Add a bio, trivia, and more. The case of Soon Ja Du,. In the beginning, we brought our son to work. But when I went to a market, I would be met by stares of people looking at me as a stranger. Grocer Soon Ja Du, shown in a 1992 photo, fatally shot Latasha Harlins after a scuffle at Soon's store. Soon Ja Du (Q43762448) murderer Soonja Du edit Statements instance of human 0 references sex or gender female 0 references country of citizenship Korea 0 references given name Sun-ja 0 references family name Du 0 references date of birth 27 December 1941 1 reference place of birth North Chungcheong Province 1 reference spouse Billy Heung Ki Du Following her passing, there was public outcry about why the teenager was senselessly killed. money, however, and confronted Harlins over what she saw as an attempted [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. Karlin, a former federal prosecutor appointed to the bench by Gov. 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. [24][25][26] On August 17, 1991, while Du was awaiting trial, a small fire occurred at her store. 18 September 1958. 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. He came as a motorcycle mechanic. An angry Du then threw a chair at the kid. fine enraged much of L.A.'s black community. According to South Korean government data it was the seventh-most popular name for baby girls in 1940. . 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. Her death occurred just a few weeks after the circulation of the video of L.A.P.D. The couple has three children; two sons, Joseph and Michel, and a daughter, Sandy, who was a theological student at Biola University in 1991. Latasha Haruns, Soon Ja Du, and Joyce Karlin: A Case Study of Multicultural Female Violence and Justice on the Urban Frontier. I think that it was." Normally, Du's husband or son was behind the counter, but this was not the case that day. Netflix's 'Cuties' Outrage Is Mounting and People Are Calling for a Boycott, Podcasts About Antiracism to Educate Yourself With Right Now. A jury found the shopkeeper guilty of involuntary manslaughter, but the judge gave her 5 years probation without jail time. In Virginia, we couldnt even rent a room because of racial discrimination And later we realized that they had never seen Asians before. Soon Ja Du, 51, left, leaves court with her husband, Billy Hong Ki Du, in Los Angeles on Nov. 24, 1992. The French coming-of-age movie " Cuties, " about a Senegalese Muslim girl who joins a hip-hop troupe, was being celebrated and censored even before its world premiere. Joyce said this about the sentence This is not a time for rhetoric. 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. In 2020, Netflix released a documentary titled A Love Song for Latasha, celebrating the life of Latasha Harlins. We even worked night shifts. In January . Discover more articles in our categories Celebrity & News & Wiki. The two eye-witnesses of the event contradicted Dus claims and stated that Du never asked Harlins intentions to pay for the orange juice, instead she called her a bitch. After viewing the videotape of the store security camera, the police concluded that Harlins intended to pay for the beverage as she held money in her hand. Latasha died with $2. And I was very scared of that unkindness. This must have angered them Yes, this conflict was initially between the black and white races. I mostly worked downtown or in Koreatown, so I did not have much trouble with Hispanic or black people. Du claimed that Harlins tried to steal a bottle of orange juice. Joyce Karlin-The trial judge in Du vs Harlins case, Did Mrs. Du react inappropriately? Google Thinks 'After We Collided's' Netflix Release Date Was July 27, Which Is Unfortunately Not the Case [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. Her defense was an accidental shooting by way of self-defense. Soon Ja Du is a Korean woman who co-owns the Empire Hotel in Vermont Vista, Los Angeles. 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. On the morning of March 16, 1991, Soon Ja Du was on duty at the store, while her husband was outside. George Zimmerman was tried and found not guilty of the murder of Trayvon Martin. [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. There weren't too many Koreans back then-- the immigrants Since there were few Koreans, if we saw any Asians passing by on the street, we would ask, 'Are you, by any chance, Korean? During the 1992 L.A. uprising, Lees 18-year old son, Edward Jae Song Lee entered the fray to help protect his Koreatown neighborhood, which was virtually abandoned by police. I think we didn't think far enough. My husbands income alone was not enough for us to get by I think he was paid $2 an hour. On March 16, 1991, fifteen-year-old LaTasha Harlins went to Empire Liquor Store, which was owned by Du, to purchase orange juice for her grandmother. However, it was close to Latashas house and so she went there. 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 Du Soonja shooting at the back of the girl leaving [the store] its 100 percent the womans fault.I only knew that Du Soonja was beat up by Harlins and had a black eye. Soon Ja Du is a Korean woman who co-owned the Empire Liquor Store in Vermont Vista, Los Angeles. Karlin defended her sentence of Du as within legal guidelines, a decision made after careful deliberation on the evidence. In fact, the African-American community felt that the verdict was quite racist, and that Dus background played a huge role in Judge Joyces decision. These successful stars have us asking, "Remember when?" See all the photos. On November 27, 1985, Crystal was brutally shot dead outside a Los Angeles nightclub by Cora Mae Anderson, Acoff's new girlfriend, leaving Latasha and her younger siblings in the care of their maternal grandmother, Ruth Harlins. Any further update on her whereabouts is not known. Soon Ja Du, her face beginning to swell and discolor from the four punches Harlins landed during a brief struggle between the two, ostensibly over a $1.79 bottle of orange juice, crouched on top of the counter trying to see where Harlins had fallen. 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. Harlins' family, including her aunt Denise Harlins, are holding a vigil today to honor her memory. The life was in another word, I felt like we were not treated as human beings. 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. However, on the morning of the shooting, Du was working behind the counter, and her husband was outside resting in the family van. Games Notable Video Game Releases: New and Upcoming See All Reports. They raised a family in Los Angeles and for many years worked multiple low-wage jobs to provide for their children. [17] The Los Angeles Police Department ballistics report also found that the handgun Du used was altered in such a way that it required much less pressure on the trigger to fire than an ordinary handgun. That had a profound impact on me personally. Getting by was the priority, to establish a living. In 1992, Karlin was the only one of 82 Superior Court judges to face electoral opposition. But never in my dream, had I ever imagined that my son would go there. Soon Ja Du + Add or change photo on IMDbPro Contribute to IMDb. As Latasha was attempting to leave the store, Du shot her in the back of the head. Thats what I thought. , Du , . [2] The sentencing was widely regarded as an extremely light sentence, and a failed appeal[3] contributed to the 1992 Los Angeles riots, especially the targeting of Koreatown, Los Angeles. 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.. I generally thought the United States was a country that helped realize any young persons dream. Her shooter was Soon Ja Du, a Korean American grocer in South Central Los Angeles. Du claimed that Harlins had placed a bottle of juice in her backpack to steal and that she had shot the girl in self-defense, however, eye witness accounts and surveillance footage . I was full of hopes. . [28], After the widely publicized shooting of Latasha Harlins, relations between the black and Korean communities continued to deteriorate rapidly. And they made money and started driving nice cars. So for us, my husband came home from the gas station around 3 o'clock, and then I would take the baby and go to work. 3. [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. Thats when it went through my head to do something, though I didnt know what. This tragic killing would also light the spark for the racial violence that was witnessed in LA in 1992, which resulted in more than 50 deaths and humongous property damage. and started to leave, only to be shot in the back of the head by Du. Additionally, many Black Los Angelenos were still furious over the lenient sentencing of Soon Ja Du in the murder of LaTasha Harlins. 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. From that, we paid the rent, the electricity bill, and and I had not realized it then, but life was like a war Others came for studies, but for us, it was for survival, and we had not brought much money with us.we worked at places like Swap meet, cleaning jobs at night. Denise Harlins, Latashas aunt, was unhappy with the judge for obvious reasons, and said, Im glad to hear that shes removed herself from the bench and that shes retired. Reconceived by Anna Deavere Smith from a solo work to a play featuring five actors, "Twilight" is a living testament to the devastating and far-reaching human cost of systemic racial injustice. Would you like to come over to my house for a meal?' But I did not know that my husband was in the process of filing for immigration; we were dating then. in reference to the Korean War. Instead, Cha's book keeps it relentlessly real. The L.A. Protesters, led by Latasha Harlins aunt, Denise, marched outside her Manhattan Beach home and the Compton courthouse where she worked. [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. Soon Du We found 100+ records for Soon Du in CA, MA and 7 other states. [6], In early 2021, a mural celebrating Latasha Harlins was unveiled in front of Algin Sutton Recreation Center. I respect everyone on this School Board. . He had an older sister here, so we came to LA. 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. Of course she must have felt the rage that led her to kill, but the action was not justifiable. An accusation of theft escalated into a physical confrontation and shop owner Soon Ja Du shot and killed Harlins as the girl headed for the store's exit. At the time of her own death in 1991, Latasha was a student at Westchester High School. Something might happen. We sensed it. It rained a lot and houses were made of bricks. During the 1992 Los Angeles riots, Dus store was looted and burned down, and it never reopened. Where is Soon Ja Du now? Defendant Soon Ja Du was convicted of voluntary manslaughter in the killing of Latasha Harlins, a customer in defendant's store. Copyright 2023 Distractify. Ty recalled her friend saying. What if something happens? That was our first encounter with a riot. Du was convicted of voluntary manslaughter, but her suspended [34] These events were considered factors in deadly and destructive riots which began on April 29, 1992, and continued through May 4, 1992. For many in Los Angeles, the two videotapes became emblems of racial injustice and inequality. 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. However, the trial judge, Joyce Karlin, sentenced Du to five years of probation, 10 years of suspended prison, 400 hours of community service, and a $500 fine.[18][19][20]. Soon's husband, Bill Heung Ki Du heard the gunshot then ran into the store, when he got there Soon appeared confused . 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. In her written statement, Karlin said her resignation would become effective next month. And even on the streets, I could tell that people were not kind. officers beating Rodney King, and it was mentioned throughout the L.A. 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. Joyce said this about the sentence "This is not a time for rhetoric. And the broadcasters painted it as a conflict between Koreans and blacks and made it big, in my opinion. 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. The Korean grocer's killing of 15-year-old Latasha Harlins raised tensions in the. 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. The shopkeeper, Soon Ja Du, accused Harlins of trying to steal the juice before a scuffle broke out between the two. [33], Tensions only continued to mount, particularly after police officers were found not guilty of beating Rodney King. In memory of the losses suffered in 1992, Korean-Americans call the unrest "Sa-I-Gu," or 4-2-9 in native pronunciation. And in the black neighborhoods This is something I heard later in the media. Those feelings turned to rage when the woman who shot Harlins, Soon Ja Du, avoided jail time. She didnt do nothing!. That girl was Latasha Harlins, a 15-year-old high school student. 89, No . 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. Because had that incident not occurred, my son might not have died. According to the videotape from the surveillance camera in the store, Du proceeded to snatch the teenagers backpack, after which Latasha punched Du twice, knocking her to the ground. The jury found Du guilty of voluntary manslaughter, an offense that carries a maximum prison sentence of 16 years. Following the shooting of Latasha Harlin, Soon Ja Du went on trial. Latasha was defenseless. Du reportedly claimed she saw Harlins put an orange juice bottle in her backpack and asked Harlins if he was going to pay for it, to which Harlins replied, What orange juice? So Du grabbed Harlins Lyns sweater, accused her of stealing, and snatched her backpack. On November 15, 1991, a jury found Du guilty and convicted Du of voluntarily shooting. After Du was found guilty, Judge Joyce Karlin sentenced her to time served, 400 hours of community service, a $500 fine, and five years of probation. Du claimed she shot her in self-defense: Harlins had been caught putting a bottle of . title. So in the earlier days of our immigration, we worked three jobs. "'We could still be lawyers. Because Rodney King was just one person, but if you saw it on television, several officers beat him with a club and kicked him I did not imagine that he would survive after such beatings. Outside the shop where Latasha died, now a Numero Uno grocery store, a pack of white . A Love Song for Latasha is available to stream on Netflix now. How to say soon ja du in English? Acoff Sr. was known to be abusive towards Crystal, attacking and beating her in front of Latasha and her younger siblings. Steph Cha's novel Your House Will Pay centers on the aftermath of the murder of a 16-year-old African-American girl in south-central Los Angeles. Soon Ja Du leaves court with har husband Billy Hong Ki Du. I came to hope that something like this would never happen again. Since Du was guilty of intentional homicide, the jury recommended a maximum sentence of 16 years for the crime. Coming Soon; Best. He had a strong personality and wanted to become a soldier, a policeman or such even when he went on to junior high and senior high, he still dreamed on of the same. Killing of Latasha Harlins Latasha Harlins (January 1, 1976 - March 16, 1991) was an African-American girl who was fatally shot at age 15 by Soon Ja Du ( Korean: ), a 51-year-old Korean-American convenience store owner. Tobar was The Times bureau chief in Mexico City and Buenos Aires and was part of the reporting team that won a Pulitzer Prize for coverage of the 1992 L.A. riots. [19] Karlin resigned from the bench in 1997. On November 27, 1985, Crystal was brutally shot dead outside a Los Angeles nightclub by Cora Mae Anderson, Acoff's new girlfriend, leaving Latasha and her younger siblings in the care of their maternal grandmother, Ruth Harlins . That, I still regret it. So without knowing the full story, I just thought, wow, shes badly beaten. But I dont think it was justifiable to kill. 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. On April 30, 1992 Edward was fatally shot by crossfire. After all, a video of an immigrant Korean store owner shooting the teenager in the back of her head followed at the heels of the Rodney King incident. 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 verdict--then the judicial system and the freedoms it guarantees will be destroyed, Karlin wrote. [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. Then Radio Korea without verifying, well there was no such verification process then, they just had to believe incoming reports. Before, Joyce worked as an Assistant United States Attorney in Los Angeles and even presided over the Darnell Garcia case. 25 Years After Her Murder, Family of Latasha Harlins Honors Her with a Vigil On this day in 1991, 15-year-old Latasha Harlins was shot in the back of the head by a Korean shopkeeper in Los Angeles following a dispute over a bottle of orange juice. Oct. 2, 2020. "Latasha was defenseless. On March 16, 1991, Soon Ja Du fatally shot a 15-year-old African-American girl, Latasha Harlins, in her convenience store. The Los Angeles-born writer is the author of five books, which have been translated into 15 languages. So thats when we were in such terror, thinking, What do we make of this? Even strangers were made familiar just by hearing that they were also Korean and lead us to open homes the Korean community was hard to find. Harlins turned to walk away when Du took out a gun and fired. On November 15, 1991, the jury found Du guilty and delivered the verdict stating that Du fired the gun voluntarily. The police established that Latasha had no intention of shoplifting after talking to 2 witnesses and reviewing the security tapes. Du was tried and convicted of voluntary manslaughter over the killing of Harlins, based in part on security camera footage. Soon Ja Du, a 51-year-old Korean store owner ultimately charged with 1st degree murder, claimed she was trying to steal the juice. I think so. It was unusual for Soon Ja Du, who was originally from Korea, to be behind the counter at the Empire Liquor store. Judge Karlin suggested that there were mitigating circumstances in the killing of Harlins. search. [11], Shortly before 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, March 16, Harlins entered the store. [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. Though she faced a maximum sentence of 16 years in prison, she did not have to spend time behind bars following the conviction. All Korean small business owners are stand-ins for Soon Ja Du, a Los Angeles convenience store owner who in 1991 killed Black customer Latasha Harlins, after a struggle in the store over a suspected shoplifting. The shooter, Soon Ja Du, got away with zero jail time for the murder. Soon, Ja Du and her family moved to Los Angeles in 1976, when she was 35 years old. It wasn't surprising. Du reached under the counter, retrieved a revolver, and fired at Harlins from behind at a distance of about three feet (one meter). Soon Ja Du killed Latasha Harlin over a bottle of orange juice worth $1.79. [39] In both cases, there was video evidence depicting wrongdoing and in both cases, the defendants did not serve any jail time. Defendant was sentenced to ten years in state prison. It is a fictionalized account of the killing of Latasha Harlins and the effects on both her family and the family of the shooter. 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. "There's always this temptation to write off. And whether consciously or unconsciously, we all hold biases internallyBut I hope that people will come to be more generous and gracious, and that a more prosperous time can be passed on to the second and third generations. Ty recounted what Latasha would say about her aspirations. But in the end, we wound up getting married and came to the United States. She testified on her own behalf, and she said that she believed that her life was in danger when the shooting occurred. Where's Wardlaw. She lived in various countries like Italy, Germany, and Argentina when she was growing up. Receive an email when we publish a new post, {"email":"Email address invalid","url":"Website address invalid","required":"Required field missing"}, __CONFIG_colors_palette__{"active_palette":0,"config":{"colors":{"f3080":{"name":"Main Accent","parent":-1},"f2bba":{"name":"Main Light 10","parent":"f3080"},"trewq":{"name":"Main Light 30","parent":"f3080"},"poiuy":{"name":"Main Light 80","parent":"f3080"},"f83d7":{"name":"Main Light 80","parent":"f3080"},"frty6":{"name":"Main Light 45","parent":"f3080"},"flktr":{"name":"Main Light 80","parent":"f3080"}},"gradients":[]},"palettes":[{"name":"Default","value":{"colors":{"f3080":{"val":"var(--tcb-color-6512bd43d9caa6e02c990b0a82652dca)"},"f2bba":{"val":"rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.5)","hsl_parent_dependency":{"h":205,"l":1.01,"s":0}},"trewq":{"val":"rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7)","hsl_parent_dependency":{"h":205,"l":1.01,"s":0}},"poiuy":{"val":"rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.35)","hsl_parent_dependency":{"h":205,"l":1.01,"s":0}},"f83d7":{"val":"rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.4)","hsl_parent_dependency":{"h":205,"l":1.01,"s":0}},"frty6":{"val":"rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.2)","hsl_parent_dependency":{"h":205,"l":1.01,"s":0}},"flktr":{"val":"rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8)","hsl_parent_dependency":{"h":205,"l":1.01,"s":0}}},"gradients":[]},"original":{"colors":{"f3080":{"val":"rgb(23, 23, 22)","hsl":{"h":60,"s":0.02,"l":0.09}},"f2bba":{"val":"rgba(23, 23, 22, 0.5)","hsl_parent_dependency":{"h":60,"s":0.02,"l":0.09,"a":0.5}},"trewq":{"val":"rgba(23, 23, 22, 0.7)","hsl_parent_dependency":{"h":60,"s":0.02,"l":0.09,"a":0.7}},"poiuy":{"val":"rgba(23, 23, 22, 0.35)","hsl_parent_dependency":{"h":60,"s":0.02,"l":0.09,"a":0.35}},"f83d7":{"val":"rgba(23, 23, 22, 0.4)","hsl_parent_dependency":{"h":60,"s":0.02,"l":0.09,"a":0.4}},"frty6":{"val":"rgba(23, 23, 22, 0.2)","hsl_parent_dependency":{"h":60,"s":0.02,"l":0.09,"a":0.2}},"flktr":{"val":"rgba(23, 23, 22, 0.8)","hsl_parent_dependency":{"h":60,"s":0.02,"l":0.09,"a":0.8}}},"gradients":[]}}]}__CONFIG_colors_palette__, Soon Ja Du Wiki, Age, Husband, Family, Biography and More, How old is Arlene Vrhel? When the passport was issued, he told me about it: that we would go live in the United States. [37] Recent years have seen improved relations between the two communities, as a younger generation of Korean American LA residents showed up in great numbersin some cases even organizing proteststo support the Black Lives Matter movement during the summer of 2020. But by then I did not have the luxury of dreaming on any longer; all the dreams had dissipated. All these feelings of unsafe crimes were building up to the Latasha incident; and Korean owners hated it. Tobar has an MFA in creative writing from UC Irvine and studied at UC Santa Cruz and at the Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico in Mexico City. That day, around 10 oclock, around then, a woman called Radio Korea. [12] After speaking with the two eyewitnesses present and viewing the videotape of the incident, recorded by a store security camera, the police concluded that Harlins intended to pay for the beverage with money in hand. 1 reference. 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.