LEGACIES OF WESTERN AVENUE

Koreatown, Los Angeles, was officially recognized as a neighborhood in 1980 under Mayor Tom Bradley, though its origins trace back to the early 20th century. In 1902, Korean community formation in Los Angeles was influenced by Chang Ho Ahn and Heyryon Lee, whose activism in the Korean Independence Movement encouraged early Korean migration to Southern California. The Korean Presbyterian Church and the Korean National Association, both located on Jefferson Boulevard, became cultural and social hubs for early immigrants (Yu, 1985).

The passage of the 1965 Hart-Cellar Act, which reformed U.S. immigration policies, significantly increased Korean migration to the United States (Chung et al., 2019). This influx, coupled with Korea’s political climate, contributed to Koreatown’s growth as a focal point of Korean American life. While Korean Americans are now dispersed across Southern California, Koreatown remains an important cultural and economic hub, offering businesses, community services, and cultural institutions (Park & Kim, 2008).

Entrepreneurs like Hi Duk Lee played a vital role in Koreatown’s development by spearheading major projects such as Koreatown Plaza Shopping Center (1988), formerly known as the Olympic Market, and initiating the annual L.A. Korean Festival in 1974 (NBC News, 2019). Small business owners also contributed to economic resilience, particularly along Western Avenue, which became a commercial artery for the Korean immigrant community (Park & Lee, 2007). Koreatown’s primary commercial corridors include Western Avenue, Olympic Boulevard, and Vermont Avenue, with the enclave historically centered at Olympic and Harvard. The area’s transformation into a transnational commercial district was driven by investments from South Korean companies, further legitimizing Koreatown as a self-sufficient neighborhood.

The development of Western Avenue as a commercial hub highlights the resilience and resourcefulness of Korean immigrants. Koreatown also became a space for social change, with organizations such as the Korean American Federation of Los Angeles (KAFLA) playing a pivotal role. Founded in 1962 and located on Western Avenue, KAFLA sought representation in local government and community leadership, strengthening social networks and promoting civil rights through programs in education, employment assistance, legal services, and leadership development. Financial investments along this corridor laid the foundation for economic growth and community identity.

Western Avenue, originally Los Angeles's western boundary, now runs north-south through Koreatown, serving as a key commercial thoroughfare. The transformation of Koreatown into a transnational commercial district was further propelled by investments from South Korean corporations (Park & Lee, 2007). Additionally, Koreatown has been a space for social change, with KAFLA representing the Korean community by fostering leadership development and advocating for civil rights (More Than Gentrification, n.d.). The economic investments along Western Avenue have strengthened Koreatown’s financial landscape, with institutions like the Bank of Finance playing a pivotal role. Originally a Black-owned bank, its presence underscores the intersection of diverse histories in the area (Los Angeles Public Library, 2023).

The Koreatown Plaza, a testament to Korean immigrants' entrepreneurial spirit, was the largest project in Koreatown, constructed in 1986 and opened in January 1988. Developed by Joong-Nam Yang and designed by Ki-Suh Park of Gruen Associates, it cost approximately $25 million and became a landmark on Western Avenue, reflecting Koreatown’s economic growth during this period.

Western Avenue stands as a testament to the contributions of immigrant communities and the broader significance of Koreatown in Los Angeles’s cultural and economic landscape. Koreatown’s story, with Western Avenue as a key thread, is one of perseverance and transformation. It remains a center for social, business, and religious life, symbolizing the enduring contributions of Korean Americans to Los Angeles and beyond.

Western Avenue, once known as Los Angeles’s western city limit since 1915, spans 28 miles. It was the farthest boundary of the Los Angeles pueblo in 1853. In April 1885, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors designated a road passing by this tract as a county highway, naming it Western Avenue. (Another road in the area was later named Sixth Street, which eventually became Wilshire Boulevard in 1897.)

Western Avenue was historically home to Los Angeles’s first country club and a highly esteemed military academy. Today, the avenue cuts through some of Los Angeles’s most densely populated low-income communities of color. Interestingly, Western was also the site of the first portable Van de Kamp windmill shop.

Apart from Sepulveda Boulevard, Western Avenue is one of the longest north–south streets in Los Angeles. The name reflects its history as the city’s westernmost border before annexations in the early 20th century expanded Los Angeles’s footprint. Western Avenue ends north of Franklin Avenue in the Hollywood Hills, where it curves to become Los Feliz Boulevard. In 1923, Alejandro Borquez opened the Sonora Cafe on Western Avenue, which was renamed El Cholo Spanish Cafe in 1927. The café is credited with inventing the burrito. Another iconic moment came in November 1930 when a twelve-story Art Deco masterpiece began to rise at the southeast corner of Wilshire and Western. Designed by Stiles O. Clements, the building featured sweeping city views, street-level retail, and the 2,344-seat Warner Bros. movie theater. In 1931, the Pellissier Building and Wiltern Theatre were constructed on the same corner, marking the rise of Wilshire and Western as a bustling intersection. By the 1930s and 1940s, the area became the nation’s busiest intersection, with the Miracle Mile emerging as a prominent retail center.

Western Avenue also played a significant role in the rise of automobile culture in Los Angeles. By 1928, more cars passed through the Wilshire and Western intersection than any other in the nation. The atmospheric rise of car ownership coincided with Wilshire Boulevard’s emergence as a commercial corridor. In 1962, oil tycoon J. Paul Getty commissioned a 20-story office tower at the southwest corner, which was later converted into the Mercury residential building. Across the street, the 12-story Pierce National Life Building, designed by Welton Becket & Associates, was completed in 1965. In 1996, the Metro Purple Line subway station opened at the northeast corner of Wilshire and Western, adding to the intersection’s legacy. Western Avenue transitions through various independent towns such as Lomita, Torrance, Gardena, Inglewood, and Hawthorne, with neighborhoods ranging from affluent areas like Palos Verdes to working-class communities. Its southern stretch remains designated as State Route 213, a vestige of its original function as a major north-south thoroughfare, even after the construction of freeways beginning in the 1950s. Bibliography

Chung, A., Song, J., & Choi, C. (2019). Navigating ethnic hierarchies in community-academic partnerships: A case study on Koreatown community politics. AAPI Nexus Journal: Policy, Practice, and Community, 16, 153-179.  https://doi.org/10.36650/nexus16.1-2_153-179_ChungChoiSong 

Kim, Katherine Yungmee. (2011).  Los Angeles’s Koreatown.  Arcadia Publishing Inc. (Images of America series). ISBN: 9780738575520.

Yu, Eui-Young (1985).  Koreatown Los Angeles: Emergence of a new inner-city ethnic community.  Bulletin of the Population and Development Studies Center, 14, 29–44.

Los Angeles Public Library. (2023).  History of Koreatown: Heartbeat of Los Angeles.  

 More Than Gentrification.  (n.d.). Koreatown's history and evolution.

NBC News. (2019).  Hi Duk Lee, Los Angeles Koreatown pioneer, dead at 79.  

Park, K., & Kim, J. (2008).  The contested nexus of Los Angeles Koreatown: Capital restructuring, gentrification, and displacement.  Amerasia Journal, 34, 126-150.

Park, K., & Lee, Y. (2007).  Rethinking Los Angeles Koreatown: Multi-scaled geographic transition since the mid-1990s.  Journal of the Korean Geographical Society, 42(2), 196-217.

Legacies of Western Avenue, a joint project of the  Koreatown Youth and Community Center  and  Kounkuey Design Initiative , was graciously funded by the  Community Redevelopment Agency,  with the support of Los Angeles  Council District 4  and  Council District 10 .  For this project,  Koreatown Storytelling Program  interviewed six Korean American store owners about the history and changing landscape of owning and operating their small businesses on Western Avenue since the 1980s. Legacies of Western Avenue is part of  The K-Town Atlas , a collection of digital StoryMaps documenting the history, culture, and people of Los Angeles’s Koreatown and neighboring communities. Launched by the Koreatown Storytelling Program, this multimedia project incorporates audio recordings, oral history transcripts, and photographs to share the stories of our multiethnic community.

Los Legados de la Avenida Western Avenue, un proyecto conjunto del  Koreatown Youth and Community Center  y  Kounkuey Design Initiative , fue financiado generosamenteentilmente por la  Agencia de Reurbanización Comunitaria , con el apoyo del  Distrito 4  y el Distrito 10 del Ayuntamiento de Los Ángeles. con el apoyo del Distrito 4 del Consejo de Los Ángeles y el  Distrito 10 del Consejo . Para este proyecto,  Programa de Narración de Historias de Koreatown  entrevistó a seis propietarios de tiendas coreano-estadounidenses sobre la historia y el cambio en el entorno de lael panorama cambiante de la propiedad y operación de sus pequeños negocios en la Avenida Western Avenue desde la década de 1980. 

Los Legados de la Avenida Western Avenue es parte de  El Atlas de K-Town , que es una colección de mapas narrativos digitales que documentan la historia, la cultura, y la gente del barrio coreano de Los Ángeles y las comunidades cercanas. Lanzado por el Programa de Narración de Historias de KoreatownPrograma de Narración de Koreatown, este proyecto multimedia incorpora grabaciones de audio, transcripciones de historias orales, y fotografías para compartir las historias de nuestra comunidad multiétnica.

웨스턴 애비뉴의 위대한 유산 프로젝트는 한인타운청소년회관( KYCC )과 카운큐 디자인 이니셔티브( Kounkuey Design Initiative ) 공동 프로젝트입니다. 이 프로젝트는 커뮤니티 재개발 기관( Community Redevelopment Agency ) 지원과, LA시의회  4지구  및  10지구  후원으로 진행됐습니다.

 LA한인타운 스토리텔링 프로그램 은 1980년대부터 ‘웨스턴 애비뉴’에서 작은 상점을 운영해 온 한인 업주 6명과 인터뷰를 진행했습니다. 이들 소상공인은 지난 반세기 동안 사업을 이어오면서 보고 느낀 한인타운의 살아 있는 역사와 변화 이야기를 들려주었습니다.  QR 코드를 스캔해서 이들이 생생하게 들려주는 ‘시간여행’ 구술 인터뷰를 읽어보세요. 우리의 도시 디자인 및 스토리맵 프로젝트인 ‘K-타운 아틀라스(K-Town Atlas)’도 알아보세요.

‘ K-타운 아틀라스 (K-Town Atlas)’는 로스앤젤레스 코리아타운과 인근 지역사회의 역사, 문화, 사람들의 이야기를 기록한 디지털 스토리맵 모음집입니다. 코리아타운 스토리텔링 프로그램에서 시작한 이 멀티미디어 프로젝트는 ‘오디오 녹음, 구술 역사 기록, 사진’ 등을 통해 우리의 ‘다양한 민족 공동체(multiethnic community);의 이야기를 여러분께 전하고 있습니다. QR 코드를 스캔해서 우리의 아름답고 활기찬 동네를 더 알아보세요!