Rising from the Ashes by Paula Yoo

 

Earlier this week, I finished reading Rising from the Ashes by Paula Yoo. This narrative nonfiction book is about the aftermath in Los Angeles after a trial in the spring of 1992 in which the jury determined that four police officers charged in the brutal beating of Rodney King, a Black man, were not guilty. Leading up to this verdict, Los Angeles had a history of racism that created economically disadvantaged neighborhoods torn by drugs and gang-related violence and tensions between the city's minority communities. Not even two weeks after Rodney King's beating in March 1991, Latasha Harlins, a 15-year-old Black girl was fatally shot by Soon Ja Du, a Korean American store owner who accused her of shoplifting. During the uprising that began on April 29, 1992, businesses were looted or burned, thousands were injured, and dozens were killed, including Edward Jae Song Lee, an 18-year-old Korean American who just wanted to do something to help, instead of staying at home. In the years that followed, the five days of unrest continued to impact Los Angeles.

This book was absolutely riveting. Although I had heard about Rodney King's case and the 1992 Los Angeles riots before, I didn't know much about the details until I read Rising from the Ashes. I thought it was really interesting to learn how long racial tensions were festering in Los Angeles, and it didn't surprise me that things boiled over after there were a couple of high profile verdicts in the early 1990s in which no one felt justice was served whether they were Black or Korean American. The deaths of Latasha and Edward were senseless tragedies and devastated me to the point of tears because they were only teenagers and had their whole lives ahead of them. Not to mention, the verdict of the trial of the police officers who used excessive force against Rodney King was so utterly unfair because they severely injured him and it really was the straw that broke the camel's back for the city. It's been enlightening reading several books over the last few years, showing how racism hasn't just been in the southern United States. It's been everywhere in the country and a critical part of American history. The backmatter includes an author's note, a list of those who died in the Los Angeles riots, notes, a bibliography, credits, and an index. Anyone who has an interest in the history of racial relationships in the United States should read Rising from the Ashes.