The Korean American community and its history in the Inland Empire are the focus of a new exhibit at the Civil Rights Institute of Inland Southern California in Riverside.
Called “Building Our Region’s Korean Communities,” the exhibit opens Thursday evening, July 24 at the downtown Riverside site.
“The Inland Empire can sometimes get overshadowed by our larger California cousins,” said Audrey Maier, director of public history at the institute. “I think it’s fantastic to see how our local history in Inland Southern California has these national and international ripples, and then to bring it back here is so special.”
The interactive exhibition — a partnership with the institute, UC Riverside and Altura Credit Union — explores how Korean American pioneers migrated to the area — from Redlands, Hemet and Riverside farmlands, to early Upland, Claremont and Reche Canyon — and built diverse communities.
Local historical events and sites are featured in the displays — such as the 1913 Alien Land Law Act that prohibited Asian migrants from buying property, the Hemet Valley incident involving overrun Korean laborers, and the history of Riverside’s Pachappa Camp, said to be the first Koreatown in the U.S., organizers say.
Guest speakers, book giveaways, cultural performances and refreshments will be part of an opening event at 6 p.m. Thursday, July 24 at the institute, 933 Mission Inn Ave., Suite 103. The event will also celebrate the 15th anniversary of the Young Oak Kim Center for Korean American Studies at UC Riverside, officials said.
