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For a little over a month, African-Americans in Dallas have been boycotting a Korean owned gas station in a mostly black community.
It all began when an African-American customer requested that the Korean-American owner lower the minimum purchase amount since the gas prices at the Korean gas station were higher than in other areas. The gas station owner refused. In response, the customer told the Korean owner to go back to his country, to which the owner responded “go back to Africa.”
This confrontation triggered a boycott of Korean and Asian businesses by the black community. This is not the first time that tensions between Asian business owners and their African-American consumers have reached a fevered pitch. Twenty years ago, there was a massive Los Angeles riot by African American consumers over their mistreatment by Korean merchants.
At issue is always the treatment of black consumers by Asian business owners, many of whom don’t seem to respect African American consumers and are perceived as takers; people who use the black community to make a quick buck, all the while despising the very community they serve. It would seem that the real and lasting solution isn’t these on again, off-again boycotts, but to grow black businesses in black communities.
Knutz
January 31, 2012 at 2:21 pm
What did the customer expect the owner to say ? On the serious side oh yeah the attitude of Koreans Mexicans and everybody else towards the black community has been lacking in respect for quite some time . I’d like to see the stats on how many Black people work for other ethnic businesses . Now that would be a really good reason to boycott.
Linda
February 8, 2012 at 1:09 am
We need to stand up all over the United States. They do not have respect of Blacks!!!!! I’m in business and a lot of my suppliers are Korean. I have witness them giving their people better prices than myself. We need to boycott all Korean business owners. Plus there have learned to bet the tax system. They change business names ever 3 years to stay under to tax radar.(fact)
Knutz
February 8, 2012 at 2:27 am
Linda is there a black business directory ? there is power in unity rather than marching lets have a buy black movement only frequent a Black owned business and if we don’t own a particular business lets get one . Some of those ethnic business only survive because we spend our black dollars there . There is a reason why several liquor stores can thrive in a black neighborhood . I remember when there was a protest because they would not hire black people , I myself is guilty of being a regular customer of businesses where they would rather go bankrupt than to hire a black person .
Jeff Scott
April 21, 2012 at 5:34 pm
If the asian business is doing something wrong – we need to boycott. In the bigger picture, successful black people out there not giving back (ie. creating black business) to support our own communities, is a travesty. We need to own the gas station, the grocery store, etc in our community to circulate that money. We are smarter than this, but are behaving like we have no education. As they say, ignorance is bliss.
David2001
January 31, 2012 at 3:54 pm
“It would seem that the real and lasting solution isn’t these on again, off-again boycotts, but to grow black businesses in black communities”
This is something every so call black leader in every black community ought to be advocating. The civil rights movement helped create jobs for blacks through integration but in the process seem to destroy the concept of black entrepreneurship and self help in black communities. I hate to say this but so long as black leaders continue to advocate racial diversity over black self help this will probably never happen. It’s like the question that use to be asked, what ever happened to the old negro baseball league? INTEGRATION happened.
Knutz
January 31, 2012 at 4:32 pm
Hey you are so right . I think sometimes we were better off when all we had was each other no civil rights but we could depend on each other .
David2001
January 31, 2012 at 4:55 pm
No I’m not saying we were better off without civil rights. Black Americans needed the civil rights movement. We ALL benefit from it. My point is that we seem to forget before integration and calls for racial diversity we depended more on ourselves for solutions to our social economic problems. It’s time for black leaders, politicians and the media to stop talking as if racial diversity is the sole solution to our current economic and social problems.
Knutz
January 31, 2012 at 5:11 pm
I didn’t mean to imply that either so we agree wholehearted .
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Ronald B. Saunders
January 31, 2012 at 5:57 pm
David2001: When will the Black race get through their heads that nobody likes them? The time they spent marching around protesting and grandstanding against the bigoted Korean they should have been planning to build their own institutions in said communities. Many of these pulpit hustlers are nothing but publicity hounds who are only concerned about personal gain and self aggrandizement.
If this was a for real boycott NO one would even dare to think about crossing that line. If this a serious boycott they should stop all of his supplies from coming into said store. If this was a serious boycott they would patrol their boycott 24/24… If he doesn’t have the supplies he can’t sale or make a profit. When will Black men wake-up and get a set of balls and take the bull by the horns as this is the part responsible for guidance? Dr. King said ” If you haven’t found something to die for, your not fit to live.”
NO intelligent group of people would have permitted a bunch of foreign outsiders to invade, hijack, exploit, abuse, misuse, them in their own communities.
In 1967, Dr. King said, ” Many retail businesses and consumer-goods industries deplete the Ghetto by selling to Negroes without returning to the community any of the profits through fair hiring practices.”
These Integrationist conscious Negroes throughout the US are constantly reacting to bigots and racists rather than being proactive in taking pride in building their own institutions which they should control.
One of the great master’s of Black history Dr.Henrik Clarke said that Black people did too much marching and protesting during the Civil Rights era and not enough strategic planning for long term impact.
When will Black people finally wake-up and be the Captains of their own ships?
Tell me David 2001, why do so many Black people act and behave like enslaved Africans in the 21st Century?
West Virginia State College in Institute, WV use to be a leading Black institution, what ever happended to that great school? Integration+ Conquest happended. Black students now only make-up 19 % of the student body.
Bluefield State College, in Bluefield, WV use to be a dynamic great Black Institution of higer learning, what ever happended to that school? Integration + Conquest happended. Black students now make-up only 12% of the student body.
What ever happended to the great Colored Hockey Leagues in Canada? Denial + Jim Crow= Extinction;
The Colored Hockey Leagues of Canada were superior to their white counter parts, so what happended?
Please review the ESPN Series on Black Ice.
What ever happended to the Old Negro baseball League? Integration happended and all of that Black money left our communities into the hands of ruthless bigots in the dominant culture.
Why shouldn’t Major League baseball pay reparations to all of the descendants of the owners of those Negro League franchises? What they paid to some of those owners was peanuts.
What can’t Major League baseball pay reparations to Black America for practicing well over 50+ years of Jim Crow denial to play the national pastime?
Ernie Banks could be the administrator of a national fund to work in conjunction with Major League Baseball to dispense those funds to the all of the descendants of the Negro Leagues going back to the days of Rube Foster. When they barnstormed the Negro League All Stars won 74.9% of the games against the white Major League stars. Not only were these Negro League players the equal to the white players in most cases they were better.
The famous Jackie Robinson once played for a Negro Professional Football League what ever happended to that league?
Aaron
January 31, 2012 at 11:59 pm
Mr. Saunders, I agree with you regarding the Pulpit Hustlers, black males and females. They live in the lap of luxury off the tax free monies from their parishioners and when they’re faced with foreclosure give them the time old, “the church will pray for you”! Reminds me of the mega church hustler, giving an elaborate wedding and basking in pride while one of his followers was set out on the street. All of those mega buck athletes, entertainers and CEO’s including “O” should invest in the black communities to those qualified, that would also create jobs in the communities.
I was distracted by this Cuban-American on MSNBC in support of Willard Romney, stating he could do more for the economy and jobs than the President because the republicans have toned down on their rhetoric regarding Hispanic people!! Now that’s a fool bigger than Herman Cain! After they get the Hispanic vote, they’ll kick their asses back across the border and take back the pollo, arroz y habas!!!
Mooney44
January 31, 2012 at 7:02 pm
Many of you who think Dr, Paul is racist. But this is the very point he was nmaking about the civil right Act. Black people where swindled. ANd our busniesses and higher learning institutions have all but disappeared.
Gigi
January 31, 2012 at 7:42 pm
Nothing in America is going to change for African Americans until African Americans stop supporting the very people that disrespect them, take from the community without ever giving anything, not even giving the Black community’s patronage credit for their success in America in countless cases.
So, until African America boycotts business, stops spending their money and get voter registration around 80%, nothing is going to change.
(No group can be oppressed without the help of those within that group).
Ronald B. Saunders
February 1, 2012 at 2:56 pm
Gigi: Very well said by one of our sisters (Gigi), who is part of Africa’s most precious gifts to America.
Keep up your good deeds!
Alfred Smith
January 31, 2012 at 9:48 pm
We have been in this country longer than any other immigrant group and we are still behind. Education is the key, and setting up Black business is the solution. How did the Koreans get in there in the first place? Because Black people did not put themselves in position to take advantage of the opportunities when those properties became available.
It’s going to get worse as our young people continue to fill the nightclubs, street corners and jails rather than the schools. And that is not whitey’s fault. At a time when the laws at least allow us to pursue an education, a lot of youth aren’t even taking advantage of that. And let’s stop talking about reparations. Whitey is not going to pay us, wants to take away what little they granted, and still doesn’t want us here. I agree that maybe segregating again is the answer. We need to look after our own now.
Knutz
January 31, 2012 at 10:44 pm
setting up Black businesses and supporting Black business hiring our own people ,stop abusing our own people pimping our women corrupting our children . cease the crabs in a bucket behavior the anything for a buck mentality . I knew the end was near when I went to my favorite soul food joint and saw mexican cooks in the kitchen
Ronald B. Saunders
February 1, 2012 at 12:00 am
Alfred Smith: We have not been in this country longer than any other immigrant group.
Roughly around 11,000 B.C. small groups of hunters who were a type B Mongoloid people from Inner and Outer Mongolia via the Siberian basin crossed the Bering Sea Land Bridge from Asia to settle in Alaska and beyond. They were America’s first known immigrants and they in fact are the First Americans. The First Americans migrated to America by walking or crossing a land bridge on the Bering Strait.
Source: Native American Chronology, EDS. Duane Champagne and Michael A. Pare)
Mr.Smith, your first sentence begins in error by implying that Black people were an immigrant group and you should fully know that we were not a immigrant group. My ancestors were enslaved proud Black Africans who were brought here in chains on filthy, nasty, dirty, disease ridden, rat infested ships against their will.
Mr. Smith, no other immigrant group came to this country in a like or similar manner as enslaved Black Africans.
Mr. Smith, we have been in a protracted war with people who don’t like us since 1619, and the demand for reparations is part of greater strategy to win the war against white racism. Further Mr. Smith when you fight a war that war must be waged on all fronts, and the demand for reparations is part our campaign of psychological Warfare.
You are one hundred correct about saying ” Whitey” is not going to pay us, but we shall keep demanding that they do to make them squirm and feel uncomfortable.
With 15 trillion dollars in national debt how can they pay Black people for forty acres and a mule with triple compound interest? When they can’t even pay China for all of those undeclared wars etc.
* ” All The Wealth The White Man Has Today (1919) Will Not Be Enough To Pay The Blacks When The Blacks Present Their Bill.”.. Marcus Garvey
Gratz
March 15, 2012 at 1:17 pm
Nope. American Indians have been in the Americas far longer than 11,000 B.C. and are not even mongoloid by a long shot considering the many non-”mongoloid” phenotypes present in many Indian groups. BTW as the first people in the Americas Indians have Native status above all other groups. Update your sources.
johnfreyan
February 1, 2012 at 2:45 am
He told the store owner to go back to his country. What do you expect the owner to say back? “Oh, thank you for that, sir. I will certainly consider the option of fucking off back to my country. Meanwhile, would you like to sling more insulting racist shit at me?”
I believe the Koreans have a saying for this: “A shit-stained dog is chastising a mud-covered dog.”
marcus davis
February 1, 2012 at 5:38 am
Black folks should quit supporting every other tom dick and harry and start supporting our own businesses and communities .How many times has it been said decades past and still we have all these brainwashed integrating idiots forever running after every other race to support them other than our own communities.
Ronald B. Saunders
February 1, 2012 at 2:44 pm
marcus davis: I agree with everything that you have said marcus.
Louise
February 1, 2012 at 6:00 am
HERE WE GO AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!!MY PEOPLE!!!!!!!!!!! MUST WE WALK THROUGH LIFE WITH BLINDERS ON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WE MUST OPEN OUR EYES AND SEE WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE. WE SHOULD BECOME OWNERS AND STOP BEING CUSTOMERS, TO EVERY NATIONALITY THAT SET UP SHOP IN YOUR COMMUNITIES. WE AS PEOPLE OF COLOR MUST TAKE OR RETAKE A COURSE ON ECONOMICS. YOU WORK HARD FOR YOUR MONEY AND YOU SHOULD DEMAND TO BE RESPECTED AND APPRECIATED WHEN YOU SPEND YOUR MONEY IN THEIR ESTABLISHMENT.
toracist
February 1, 2012 at 6:45 am
If someone says “Go back to your origin” to a US Citizen,
that can be a RACIST BEHAVIOR.
if someone says “Go back to your origin” to a US Citizen,
that can be a RACIST BEHAVIOR.
The Black guy and Korean guy both said that way,
the two guys look all screwed up racists to me.
Funny thing is that Black guy considers only himself as the Victim.
Even the guy is not aware of what he said first – “Go Back to your country”,
and the fact is telling that himself is the MOST RACIST.
Stop Racism! you both are stupid. I’m ashamed as a Korean and
this incident seems only from the two guys screwed up behavior for money.
Don’t try to generalize and stop trying to get big deal out of nothing
for bullshitting the other color.
A Black guy can be your life saver,
a Korean guy can be your life saver.
There are always good people bad people together in a race.
As you start generalizing a race, that means you’re making out
a reason to kill the group of people for your own convenience
and THAT IS THE MOST RACISM.
We have the holocaust in history resulted by the thought of the protestors in this incidence.
Stop your Racism!!
Middleoftheroad
February 2, 2012 at 12:51 am
http://caseylartigue.blogspot.com/2005/08/scam-yo-momma-note-this-was-originally.html
Brothers, please read “SCAM How Black leasdership exploits Black America”
By Rev. Jesse Lee Petersen
I”m no hater but I just feel that Black leadership has failed, only to fatten their pocket.
Knutz
February 2, 2012 at 3:47 am
I dont have to read about it , when I saw AL Sharpton down in Arizona bitchin about their new immigration law the first thing that pop in my head was how much did he get paid
Ronald B. Saunders
February 2, 2012 at 4:32 am
Knutz: Word!
Manservant of God
February 2, 2012 at 8:00 am
The Korean is demons monkey
Go to the hell
John
February 4, 2012 at 2:41 am
From my personal experience, most Blacks and Asians are not racists. There are however misunderstandings. Blacks think Asians disrepect them because of skin color. Asians think Blacks view them as foreigners even if they are US Citizens. Asians also cannot understand why Blacks, whom have been here since the beginning and have led the way for equal rights and justice; has education available to them and not be limited by a language barrier cannot be a successful group of people. Asian culture emphasizes personal responsibility and believes no one is to blame for one’s failures but oneself.
South Koreans have fought hard in their country for the past few decades against poverty and oppression from a authoritarian government and have turned their country from a Third World into a First World country. The Japanese rebuilt their country after WW2 into a First World economy. The Chinese are the second most powerful people in the world because of hardwork and personal responsibility. The Vietnamese and other South Asians are following suit with whatever resources and capabilities they have themselves.
The Blacks here helped built this country with the Whites. I know for a fact that individual Blacks can be very successful when they are willing to bust there ass and reap the rewards. Look at the President, MLK, Colin Powell, George Washington Carver, Shirley Chisholm, Charles Drew, Matthew Henson and many others.
Blacks are very intelligence and their culture allows them to “think outside the box.” This style of thinking is something Asians are slowing trying to develop.
So you see, it is not the color of the skin. It is how Blacks run their lives that makes Asians think negatively of them. Being poor is no excuse; it should be a reason to be successful.
jstele
February 4, 2012 at 7:38 pm
Should black businesses have to give back to the community? I don’t understand this uproar about Korean businesses not giving back. Businesses are for profit. You get a product, you pay the price. You can harp over how Koreans are profiting from the black community, but what about the services that Koreans provide to black communities. You don’t see VONS or other major retailers there. If you don’t like a business, don’t shop there, but don’t act like they owe you anything.
jstele
February 4, 2012 at 7:43 pm
Twenty years ago, there was a massive Los Angeles riot by African American consumers over their mistreatment by Korean merchants.
The riots were caused by reaction to the Rodney King verdict. Don’t twist the facts.
At issue is always the treatment of black consumers by Asian business owners, many of whom don’t seem to respect African American consumers and are perceived as takers; people who use the black community to make a quick buck, all the while despising the very community they serve. It would seem that the real and lasting solution isn’t these on again, off-again boycotts, but to grow black businesses in black communities.
Why is it always the Asians’ fault? What about blacks who mistreat the Asian owners? Your lies are just spreading further ignorance and anger unto the black community.
Dr. T. Sanchez
February 5, 2012 at 12:53 am
Certain human characteristics must be recognized. To wit: Look at Africa; the entire continent is a basket case in the world of existence. Egypt and Libya are soon to be dominated by Sharia-loving fundamentalists. Liberia, founded by freed slaves, is in the toilet. South Africa is moderately successful; it was run by white people for an extensive portion of history.
So, what or where is the successful African nation? Maybe Kenya, as they have oil to sell. Otherwise, none. South Korea and China are economic powerhouses. Is there an African economic powerhouse? Umm, no. Perhaps the 800 pound gorilla in the room (reference intended) must be addressed: Success might actually depend on the people that are successful.
Maybe “african-Americans” should stop whining about shit that happened 150 years and more ago, and thank God that they aren’t stuck on a shitty, unsuccessful continent. Asian immigrants come to this country and achieve success; maybe muslim ministers should focus on striving for such success, rather than bitching about “unfairness”.
Knutz
February 5, 2012 at 3:28 am
With only North Korea being the exception but I see your point well said
Thomas Kim
February 5, 2012 at 5:20 am
Quote: ‘Maybe “african-Americans” should stop whining about shit that happened 150 years and more ago.’
I think it quite legitimate for American blacks to trace today’s issues to slavery. Slaves are trained to be dependent, helpless and unable to think or act for themselves. If you take several generations to reduce a people to that condition and suddenly set them adrift, you cannot expect them to pick up as if nothing had happened. If the slaves were whites (meaning the same race as their former master) they might have insensibly melted into the general population. But the physical distinctness meant that blacks had to remain a community largely unto itself, but without the cultural legacy, all the accumulated social assets that normal communities have. This is an extraordinary situation! You cannot compare the career of such a people to that of others, who come to the country quite voluntarily, with a plan in their head, and all the ties to the home country intact. That’d be absurd. So this boycott too is really not about what happened in that gas station. This is obvious. One remark addressed by one shopkeeper to one shopper cannot arouse a whole community to action. I am a Korean American, and I would ask the boycotters to ask themselves whether there wasn’t an element of ‘picking on the small guy’ in all this. I say an ‘element’ because I do not want to absolve the shopkeeper, or Korean Americans in general, of a share of the blame they might justly deserve. As for long term solution, I think the article has it dead on: To grow black business in black communities. That would be a beginning.
sizlack83
February 22, 2012 at 8:23 am
Targeting another minority group won’t solve the lack of jobs and other problems you’re community is facing in that area.
Also if you want a more non biased approach to the story I suggest going to either of these news sites
http://www.pegasusnews.com/news/2012/feb/10/south-dallas-store-protestors-remain-defiant/
http://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/editorials/20120215-editorial-black-korean-tension-in-south-dallas.ece
Knutz
February 23, 2012 at 8:34 pm
Thanks . Rather than waste your time boycotting find out how to go about getting your own . I just saw 4 or 5 99+ cents stores all on the same block in fact next door to each other of course none were black owned .I wonder where did those people get the money to open a business and as usual I wondered why my people can’t do it and then I wondered why don’t I do something and then I quit thinking about what other people should be doing if I wasn’t going to do something I needed to shut up and sit down .
Gabriel Day
February 28, 2012 at 6:02 pm
I’ve read this blog before and wanted to comment and now I finally can. I just want to say that the store keeper had every right to keep his price the way that it was. Because what some black people don’t realize is that many of these stores that are owned by Koreans are just bearelly surviving now days because of economic problems. I myself would not go on the boycott even though I’m black because, I think that it’s wrong trying to make somebody change there prices it is what it is. Also I know infact that there is black people putting out racism towards Korean shopkeepers too because I know black folks. Some American black people do have a mentality that they are better than other immergrants and some carry very racist idiologies of other people. But in all I think that more black people should own more buisnesses
MrCead
April 18, 2012 at 9:57 am
People need to stop fleeing from the community as soon as they get the chance to. It’s ok to venture out and learn a bit of professionalism but come back and give others a chance to uplift themselves – your perception to the world depends on it.
The church leaders are corrupt but they have the ear of the people. Play up to the leaders then depose them once you have the chance. It’s cruel but so is holding your own people back for a buck, there is a bigger picture. Strive to be wealthy, not rich. Rich people never become wealthy because they distrust others. Wealthy people give other people the opportunity to become rich, then to become wealthy which builds their own wealth by having a circle of investors they can trust that pool their money and invest in bigger opportunities.
Church leaders have the perfect opportunity to have every church own a business or at least an investment vehicle for other opportunities. But that will never happen because they are selfish and distrust their own members. The opportunity is there, you just need a shining example to start it all off. There is so much I want to do but I have to make it first before I can help others. There is a distinct divide where one group of Blacks despise the other. To an outsider, it looks like self hate and it is confusing – so don’t do it.
A church can own a gas station or a local supermarket or run a school or anything that a community needs, even a liquor store (which I agree would look bizarre but better the devil you know right? You can’t stop one from opening up so you might as well control the ones in town and keep the money in the community) so why not? Forget about the tax situation and think about the potential. Don’t allow people to cut and run. Don’t allow the best of us to be wooed away into an organization where they will be at the bottom indefinitely. Give them the incentive to come back and be the new leaders we so desperately need instead of these civil rights relics.
Don’t listen to immigrants either, they are the last ones to talk, they left everything they knew to make a buck in another country and they rarely go back to uplift their own people out of poverty – don’t follow suit.