Almost two years after a number of workers were suspended from a
supermarket in Korea Town, there are still monthly pickets outside
the store.
The Los Angeles-based Korean Immigrant Workers Advocates group
is involved in organizing these demonstrations against Assi Super
Market on West 8th Street, which take place on the first Friday of
every month.
UCLA students have gotten involved with the demonstrations with
the hopes of making a difference, and they will be there once again
today.
“We always mobilize people to go out there,” said
Tommy Tseng, a general representative for the Undergraduate
Students Association Council, who is personally involved in
educating UCLA students and encouraging them to attend the
rallies.
He said one of the ways that the issue with the market is
related to UCLA students is through the Dream Act ““
legislation that would increase access to college for undocumented
immigrants. Students rallied in support of the act Wednesday.
This connection between the market workers and students is
important because the number of workers present at the rallies is
decreasing and student support is becoming more essential, said
KIWA representatives.
“It’s good to see students are interested in the
issues and want to make a connection with the community,”
said Cindy Cho, a community organizer for the group.
Cho said students have a lot of passion and they have the time
to be concerned and act on the issues.
In addition to student interns and volunteers from UCLA, there
are currently a number of UCLA groups that are involved with KIWA
and support the workers of the market.
“We play a supporting role. … We do what we can in order
to make sure the workers get what they are asking for,” said
Christina Kaoh, a second-year organismic biology, ecology and
evolution student.
Kaoh is involved with the Immigrant Rights Coalition’s
education committee and said “it’s important to uncover
what the immigrant community goes through.”
Tseng compared the problems faced by the workers to issues faced
by students at UCLA.
“They are fighting the managers for better wages the same
way we are fighting the administration about budget cuts,”
Tseng said.
In order to make immigrant issues more tangible for students,
some Asian American studies classes try to make connections between
their students and the community by encouraging students to get
involved.
Carolyn Chan got involved with KIWA because a class she took
required her to do so. She said her work with the group has taught
her the Assi Market can be compared to any large supermarket in
terms of money made, but working conditions are poor and wages
remain low.
She also referred to the manager and his recent troubles with
the law, adding that such events are indications of the
management’s attitudes towards the business.
Daniel Rhee, the manager of the market, was not able to comment
on the issue, saying that he had trouble speaking English and could
not understand what the issue at hand was.
According to the Los Angeles Times, Rhee is facing federal
charges for smuggling snakeheads, an illegal breed of fish, into
the United States. He was arrested on May 14 after wildlife
officials saw live snakeheads being sold at his market.
Both Cho and Tseng said there are a large number of undocumented
workers employed by the market.
Tseng said this knowledge can be used against workers when they
speak up and try to fight for better working conditions.
The number of individuals who attend the demonstrations varies
weekly.
Cho said there are a few workers who always attend, and the
total number fluctuates between 10 and 100.
“We are all fighting for humane conditions in the
workplace,” Tseng said, regarding the students who attend the
demonstrations.