The Truth is Missing or Manipulated

The LA Conservancy and LA Office of Historic Resources chose to use historical appropriation and deception to influence peoples’ opinions and perceptions regarding an HCM. Please consider the details and facts we hope to share with you… you may change your position upon receiving better information.

The Young Korean Academy does have history there. The house was rented in 1929. However, the magnitude of the historical activities is not the level of significance to meet the HCM criteria considering accurate Korean and Korean American history. Some of the history connected to the Young Korean Academy is not favorable. How it came to be such a mess reveals how the history is there in name only for many reasons.  The present day condition of the building itself is appalling.

My grandfather was never there. He was deported in 1926 and never was allowed to return. His name was used in the Application as a ploy. The Applicants were not qualified to make claims about Korean or Korean American history. If you read the LA City Office of Historic Resources it withdraws its attempt to use Dosan stating in writing he has no connection to be used as criteria. The initial claim was tied to Dosan and they had to choose another angle. So, the Applicants resorted to exaggerated history and puffery to mislead people to support a political agenda. LA Conservancy even used the Race Card in a July social media post.  Using racism is unacceptable. There was no historical significance.

There are many locations with more historical significance and preserve the Korean American story concerning the era of the Catalina location.  There are a number of HCM for Korean heritage close by as well as other recognitions like the Dosan Ahn Chang Ho 110/10 Freeway Interchange, Ahn House at USC (HCM), Koran United Methodist Church (HCM) and the key preservation location of the Korean National Memorial Hall (HCM) and Dosan Square two blocks away on Jefferson. The Catalina House is a waste of time, resources and money.

Ironically, if Dosan were alive he would want student housing. First, neither Dosan nor any real Young Korean Academy member would ever want the developer to be punished with the loss of money in an unfair and underhanded manner. The Young Korean Academy did not have to sell in 1978. It failed more than once trying to get it back. Second, Dosan would choose to see students getting a nice place to live knowing how far the current members have strayed from the ideals of the Young Korean Academy they could not keep the house or organize an HCM honestly. Third but not least, Dosan would want the will of the people who lived on Catalina to have the strongest voice not the Commissioners.