A six-year-old Korean American in a Los Angeles charter school was the target of a violent attack by classmates, reports the Korea Daily in Los Angeles. In Huntington Beach, meanwhile, campaign signs for Sen. David Min were vandalized with racist messages.
Both incidents point to the ongoing racial animus targeting the AAPI community and the impacts of racist political rhetoric ahead of the November elections.
“It’s hard enough being an immigrant, but when something like this happens, it makes us feel like we’re still not accepted in America,” Korea Daily reporter Inseong Choi told EMS.
In an Oct. 3 post on the Korean-language online platform MissyUSA, the parents of the alleged victim described the attack, which took place in late September at Larchmont Charter School near Korea Town, and the inaction on the part of school administrators despite repeated complaints.
“The attackers choked my child, twisted his arms, pinned him down with their knees, dragged him by the ankles, and even trapped him in a hula hoop, shaking it violently,” the parent revealed. The assailants, all six of whom were white, also harassed another Korean student during the same incident, according to the post.
Both victims suffered bruising and other injuries. None of the attackers have been identified given their age.
According to a complaint filed by the parent with LAUSD, the victim is “currently experiencing severe trauma as a result of this incident, and the inadequate response from the school has further jeopardized his safety and well-being.”
In its report, The Korea Daily noted that the school, which operates independently of the district, responded to the initial complaint by informing the family that the attackers’ parents had been notified and that the “dangerous items” had been removed from the play area.
A subsequent attack again took place involving the same group of children, according to the paper.
Larchmont Charter School operates four campuses across LA, including one near Korea Town, where the incident occurred.
“This school claims to provide excellent public education to students from diverse social, economic, cultural, and racial backgrounds,” the victim’s father, identified by his surname Jung, told the Korea Times. “But in reality, it’s a place where group assaults and adult-perpetuated racism occur. The school’s attitude of defending the perpetrators is essentially secondary victimization.”
According to Choi, it remains “too early” to characterize the attacks as racially motivated. But, he added, “small incidents can always escalate, so it’s important for school authorities to take appropriate action.”
Vandals target campaign signs
On October 8, The Korea Daily received reports from community members that 10 campaign signs for California State Senator David Min (D-CA 37) had been defaced with an anti-Asian racial slur.
The signs were put up in Huntington Beach, an affluent coastal community in Orange County and part of the US Congressional 47th District that Min is currently running to represent. His opponent is Republican businessman Scott Baugh.
The race is widely seen by both parties as critical to control of the Senate next year.
“Acts that incite division and conflict within our community must be eradicated,” Min said in a statement. “I am concerned that this graffiti may reflect the xenophobia and disdain for foreigners promoted by Trump’s camp.”
A report published in 2023 by the Leadership Conference Education Fund, a national civil rights group, cited FBI data showing an “unmistakable pattern” of hate crimes spiking during presidential elections.
Min added, “Given the rise in anti-Asian hate crimes since the pandemic, we can only view this as a criminal act that undermines the hard-earned contributions of immigrants.”
The Korea Daily reported that the suspect had been arrested by Huntington Beach police and is identified as Kevin William Walker, 62, of Fountain Valley.
The slur — which literally translates to “country” or “nation” in Korean — dates back to the Korean War, when American soldiers first used it to refer to their Korean counterparts. It was later applied as a racial epithet to refer to Vietnamese soldiers during the Vietnam War.
Speaking to EMS, Choi called the incident “an insult to the entire Asian community,” recalling similar incidents during the 2022 mid-term elections. “These kinds of incidents often happen during election season. Politicians always bring up race and immigration issues during elections,” he said.
EMS’ Jongwon Lee contributed reporting for this story.
This resource is supported in whole or in part by funding provided by the State of California, administered by the California State Library in partnership with the California Department of Social Services and the California Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander American Affairs as part of the Stop the Hate program. To report a hate incident or hate crime and get support, go to CA vs Hate.
