Posts Tagged ‘korean-american’

Military Drummer at Koreatown Parade in LA

Sunday, September 20th, 2009

There were a lot of military vehicles during the parade. I voice-recorded a few notes as to what their units were but haven’t transcribed them yet, though I recall one being from the Gulf War. Lots of Korean-Americans in the military, quite a few who have died in Iraq and Afghanistan recently…

This distinguished gentleman was wearing a bow tie!

Again, apologies for the poor quality of the video clips. They actually don’t look so bad on my computer, but making another transfer to YouTube causes a lot of degradation. More colorful ones to come…

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2009 Korean Festival Parade in Koreatown

Saturday, September 19th, 2009
Korean Parade Sign in Koreatown
Just came back from watching the 2009 Korean Festival Parade on Olympic Boulevard. The entourage originated from Catalina Avenue near Vermont but I was stationed nearer to Western Avenue.

Took so many pictures and so much video. It’ll take me forever to process them. Here’s a few…


Girl in Stroller with Two Flags at Parade

Her Mommy is the one in the background trying to get a picture of her son in the parade. (He looked so embarrassed.) The child in the stroller is carrying two national flags! There were also a lot of Mexican flags and floats participating so that was really cool. And the people lining the street were something like 60% Latino (Salvadoran…) and 35% Korean. The announcements were mostly in Korean — it is the Korean Festival in a place called Koreatown, after all. The parade’s progress was slow but there were enough highlights that I didn’t find it a waste to go.



Korean Girls at Koreatown arade
These young girls worked their tiny behinds off. They were the most indefatigable group in the parade!

Will post the rest of the photos and video clips soon!

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FBI and DEA at 2009 Koreatown Festival

Saturday, September 19th, 2009

Very surprised to see the FBI and DEA at the Korean Festival in Los Angeles! But it does make sense to recruit government agents in the Korean-American community during a community event.

FBI at 2009 Koreatown Festival in Los Angeles

I didn’t know the Federal Bureau of Investigation had a Civil Rights Unit. The festival attendees were really interested. Opening myself up to the charge of stereotyping / typecasting, I bet these Korean women were looking for employment opportunities for their sons/husbands/nephews… Leave it to the women to proactively set things right in one’s household. (wink)

DEA at 2009 Koreatown Festival in Los Angeles

Next table was the 연방 마악 단속국 — the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), part of the US Department of Justice. Coincidentally, I was just reading up on the remnants of gangs in Koreatown. Where there are gangs, there are drugs to be sold to finance operations…

There were also young men in military fatigues whom I thought at first were recruiting for the South Korean army. Turns out they ‘re from the U.S. Marines and the Army too. You can still catch them at the 2009 Korean Festival in Los Angeles, running till Sunday (September 20).

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Hawaiian Chicken at 2009 Koreatown Festival

Saturday, September 19th, 2009

When you enter the festival grounds of Seoul International Park from the north, this is the sight that greets you. Dozens of whole chickens roasting on an an open spit courtesy of Hawaiian Chicken. They say they can cook 1,000 chickens in less than three hours! 하와이안 숯불구이 통닭

Hawaiian Chicken at 2009 Koreatown Festival in LA

It’s Hawaiian-style Huli-Huli BBQ Chicken grilled using quality Kiawe charcoal. Huli-Huli is Hawaiian for ‘turn, turn.’

The restaurant was chosen by the editors of the the Los Angeles Downtown News as Best Cooked Chicken in downtown LA. It also has fresh mangosteen juice called Xango™ but the booth at the festival doesn’t have it.

Restaurant Hours : Monday–Wednesday, 11:00 a.m.– 9 p.m. Friday–Saturday, 11:00 a.m.–11:00 p.m. Closed on Thursdays and Sundays

Address: 686 N Spring Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012-2835
Phone number (866) 319-3867. Owner: Eugene Hong

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Center Bank Parking on Western Avenue

Monday, June 22nd, 2009

People will mistake Center Bank for a central bank… Listed on NASDAQ as CLFC, Center Financial Corporation

Center Bank Parking on Western Avenue

This is Beverly Boulevard. Hanmi Unhaeng nearby.
253 North Western Avenue, Los Angeles, California 90004
Phone number: (213) 381-2222. Manager: Don Choi

Office Hours:
Monday-Thursday 9:00 AM to 5:00P M
Friday 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM
Saturday 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM

Center Bank also has locations in downtown Los Angeles, Seattle, Chicago and a whole bunch of other places throughout Los Angeles County and the United States. Their headquarters are at 3435 Wilshire Blvd, Suite 700, Los Angeles, California 90010. The bank’s president and CEO is Jae Whan Yoo. In business serving the Korean community for 23+ years.

Nearest non-Korean bank branches are Wells Fargo and Washington Mutual (er, Chase) in Larchmont Village about 8 blocks to the west and on Wilshire Boulevard about 8 blocks south.

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Korean-American Architect David Hyun

Friday, May 8th, 2009

Yagura Tower designed by Korean-American David Hyun for the Japanese Village Plaza in downtown Los Angeles in 1983.

Yagura Tower by Korean-American Architect David Hyun

David Hyun is a second-generation Korean-American architect. He is credited with revitalizing Little Tokyo, the Japantown section of downtown Los Angeles. The Japanese-American Citizens League has honored him for his contributions, including his work at the Japanese American Cultural Center in 1978. A founding board member of Leadership Education for Asian Pacifics (LEAP), Hyun has also served as chair of the board of directors of the Korean-American Coalition (KAC).

He was born in Korea in 1917 and is the youngest son of the Korean patriot Reverend Soon Hyun. You can see David Hyun’s personally designed residence in Silver Lake (address: 1954 Redesdale Avenue, Los Angeles, California 90039). He had it built in 1993.

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