The Korean American Federation of Los Angeles has publicly criticized Donald Trump Jr, son of the US president, for what they deemed as “reckless” comments made on social media. The Federation urged him not to exploit a riot that had a devastating impact on their community 33 years ago. Donald Trump Jr’s post featured a photo of a man with a rifle on a rooftop with the message “Make Rooftop Koreans Great Again!” referencing the actions of the Korean American community during the 1992 race riots in Los Angeles.

The Federation expressed concern over recent developments in Los Angeles and highlighted the negative impact of a US administration operation targeting suspected undocumented immigrants, criticizing the lack of “due legal procedures”. They emphasized the serious effect of the crackdown and arrests on their businesses.

The “Rooftop Koreans” folklore originated in 1992 when members of the community armed themselves and took defensive positions on store rooftops, feeling that official law enforcement failed to protect them during the unrest following the Rodney King incident. The Federation emphasized that exploiting this past trauma for any purpose, as done by Donald Trump Jr, is unacceptable.

Photojournalist Hyungwon Kang, who captured the iconic image used in Trump Jr’s post, clarified that the current situation of disagreement over immigration enforcement is not comparable to the dire circumstances faced by Korean Americans during the 1992 LA Riots. Kang requested Trump Jr to take down the post, stating that the usage of the photo was out of context.

As the Federation calls out for sensitivity and respect regarding their community’s history and current challenges, the Washington administration was not immediately available for comment on the matter.