New Yorkers to Commemorate 30th Anniversary of LA Uprising (Sa-I-Gu)

The Minkwon Center for Community Action and the Greater Flushing Chamber of Commerce invite New Yorkers to join our 30th Anniversary Commemoration of Sa-I-Gu on Wednesday, May 4, 5-7pm. The event, “The LA Uprising: 30 Years Later,” is a film screening and discussion on race and culture in America – part of a series of activities organized by the Flushing Hate Free Zone, a collaborative project that seeks to bridge the racial divide and proactively prevent incidents of hate crimes and violence – a trend that has only increased during the COVID-19 pandemic in neighborhoods like Flushing Queens.

The event will begin with a screening of the documentary film, “Sa-I-Gu,” by filmmaker Dae Sil Kim-Gibson who interviewed many of the participants and documented the stories of women during that dark period in American history.

Following the screening, a panel discussion will take place featuring Dae Sil Kim-Gibson, filmmaker of Sa-I-Gu; Damaris Rostran, executive director of the Black Leadership Action Coalition (BLAC); Professor Carmen Huertas-Noble, Senior Associate Dean for Clinical Programs at CUNY Law School; and, Rose M. Kim, Associate Professor of Sociology at the Borough of Manhattan Community College, CUNY. The discussion will focus on the question of “How do we stop racism and bigotry in our community?” and will be moderated by John Park, Executive Director of the Minkwon Center for Community Action.

"Reflecting on the ‘92 LA Uprising is also a reflection on where we are today 30 years later," stated John Park, Executive Director of the Minkwon Center for Community Action. “With pain and trauma experienced by different communities in recent years, and an ongoing spike in hate violence particularly against Asian Americans, it is a critical time to have these reflections and collaborations to build back the right way.”

The MinKwon Center for Community Action was established in 1984 to meet the needs and concerns of the Korean American community through community organizing and advocacy, social services, civic participation, youth, and culture. The MinKwon Center places a special emphasis on meeting the needs of marginalized community members who have less access to resources, including youth, the elderly, recent immigrants, low-income residents, and limited English proficient residents.

The forum, which will be held at the Free Synagogue at 41-60 Kissena Blvd in Flushing, New York, is free and open to the public. For more information and to register in advance, visit saigu.eventbrite.com. This forum is sponsored by the Flushing Hate Free Zone, Minkwon Center for Community Action, Greater Flushing Chamber of Commerce, Flushing Interfaith Council, and La Jornada New York Food Pantry.

"Sa-I-Gu was a transformational moment in our community – it jolted many complacent Asian-Americans, including Korean immigrant entrepreneurs, into overcoming our isolation and reaching out to people from other racial and ethnic backgrounds in New York and other cities around the United States," stated John Choe, Executive Director of the Greater Flushing Chamber of Commerce. "Sa-I-Gu was an uprising in many different ways – a catalyst for immigrant activists like myself to get involved in our political system and hold our government accountable – and it still has many lessons for today as we fight another resurgent wave of hate crimes and racial violence in America ."

The Greater Flushing Chamber of Commerce fosters the economic growth, inclusive diversity and shared prosperity of our community through advocacy, networking and education. We envision a community that is a beacon for economic opportunity, mutual respect and solidarity. As we overcome challenges and reach for our dreams, we transform ourselves and redefine what it means to be an American.

This forum will kick off a series of educational events and community activities organized by the Flushing #HateFreeZone Campaign during May, which is Asian American Heritage Month. Asian American Heritage Month dates back to the 95th Congress (1977-1978) when Senator Daniel Inouye and his colleagues introduced five joint resolutions proposing that the first part of May be designated to commemorate the accomplishments of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.