There’s a semi-serious joke in Los Angeles: “Don’t go east of 110 Freeway.”
When I took my brother and friends up Mt. Hollywood and we stood by the cliff gazing down into the vast landscape of Los Angeles, I pointed out the different areas to them easily. See those skyscrapers over there? That’s downtown. See those nice buildings over there on the west? That’s Century City, Beverly Hills and Santa Monica. See that bleak plot of nothingness over there on the east? That’s where the “lower-class” people live.
It’s a stereotypical joke, but it’s also pretty much true. East Los Angeles is someplace completely different from the Westside and the valleys. It is not at all like the neat houses with trimmed lawns and cute “rustic” cafes that dot the clean streets west of Route 110, even though they are only several miles away. [Edits to this paragraph: Seems like I pissed some people off. Sorry about that. Please don't take the language seriously. I was merely stating general stereotypes. The focus of this post was to point out that East L.A. deserves more positive recognition than it gets. I'm sorry if my language came off racist or classist. It was not my intention. I sincerely apologize for my off-handed writing.]
Unsurprisingly, East L.A. is sorely ignored from tourist guidebooks. Well, perhaps some of the better ones would mention it in a sneak section or two, but otherwise, it’s pretty much invisible to the masses outside of Los Angeles. Heck, most Angelenos themselves hardly venture out of their little Westside bubble.
Well, they’re missing out. Because I live right between the east and the west, half a mile away from the 110 Freeway, I visit both places equally. And I love both sides for their distinct characteristics.
When it comes to history, there is no place more fascinating and rich than East L.A. It really defines the true spirit of Los Angeles as the place of gold and the grand American dreams, to which thousands made the pilgrimage in search of success and opportunity.
Take Boyle Heights, for example. It’s a 6.5-square-mile plot of land teeming with cultural artifacts and living history. Once a Jewish center in the 1920s crowded with kosher delis and synagogues, Boyle Heights then shifted into L.A.’s first little “Japantown” as many Japanese Americans moved out east to escape from racial discrimination. Jewish community centers and markets were replaced by Japanese diners and Buddhist temples.
And now, Boyle Heights home to a new flood of immigrants—namely, Mexicans (or Mexican Americans).
I learned about this historical treasure while I was interning at the L.A. Times. My recruiter was Japanese American and he used to visit Boyle Heights and he commented to me over lunch one day on how it has changed. Few Japanese people live there anymore; they have since moved up north (and west) to Torrance and Gardena.
Of course, I had to investigate. Thanks to my car and an incentive spurred by my school column, I traveled past the 110 into East L.A. territory…not for tacos, but for Japanese food at Otomisan, one of the rare Japanese food establishments still standing in Boyle Heights.
Otomisan is a small mom-and-pop Japanese diner situated in the middle of nowhere. I don’t know how it still survived drowned out by obscure insurance offices, but it’s preserved exactly the way it was about 56 years ago. Amazing.
It’s teeny—just three faded booths and five little stools—with all sorts of fabulous, dusty ornaments decorating the interior.
The first thing you’ll probably do as you walk into this antiquated eatery is gaze around. It’s almost a little historical monument in itself.
Everything is just so cute and tiny…so…Japanese. It’s exactly the image I have for a village diner in rural, 1950s Japan. And in a way, it is, because it’s left the same way it was 56 years ago when Boyle Heights was basically Japantown.
I wonder about the story behind this family business. Why did they stay, when the whole Japanese community migrated up west? Why did they not remodel or relocate? How many generations have maintained this venue…and what’s the story behind the first owners?
So many questions. The place filled up pretty quickly (after all, it’s really small) and the owners got busy bustling around (the whole place was run by just one family), so I didn’t get to ask.
But it seemed to me that this place is still running precisely because it’s the only remaining Japanese shop in town.
For the sparse older generation who still lived around this area, Otomisan is a place of nostalgic memories and tastes. And I’m so fortunate to be able to taste it myself.
I visited Otomisan for dinner with a couple of friends, Mimi and Erica. Otomisan’s menu is pretty basic Japanese comfort food like donburis, udon soups and tempuras. All of us are pretty well-versed with Japanese cuisine, so few things on Otomisan’s menu were novel to us.
But we did find something that neither Mimi nor Erica have ever tried: natto.
Per my encouragement, Mimi ordered a side dish of natto to explore. It came in a little bowl, topped with toasted nori flakes and minced scallions. My knowledge of it is that you eat it with rice, soy sauce and raw egg, but they just served it as it is to us.
Natto is a gooey, pungent fermented dish made from whole soybeans. It’s not very popular outside of Japan for obvious reasons—it’s soy, and it’s stinky and slimy. Not the most appealing combination.
To be honest, I’m not a fan. I once bought a three-pack because I was lured by the sticky texture of natto. I was so sure it would be delicious, as I thought that viscosity was from caramelization. You know, like the candy.
Not. I should have done my research before investing in a three-pack. The natto was more slimy than sticky and it tasted kind of foul. I forced myself to eat 30 percent of one and then threw the rest of the pack out.
Thankfully, the one at Otomisan was milder in taste so Mimi could eat it without gagging. Boo. I had egged her on to order one hoping to get a hilarious response from her (I know, I’m a crappy friend, hee hee hee).
For her entree, Mimi played it safer than her side dish with a salmon teriyaki rice bowl.
With a sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds, steamed vegetables and pickled ginger shreds.
We were pleasantly surprised by the generous portion of salmon in the bowl. Usually restaurants are stingy and give a pile of rice with midget-sized protein. Not Otomisan.
For less than 10 bucks? This was more than decent.
Erica got a typical combo set that came with miso soup…
…a selection of fresh sashimi…
…and California rolls.
Nice and simple. When in California, eat as the Californians do.
I went with a classic Japanese dish that is one of my favorites: an Oyakodon.
Oyakodon (親子丼 which literally means “parent and child” rice bowl) is a homestyle comfort bowl of steamed rice smothered with a mixture of chicken and egg. Chicken and onions are simmered in a savory sauce and at the very end, lightly beaten eggs are poured on top and barely left to set before leaving the pan.
It is basic and plain, but the flavors are gorgeous. I love Oyakodon so much, especially because of the velvety blanket of runny eggs. Otomisan made this dish brilliantly, with a good load of tender chicken thigh pieces and perfectly-heated eggs. Not at all like the Koreanized version Joanna and I had at Koreatown Galleria.
Otomisan is a bit far out from my reach so it’s not going to be a regular dining spot for me, but I’m glad I made the trip out there at least once. It’s really such an adorable place. The toddler son of the owners patters out to help with serving tea and handing out fresh chopsticks, and the customers are obviously regulars who have grown immensely fond of the place.
They may say “Don’t go east of 110 in Los Angeles,” but historically rich places like Otomisan should make at least one good reason why East L.A. deserves a chance, too.
Question of the Day: Can you tell me about a historically rich restaurant/eatery in your neighborhood?
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{ 47 comments… read them below or add one }
My Grandparents and their family are the old Japanese people who used to live in Boyle Heights before the 60 freeway was put in now where there houses used to be. Ha. After the freeway went in they pretty much scattered all over the place.
This got me thinking though, “don’t go east of the 110″ is something new to me, probably because that’s where I live, however it seems to crystalize me insecurities of going anywhere nicer than where I live. I feel so out of place going anywhere nicer than where I live…East LA…”neat houses with trimmed lawns and cute “rustic” cafes that dot the clean streets ” make me feel uncomfortable and out of place I suppose the way others coming out to our area to be like…
Let’s see, other historical rich eaterys around here? El Tapyac (Manuel’s) (though I honestly didn’t think it was that awesome), and King Taco. ^_^ Alot of other ones out here, but those ones are super close by.
I’ve heard of King Taco and it’s actually right around the corner for me. It’s sort of a chain, right? Always wanted to visit.
I’m sorry if what I wrote offended you about the “bleak nothingness” comments, Kianni. That was not my intention. The issues I skimmed on were sensitive ones and I should have written with more care and brought a more thoughtful perception across.
p.s. To be honest, “neat houses with trimmed lawns” is not my style either. I’m more a city apartment kind of person.
i think we ventured there once, on accident. But now i know where to go “get lost.” right into that hole in the wall. My kind of place!
This place sounds so fascinating. And the food sounds wonderful (I’m impressed with the protein sizes too!). I think it’s great that you venture into the “unseen” territory to write reviews/tell great historical stories, and expose people to an area they may never think to visit themselves. I think it’s awesome. We have plenty of places like this in Columbus (in the same, not-so-great neighborhoods, that are historical and absolutely delicious).
Have I been living under a rock that I’ve never heard this “dont go east…” term? And I was born and raised in LA?!
Anyhow, what a bargain! The jew in me is jealous.
I’m so disappointed. I’ve enjoyed your blog in the past, but this post made me think, “Seriously, WTF?!” as I read the first half. It reads like those horribly misinformed and racist rants from people who have no clue about the history of LA, the neighborhoods in East LA (Boyle Heights is just one a few) and even LA geography. Technically all of downtown LA is east of the 110. I’ve never heard the saying you referenced before, but if I did, that would mean I couldn’t go to a Laker game, or even home.
I’ve lived in LA my entire life and for all of my childhood East LA was pretty much all I knew of LA. My grandparents’ and aunts/uncles’ homes and those in their neighborhoods were neat with well-manicured lawns. Their homes were not crumbling; they had vegetable gardens before it became trendy. Kids played out in the streets and yards. Families walked dogs in this area of “bleak nothingness.” Occasionally, my family would go out to eat at one of the many long-standing Mexican restaurants in the area. It didn’t feel like Mexico City, it’s quite different.
The neighborhoods east of the LA River may no be tourist attractions like Hollywood or that other BH, Beverly Hills, but that’s okay with me if those tourist carry notions like the ones you listed above. I’d rather they stayed out and didn’t visit such cultural institutions as Self Help Graphics.
Another point, your generalization on LA socioeconomic diversity are horribly inaccurate. LA is incredibly ethnically and socioeconomically diverse. You’ll find some “lower class” people on the westside, in the valley, and definitely on the western side of the 110.
If you want to be taken seriously as a food and tourism writer do some more research on the areas you’re writing about, and consider how this would read to one of those “lower class” citizens of East LA. (Yes, they are online and they can read in English!). And please, check your racist and classist notions at the door. It’s quite unprofessional.
- A child of one of those “lower class” people from East LA/born and raised Angeleña who ventures out of her westside bubble fairly often
Sorry, Cindy. I didn’t mean it in a racist and classist way at all. I’m sorry it sounded that way. What I wrote was an expression of generalizations that I was trying to break. I am no expert so I just stated the general stereotypes I have heard, but the post wasn’t meant to agree with them. I guess my writing was off.
The whole point of this post was that East L.A. isn’t the stereotypical bleakness that many people seem to assume it is. I thought East L.A. deserves recognition to the level of that of Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, etc. because it’s such a rich and complex neighborhood. Otomisan is just one of many gems in East L.A., and that was the place I wanted to highlight.
And when I wrote “lower-class,” I put it in with “___” because I don’t believe that is true. It’s a stereotype, and it’s a stupid joke that I probably shouldn’t have repeated in this post. That was a mistake. Sorry about that.
If you you wanted to highlight East LA, or more specifically Boyle Heights, you could have easily done so without advancing stereotypical and inaccurate notions about the neighborhood. There’s no need to bring those up. Save some words, begin with “I found a great restaurant in Boyle Heights, an oft-ignored LA neighborhood with a rich history.” There are plenty of people writing about East LA food and culture online. I don’t get the sense from them that they think it’s a bleak plot of nothingness.
You may have written lower class in quotation marks, but in your subsequent paragraph you described (what you believe) to be the living conditions of most people east of the LA River. You may have not written lower class then, but you didn’t need to. Rich people don’t live in poorly maintained and crowded apartments.
I know, that was my mistake. I should have thought twice before starting off like that. I did visit East L.A. many times and I liked it. I got caught up with colorful language that may not exactly be factual and I only saw certain areas of East L.A. I was wrong to generalize the entire section like that. Again, I truly apologize. I’ll take note from this in the future. Sometimes I underestimate the power of words and that’s a grave error on my part as a writer. And thanks for letting me know in such a respectful manner. I really do appreciate that.
I disagree with your notion that bringing up stereotypes is offensive. If it is done in a respectful manner, I see nothing wrong with it. If we don’t make others aware of stereotypes, how can they be educated? I don’t think overlooking such things is the answer. There’s a difference between discussing a stereotype and perpetuating. That is the difference.
love the response xicana
Ditto what Cindylu said.
Also, the Jews, Japanese, Armenians and Mexicans all lived in Boyle Heights at the SAME time. Fortunately, there was a time when the city was not so segregated as it is now. How do I know? Because my family has lived in the area since the 1940s. It’s not like this “flood” of Mexicans you refer to happened all of a sudden after the Jewish folks left.
Also, I’ve never heard the phrase “Don’t go east of the 110.” I must not be part of the right class, I suppose.
I unfortunately have heard “Don’t go East of the 110.” Spoken mainly by upper-class, white or Asian students at USC, usually coupled with some barely veiled racism regarding the people of colour on the other side. They treat the 110 like their own, personal border fence.
wow. but i could kind of grasp why. there’s this enclave of wealth around 2 sides of usc. past the 110, it’s south central l.a. the westside of the 110 beyond usc isn’t as rough as the eastside.
Actually, USC and the neighborhoods to the west and south of it are all part of South Central. USC exists in an isolated, surreal bubble of gentrification and staggering wealth amidst staggering poverty (possibly mirroring the economic and social status of its student body?). And if you think that the area east of the 110 is “rougher” than the areas to the west of it, just walk or bike or just get out of the security bubble of your car for the length of Western or Normandie and tell me what you see.
“mainly spoken by upper-class, white or Asian students at USC”, actually I’ve heard black and latino USC students say the same thing. So if my African-American friends say a neighborhood is dangerous it’s valid, but if I say it I’m racist? You’re creating conflict when it doesn’t need to be there. I’m white, my friends are black, hispanic, Asian-American, Middle Eastern, the whole rainbow if you get the picture.. we are all aware of which areas are dangerous and we cut the PC crap and say it how it is.
Dude, I live near USC. I know it’s south central. I shop around Western, Slauson, Vermont, and sometimes go eat along Washington, Adams, Avalon, etc. Mostly, my comments apply to everything north of MLK.
Bravo Cindylu, I couldn’t have said it better myself. This kind of article is completely racist. I had not heard if this blog before this and certainly do not plan on returning.
I like Cindylu’s response.
I deleted mine that wasn’t so nice.
We will have our revenge.
–someone from that bleak plot of nothingness.
Yeah, I kinda took it that way too 8/ I found it somewhat offensive….
I’m actually so jealous that you live in LA. Some day I’ll live in Cali
We have a restaurant in town that used to be the fire hall, many many years ago. Maybe a century? Since then it has evolved into different restaurants, and it’s currently an AMAZING sushi house. We went there on Wednesday for a Christmas party. We tend to go there often, because the food is so elaborate and delicious
I like finding new foods, and some of the best meals can be found in places you wouldn’t expect!
Wow. So you were brave and ventured east of the 110 to get . . . California rolls?
If you were a real food blogger, you’d know that most of the best food in Los Angeles can be found “east of the 110″—the trucks in Boyle Heights and East LA beat any of those that you’ll find in your holier-than-thou Santa Monica. Have you ever been to Monterey Park? Probably the best Chinese food outside of China.
Please educate yourself first before trying to educate others about food through your blog
I would agree with our foodie tourist blogger. It is bleak and horrible out here. Dont forget all this gang movies were all based out here in the Eastside. So please stay away for your own safety. Stop coming here, really. Stay in the safe/green zones, like the west side. Like Santa Monica westside. Deep over there it’s safe and the chili is not that mexIcan hot that hurts. We wil just have survive without you. It’s fine really. Go home.
So many angry comments….
I hope you don’t take them too seriously, i understood what you were trying to say and i see nothing “racist” there.
I read your blog often and i really like your casual, but nice writting style and pictures
Whoa. I personally think some of the comments are really nasty and uncalled for, however insensitive they might have mistaken your writing to be. I’m just commenting to let you know I think it’s really brave of you to take responsibility for the impact of your writing on others and to apologise about it, I think it shows an incredible maturity and a really open mind, so kudos to that! We all live and learn, don’t we!
Just wanted to say hello and wish you a happy weekend Sophia:)
I don’t go east of the 110 usually either!
I sure can. There is a road in Atlanta called Buford Highway that’s filled with ethnic restaurants. They are mostly Asian and Hispanic and they are authentic and delicious.
This is a link to the wikipedia page that probably explains it better than I just did. The restaurants that I’ve been to have all bee n really good.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buford_Highway
Um, no. That’s not a real apology. That’s the classic, “I’m sorry if YOU were offended, but I never meant to offend anyone” (so basically it’s YOUR fault you’re offended, not mine for saying messed up things).
There’s no indication that you really recognize how your writing was RACIST and CLASSIST regardless of what you think was your intention. Nor do I see any awareness on your part of how you yourself obviously have some serious racist and classist prejudices embedded in your ways of thinking and behaving (yes, writing is a behavior that indicates underlying ways of thinking and seeing the world).
A real apology would indicate some serous self-reflection on why you would choose to write something like this in this way, not like it was some kind of silly mistake in which you didn’t mean to offend anyone.
Well, you did offend, many people. I don’t care that you think you didn’t mean to offend people. What you think you “meant” is not the issue. What you DID is the issue because it comes from somewhere in you. There’s what you think you mean, and then there’s what you end up meaning, and both of them come from you. Nobody wants to think of themselves as meaning racist and classist things. But it’s one thing to recognize we don’t want to write racist and classist things, and it’s another to see how we might do exactly that because racism and classism are embedded deep in our thinking and reinforced daily by our society.
A real apology would involve some indication that this intervention here has led to you engaging in some serious self-reflection over what YOU DID because obviously you said some pretty messed up things that came from YOU. If it were me, I’d be really disturbed with myself and wonder what kinds of embedded racist and classist prejudices within my own ways of thinking would have caused me to say such offensive things when I obviously have no desire to be a racist or classist person. You need to really reflect on yourself and look in the mirror. Your apology indicates no such activity.
Actually, I was meaning to write another separate post about that, but I actually need time to reflect because this post was written last night; I don’t want to write a incomplete one with unwise words. I acknowledge that my perceptions may have been skewed, and I think every person including me are subjects to that kind of embedded thinking. I’m not a high-class person; I’m an immigrant with my own financial issues. I’m curious about other cultures and history and neighborhoods, and that’s the extent to my knowledge. I shouldn’t have reflected the stereotypes present and the first thing I can do is to apologize for that. But self-reflection is a gradual process and I can’t do that overnight.
I really did mean my apology with sincerity. I could have just deleted this post but I kept it up because I wanted to apologize and acknowledge my mistake and remind myself of a valuable lesson. I’m young and sometimes foolish and I make mistakes, but I’m learning. Please at least give me that.
I know, sister. I was young once too. We’re all foolish and make mistakes. Reflect and grow. It’s never too late. But you have to be honest with yourself and put in serious work.
Well, I’m sure she is doing that based on her responses, but a self-righteous, superior attitude doesn’t help either. Maybe you could eat some of that humble pie that you are so eager to dish on to others as you sound like you could use a bit of it. I did not read the original article, but only the revised version. If she didn’t delete anything, I really don’t think it sounded that bad. She did bring up a few stereotypes that triggered negative feelings in other people. I can understand and empathize with that, but I do not see how she perpetuated them. Stereotypes are a part of American history and to overlook that is to downplay the role of racism in American history. The most scathing responses to this review reflect unresolved pain within the responders themselves and Sophia is not responsible for that. She actually disagreed with those assumptions so people should not be giving her grief about it. Age does not bestow wisdom, especially on an individual who chooses to use that as a way to patronize others.
Too late for an apology. You have revealed yourself to be a tragic xenophobe. Please stick to food blogging. We don’t need your social commentary.
There are some incorrect assumptions of where JAs lived. We lived in BH from the 20s to the 70s, but also lived in a lot of other communities pre-ww2 and through the 60s: Pasadena & Altadena, San Fernando/Pacoima, East LA, Montebello & South San Gabriel, Venice/Culver City, South Central LA, West Adams & Crenshaw, Hollywood, Pico Union & Koreatown (Uptown), San Pedro & Long Beach, Compton, and Little Tokyo (which used to extend from City Hall to 8th St). Those are just the ones I know offhand. There were also longstanding agricultural worker communities in all areas ranging across LA County. Today, there are small clusters everywhere. The clustering was probably due to different forms of racial segregation that were practiced at the time. Numbers are shrinking today, probably due to people leaving the state and lack of immigration.
The deal with the Eastside and east of the 110, east of the 710, south of the 10 whatever – that was the area segregated out for people of color, or another way to see it is that the area north of the 10 and west of downtown was set aside for whites as a kind of enclave away from the minorities. East and south, there were white communities, sure, and some segregation, but they were interspersed with communities of color, and it’s been this way since before LA was in the USA. Shortly after the Civil War, freed slaves formed communities in the SGV, and they’re still there, in Pasadena, Monrovia, etc. I think there’s one in West Covina. There have been Mexican American communities ever since “the border crossed” them. After ww2, when the Jews were reclassified as “white” and could buy outside of BH and Pico Union, they didn’t all move to Crenshaw and Fairfax; many moved eastward to Monterey Park and Montebello and points east.
Anyway, I guess the lesson here, and in this thread, is that if you want to bring out the racist in LA residents, just start talking about housing patterns and neighborhoods. I mean this for everyone. You start bringing that one up, and a lot of people get racist… and it’s been that way for a long time.
good. the last thing i want is anglo petty hipsters destroying the last outpost of Authentic Xicano community like they did to others like echo park and to an extent all of northeast LA like Highland park. WE care of our community want to keep it that way. Yes we have more of our fair share of neglect of social programs, infrastructure, access to adequate education etc. I want it to be a place as it is authentic and not a bastardized romantic facade of what the subversive dominant culture thinks it should be like it has done so often.
Also, just a follow-on. This post was racist but mostly from ignorance, but not really that much more ignorance than is perpetuated by the people privileged by the system.
If powerful people who all happen to be of group A decide that group X has to live in this walled city, and it’s crowded in there, and dirty, and people get sick; then all the people fortunately to live anywhere they wish, aka group A, start saying, “oh, look how crowded and horrible it is in the walled city of X people,” it’s really just people stating a fact.
What is racist is that this segregation is used to benefit group A, and that people in group A are going to be in deep denial about the racism and bigotry inherent in the segregation. After all, who the hell wants to admit that they’re benefiting from systematic inequality created by the powerful to benefit only group A? Instead, there’s a lot of secrets kept, and out of “politeness” a lot of lies are told, and people are told not to cross certain borders. At no point are these people going to say, “you know what – that shitty situation there, it’s all created by us, by our neighbors, and by our government. It’s all our fault.” A few will, but they’ll end up being mocked, ridiculed, and ostracized from the club.
Meanwhile, people in that walled city know what’s up. Many of them cross the walls daily to go to work, for the people of group A. They know they aren’t allowed to buy in these other areas. They know that wages are suppressed to prevent economic mobility. They know they can’t get all the great jobs that group A people can get. They get forced to the back of the bus, made to enter businesses through the back door, and watched when shopping at specific stores.
This housing segregation, it’s all over the world. It’s racist.
In LA there weren’t those walled cities that you had in Europe for Jews, in Israel for Palestinians, or South Africa for Blacks, but there was segregation and the racism that went with it, and continues to perpetuate itself.
For more info about residential segregation in LA, look up City of Quartz and Covenants Conditions and Restrictions. Also look up the Southern California Library, which has a good exhibit about housing segregation in LA.
btw, the way to eat natto is to mix it in with a bowl of hot rice. it’s like a very funky beans-and-rice.
Heheh a lot of people don’t like natto. I would only eat it on top of rice and I wrap rice and natto WITH seasoned seaweed dipped in soy sauce. Or eat with cold udon – that’s actually my favorite. You cook udon and mix with natto and Mentsuyu, top with seasoned seaweed again…
Otomi-san’s oyakodon looks delicious. I really need to work on taking better pictures of still runny egg oyakodon. Your photos are so good – now I’m hungry for Japanese food!
In NYC they say, don’t go north of 116th street. And I generally don’t…except that there’s some REALLY good food up there. And target. and costco. And sometimes I just can’t stay away!
If I could get Japanese food this good for instance…. It’s actually really hard to find good Japanese food here. Sushi, yes, but other Japanese cuisine? Guess I need to go to LA for that!
Sorry that you pissed some people off with this post … I think some people are too sensitive.
Full disclosure: Sophia is a good friend of mine, who I know more than blog-level.
Sophia’s love and respect for trying new ethnic cuisines goes above and beyond what most self-professed foodies and Angelenos are willing to try. We both come from immigrant families, trying our best to understand the amazing multicultural diversity of LA. Her post comes out of a cultural curiosity of East LA, and I think it’s wonderful that she shares a unique perspective of an outsiders first glimpse of a new area.
My thoughts not hers: it’s important that cultures don’t remain silos in their respective areas. Reaching out to new people and communicating sparks dialogue like this, which is so productive and mind-opening. This blog is more than an exploration of food, but showing how culturally rich LA is to people who may not be from here (or those who are from here but don’t explore). May we all explore and share our perspectives!
All I can say is that I agree with you Tracy! I know Sophia well enough to say that she’s open minded to different cultures and groups of people, and she’s always trying to understand why certain cultures work the way that they do. I think she tries to bring up those stereotypes that are unfortunately attached to certain groups of people (and every group has some stereotype attached), including the Korean ones so that we actually won’t conform to them and instead think twice about them.
In the end, I, Sophia, and super professional writers/journalists will inevitably make mistakes at one point or another….because that’s life and we are all imperfect beings! Whether or not we make mistakes, the trick is to just acknowledge that that person isn’t perfect and move on. We all have a “telephone pole stuck in our eyes”, and I believe that we should focus on that first before correcting others (or trying to “take the speck out of our brother’s eye”). And correcting others is a good thing! But of course it should always be done in a respectful and loving manner.
the end.
Just wanted to say that I love your blog (guilty of lurking/never commenting) and I don’t think you are racist at all. Perhaps you offended some people, but your past posts are obvious that you crave to know other cultures and experience them first hand–clearly not behavior of a xenophobe. I love your writing and hearing about your experiences. Thank you for your thoughts and efforts in writing them so beautifully
It’s amazing what will bring people “out to play” in the comments section of a blog.
I can understand that some people were hurt or offended by what you said but I think you you wrote a very felt and honest apology. I don’t know you personally but have been reading your blog for a long time and know that you are a person who is very open, curious and interested in diversity. You are enthusiastic and say things the way you feel them. It is hard to write, you can’t always make everyone happy. Opinions can be different. Any time you have made a mistake you have always written honestly and openly and never hidden away. I think you are corageous and say things with your heart, without fear of what people think. Sometimes this can go wrong and turn against you but I think you should be proud of your blog. You did what was right and apologized and I believe you didn’t mean to offend anyone. And anybody who follows you and knows about your background, your past and how you live will know you have often felt like the different one and would never judge someone who is.
lol natto!!! too hardcore asian for me
i dont know about chicken and egg it’s like eating both the parent and the kid. am i weird for thinking that?
I know Sophia personally and via her blog so I feel a response is necessary:
There are some in this thread who would rather continue to belittle and criticize Sophia for this post and her sincere apology. I find it both rude and disheartening. As a young and intelligent woman learning her way through the world, she is bound to stumble and say/write the wrong thing. To trash her mercilessly for a few potential errors in judgment says so much more about those who are offended than Sophia herself.
Life is filled with things to be angry at, offended by, or pissed off at. The racial and class related comments Sophia has written are no different. While she strives to write posts that are intended to inform and engage, there will be times she is wrong. And that’s okay. Each and every one of us is wrong at times. In an excellent display of maturity and consideration for others, she has done the best she can to address the concerns presented by many of you on this thread. I think a little maturity and courtesy for her being brave enough to admit fault will do some good on those who feel it necessary to trash her name.
To the author of this crock of sewage:
All of the excuses, empty apologies, and cop out explanations in the world will not change the fact that you are an ignorant racist douchebag. Sad thing is that you don’t even realize it!! I was born and raised in Boyle Heights and therefore HIGHLY offended by every other word in this incendiary post.
Find a good proctologist and beg him to surgically remove your head from your nether region.
Bad form… bad form.
My guess is that you are a Los Angeles transplant. Go back to wherever you came from.
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