, research, respond and reflect on these problems to learn about how social movements affect them and their communities.
The 1992 Los Angeles
riots and
civil unrest were traumatic and transformative for many Korean Americans. The unrest started after the acquittal of four white police officers for the beating of Rodney King, a Black man, during a traffic stop. In South Central and Koreatown, a week of looting and rioting resulted in the destruction of over 2,000 Korean-owned businesses, damages over $1 billion, and the death of 63 people.
Forty percent of businesses affected by rioting and looting were Korean-owned shops. Shop owners were angry at the police who left their businesses unprotected. Moreover, mainstream media focused heavily on the tension between Black and Korean Americans rather than the riot’s original cause—police
brutality.
In the aftermath of the event, Mayor Tom Bradley formed the Christopher Commission to review the Los Angeles Police Department’s practices in recruitment and training, disciplining officers, and responding to citizen complaints. Among the
Commission’s recommendations were community-based policing, recruiting a diverse police force, and implementing language and cultural sensitivity training.
To support economic recovery, Mayor Bradley formed a Rebuild L.A.
task force on April 29, 1992 to build new businesses and boost employment. Business and community leaders joined the task force. However, Rebuild L.A. fell short of its goals. It was dissolved in 1997. One of the leaders was John Mack, president of Urban League L.A. chapter. Mack explained that the problems Rebuild L.A. wanted to address were hundreds of years in the making. They required a long-term approach.
The L.A. County Human Relations Commission strengthened its response to
inter-ethnic relations. The Commission tracked hate crimes, intervened in hot spots where tensions were high, and brought groups together to talk. Community-led programs proved instrumental in building and mobilizing groups to foster positive and long-lasting relationships. The Multicultural Collaborative brought together leaders across racial lines. Several centers helped respond to tensions between Black and Korean Americans.
On May 2, 1992, a peace rally of 30,000 people—including Asian, Black, Latinx, and white people—was held in Koreatown to address the issue of systemic racism, community relations, and rebuilding. From the unrest, emerged a political and community consciousness within Korean Americans of the need for leadership,
activism, and
coalitions to create peace and to demand racial justice together with Black Americans.
- Activism: Taking action against the wrongs in society with the goal of bringing about change
- Brutality: Unjust use of violence; a lack of compassion
- Civil unrest: Disruption to the social order, usually with a political goal; for example, people rioting or fighting
- Coalition: An alliance for combined action
- Commission: A group of people who have been given the official job of finding information about something or controlling something
- Inter-ethnic: Between groups of people from different countries or cultures
- Riot: A crowd of people disturbing the peace in a public place
- Task Force: A group of people who deal with a specific problem
- Why is it important to learn about the history of the 1992 Los Angeles civil unrest? How does this connect with events today?
- What connections can you see between this part of U.S. history and the present?
- How did the Peace Rally in Koreatown change the relationship of Korean Americans with other communities?
- Why is it important to build solidarity with other communities?
- What does a just and peaceful society look like to you?
Activity 1:
Connecting History to Ourselves
After viewing the video, ask students to respond to journalist Jeff Chang’s observations about the personal impact of the 1992 Los Angeles civil unrest and riots.
Project this quote on the wall for students or pass out copies:
“I mean it was, it was one of those moments that actually really changed my life because it was like war had broken out and I knew people that I deeply loved on both sides. And for me, you know, I had come up really deeply believing in this Third World Strike ideal and this idea of a rainbow coalition, it was like, not just peoples’ lives were at stake, but also our revolutionary dreams are kind of going up in smoke.” - Jeff Chang
Distribute index cards and ask, students to write a response to the quote:
- What is Chang saying?
- What is unclear or needs clarification?
- Why do you think his words are important?
Count students off into groups of three. They should decide who will be A, B, and C.
Student A will read their response to the quote. Then students B and C discuss A’s response to the quote for 2-3 minutes. A will not speak but listen to their feedback. They can ask questions, make connections, agree, or disagree with the response.
This process continues with student B sharing their index card, with student A and C responding. Finally, student C shares their index card and listens to feedback.
Each group should assign a reporter to share one insight that was generated through the process:
- One thing we discussed was…
- One important thing we noticed was…
- One connection we had to the text was…
Gather the students as a whole class and have each group report out.
Activity 2: Building Community Consciousness and Coalition
This activity builds off of the community responses that occurred after the 1992 L.A. civil unrest and riots, such as police brutality and reforms, economic relief funds, and inter-ethnic community building.
Ask students to select a problem or issue that they’d like to research:
- Systemic Racism
- Police Brutality
- Criminal Justice System
- Economic Disparities
- History of racial segregation, including education and housing discrimination
- Community Relationships
Have students conduct independent research on their problem or issue. Ask them to discover information about the following questions and take notes:
- What are some of the causes of the problem?
- Why do these problems exist in our communities?
Ask for some initial findings from the students’ research. Review the students’ research process and share suggestions on reliable sources for finding information.
- How did this problem contribute to 1992 L.A. civil unrest and riots?
- How did the communities address this problem in the aftermath of the riots?
- Did the problem persist in Los Angeles and in other communities in the U.S.?
Finally, direct students to create a poster (using either poster board or a digital drawing or graphic design app) that shows their findings. When students have completed them, they should have a poster sharing session, in which students post their posters around the room. Split the class into Groups A and B. Group A stands at their posters and answers questions; at the same time, Group B wanders and engages with posters. Switch and then ask Group B to stand by their posters while Group A previews them.
Activity 3: Confronting Community Issues
Break the class up into small groups of 3 to 4 students. Assign each group one of the following sound bites from the documentary:
Quote 1:
“I recognize now the reason that Koreatown burned down. That was a neighborhood that was brought up, established, populated by people who are themselves marginalized. If those businesses were in the well-heeled parts of this town, do you think that the man would let that burn down? Never. They would go down themselves to protect those places. There's no way that they would let that happen. So you, we were victims as well, of this system.”
-Filmmaker Alex Ko
Quote 2:
“It was a huge march that took us down Olympic Boulevard. That kind of diversity that you would expect to see in L.A. There were African Americans, there were Latinos, there were Koreans, there were whites. Everyone was present. We wanted to send a message that we also want justice and we also want peace.”
-Attorney Angela Oh
Quote 3:
“Like every population, Asian Americans have choices to make. They can dwell on their own victimization which is a choice that is there for every so-called minority and for the majority. They can choose to side with power or to be complicit with power. And to be perpetrators or to at least enjoy the profits of being aligned with perpetrators. Or they could refuse these kinds of choices and seek to transform the system into something more just, more equitable for everyone. That’s the hope of activism, that’s the hope of solidarity. That’s the hope of alliance, that’s the hope and the conviction from which something like the Asian American movement was born.”
-Author Viet Thanh Nguyen Oh
Instruct each group to read their quotation aloud or silently. Distribute copies of the following notetaker for students to write their responses to the passage. They should discuss and make notes on the organizer.
Research Topic |
Notes |
Identify the Problem
What is the problem or issue identified by the speaker? |
|
Cause of the Problem
What is the cause of the problem? Why do these problems exist in our communities? |
|
Respond to the Problem
What did the Korean community do to respond to this? |
|
Reflection
What has or could be done to address this problem? What are areas for improvement? |
|
Gather the class together. Put chairs in a circle. Prompt students to look at their quotations and notetakers. They should circle something significant, such as an insight or finding from their group work. Then, ask students to share their thoughts. Each student can call on another student until everyone in the circle has shared.
California Common Core Standards Addressed
National Standards for History:
U.S. History Grades 5-12 10.2A.3
Explain the increase in income disparities and evaluate its social and political consequences. [Analyze cause-and-effect relationships]
U.S. History Grades 5-12 10.2B.2
Identify the major issues that affected immigrants and explain the conflicts these issues engendered. [Identify issues and problems in the past]
U.S. History Grades 5-12 10.2E.4
Evaluate the continuing grievances of racial and ethnic minorities and their recurrent reference to the nation’s charter documents. [Explain historical continuity and change]
College- and Career-Readiness Anchor Standards:
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.R.1
Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.R.3
Analyze how and why individuals, events, and ideas develop and interact over the course of a text.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.R.4
Interpret words and phrases as they are used in a text, including determining technical, connotative, and figurative meanings, and analyze how specific word choices shape meaning or tone.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.R.7
Integrate and evaluate content presented in diverse media and formats, including visually and quantitatively, as well as in words.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.W.3
Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, well-chosen details, and well-structured event sequences.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.W.4
Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.SL.1
Prepare for and participate effectively in a range of conversations and collaborations with diverse partners, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.SL.2
Integrate and evaluate information presented in diverse media and formats, including visually, quantitatively, and orally.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.SL.4
Present information, findings, and supporting evidence such that listeners can follow the line of reasoning and the organization, development, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.L.1
Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.
Grades 6-8:
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.6-8.1
Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.6.3
Analyze in detail how a key individual, event, or idea is introduced, illustrated, and elaborated in a text (e.g., through examples or anecdotes).
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.7.3
Analyze the interactions between individuals, events, and ideas in a text (e.g., how ideas influence individuals or events, or how individuals influence ideas or events).
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.8.3
Analyze how a text makes connections among and distinctions between individuals, ideas, or events (e.g., through comparisons, analogies, or categories).
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.6-8.4
Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including vocabulary specific to domains related to history/social studies.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.6.7
Integrate information presented in different media or formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively) as well as in words to develop a coherent understanding of a topic or issue.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.7.7
Compare and contrast a text to an audio, video, or multimedia version of the text, analyzing each medium’s portrayal of the subject (e.g., how the delivery of a speech affects the impact of the words).
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.6-8.3
Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, relevant descriptive details, and well-structured event sequences.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.6-8.4
Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.6-8.9
Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.6-8.1
Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 6-8 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.6-8
Come to discussions prepared, having read or studied required material; explicitly draw on that preparation by referring to evidence on the topic, text, or issue to probe and reflect on ideas under discussion.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.6-8.1.c
Pose and respond to specific questions with elaboration and detail by making comments that contribute to the topic, text, or issue under discussion.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.6-8.1.d
Review the key ideas expressed and demonstrate understanding of multiple perspectives through reflection and paraphrasing.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.6-8.2
Interpret information presented in diverse media and formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively, orally) and explain how it contributes to a topic, text, or issue under study.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.6-8.4
Present claims and findings, sequencing ideas logically and using pertinent descriptions, facts, and details to accentuate main ideas or themes; use appropriate eye contact, adequate volume, and clear pronunciation.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.6-8.1
Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.
Grades 9-10:
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.9-10.1
Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources, attending to such features as the date and origin of the information.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.9-10.3
Analyze how the author unfolds an analysis or series of ideas or events, including the order in which the points are made, how they are introduced and developed, and the connections that are drawn between them.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.9-10.4
Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including vocabulary describing political, social, or economic aspects of history/social studies.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.9-10.7
Analyze various accounts of a subject told in different mediums (e.g., a person’s life story in both print and multimedia), determining which details are emphasized in each account.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.9-10.3
Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, well-chosen details, and well-structured event sequences.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.9-10.4
Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.9-10.9
Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.9-10.1
Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grades 9–10 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.9-10.1.a
Come to discussions prepared, having read and researched material under study; explicitly draw on that preparation by referring to evidence from texts and other research on the topic or issue to stimulate a thoughtful, well-reasoned exchange of ideas.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.9-10.1.c
Propel conversations by posing and responding to questions that relate the current discussion to broader themes or larger ideas; actively incorporate others into the discussion; and clarify, verify, or challenge ideas and conclusions.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.9-10.1.d
Respond thoughtfully to diverse perspectives, summarize points of agreement and disagreement, and, when warranted, qualify or justify their own views and understanding and make new connections in light of the evidence and reasoning presented.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.9-10.2
Come to discussions prepared, having read or studied required material; explicitly draw on that preparation by referring to evidence on the topic, text, or issue to probe and reflect on ideas under discussion.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.9-10.4
Present information, findings, and supporting evidence clearly, concisely, and logically such that listeners can follow the line of reasoning and the organization, development, substance, and style are appropriate to purpose, audience, and task.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.9-10.1
Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.
Grades 11-12:
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.11-12.1
Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources, connecting insights gained from specific details to an understanding of the text as a whole.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.11-12.3
Analyze a complex set of ideas or sequence of events and explain how specific individuals, ideas, or events interact and develop over the course of the text.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.11-12.4
Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including analyzing how an author uses and refines the meaning of a key term over the course of a text (e.g., how Madison defines faction in Federalist No. 10).
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.11-12.7
Integrate and evaluate multiple sources of information presented in different media or formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively) as well as in words in order to address a question or solve a problem.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.11-12.3
Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, well-chosen details, and well-structured event sequences.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.11-12.4
Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.11-12.9
Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.11-12.1
Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grades 11–12 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.11-12.1.a
Come to discussions prepared, having read and researched material under study; explicitly draw on that preparation by referring to evidence from texts and other research on the topic or issue to stimulate a thoughtful, well-reasoned exchange of ideas.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.11-12.1.c
Propel conversations by posing and responding to questions that probe reasoning and evidence; ensure a hearing for a full range of positions on a topic or issue; clarify, verify, or challenge ideas and conclusions; and promote divergent and creative perspectives.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.11-12.1.d
Respond thoughtfully to diverse perspectives; synthesize comments, claims, and evidence made on all sides of an issue; resolve contradictions when possible; and determine what additional information or research is required to deepen the investigation or complete the task.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.11-12.2
Integrate multiple sources of information presented in diverse formats and media (e.g., visually, quantitatively, orally) in order to make informed decisions and solve problems, evaluating the credibility and accuracy of each source and noting any discrepancies among the data.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.11-12.4
Present information, findings, and supporting evidence, conveying a clear and distinct perspective, such that listeners can follow the line of reasoning, alternative or opposing perspectives are addressed, and the organization, development, substance, and style are appropriate to purpose, audience, and a range of formal and informal tasks.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.11-12.1
Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.