Martin
Martin is a sophomore at Larchmont Charter School in Los Angeles. He has lived in Koreatown for his entire life, yet he hopes to learn more about its culture through this project. He writes articles as a copy editor for his school’s student newsletter, The Timberwolf Howl, and enjoys transcribing. He is an avid fan of the arts, likes to sing and dance, and has recently begun crocheting. He was also a member of his school’s cross country and track team during his freshman and sophomore years. He hopes to study math at a UC school.
Where is your hometown?
I was born in Glendale, but I’ve lived in Koreatown my entire life. My mom came to Koreatown when she moved to the U.S. First, she lived with her friend in Hollywood, and then she moved to Koreatown because it was closer to her work. She used to work on architectural plans at the Kennard Design Group. Now she works from home.
Do you live or work in Koreatown?
I go to Larchmont Charter School, which is a high school on 6th Street. My first school was Hobart Elementary School, from Pre-K to first grade. Then I went to Camino Nuevo Charter Academy from second to fifth grade. Then, from sixth to eighth grade, I went to Rise Kohyang Middle School.
I definitely would go with Larchmont as my favorite school because it’s really diverse. My interactions with people have been a lot more positive at Larchmont compared to everywhere else I’ve been because at other places, I’ve largely felt like an outsider, [which was] probably because I switched schools a lot throughout my life. I like being at Larchmont. I feel like the community is really open, and they have a lot of opportunities and extracurriculars. It helps you feel like you fit in.
I am on the cross country team. I ran track and field last year. I am a copy editor for the Timberwolf Howl, which is our student newsletter. I also dance, am in the beginning chorus class, and did caroling choir this year, which was a lot of fun. I was also in musical theater. I was part of the production for “Cabaret.” Unfortunately, we didn’t get to perform that because of the coronavirus and everything. It was still a lot of fun, and I definitely enjoyed being a part of all those different things.
I’m 100% Filipino. Logically, there are a lot more Filipino people living in Historic Filipinotown compared to Koreatown. I don’t walk around and see Filipino people; maybe it’s because I’m not paying attention. I don’t think that if I looked up for a second, the first person I’d see would be Filipino.
I have more of an appreciation for Korean culture from being exposed to it for more than 15 years, going to Madang and all these other places. I went to a mostly Korean school, so I was exposed to a lot of the culture, food, and language. I also tried to learn to read Korean. I appreciate the culture and the food more because I’ve lived in Koreatown my entire life.
What are your thoughts on Koreatown?
I like it. Like I said, it’s familiar to me. I feel like I know the streets pretty well. I know the bus routes and I know the buildings. Sometimes, I feel like there’s not much to do in Koreatown. Obviously, I can go for a walk and take pictures or whatever, but I feel like it’s largely just a living space to me. There are office buildings right outside my window and parking lots everywhere. There are a lot of Korean barbecue spots, a lot of places to eat, and a couple of churches.
I guess there aren’t really many activities I like to do. I feel like I have to go downtown to do something. There also aren’t a lot of parks here, which really sucks. Lafayette Park is near my school. I [used to go] there a lot and play basketball. I don’t do much there anymore. MacArthur Park is a hotspot for crime, and Seoul International Park has a lot of homeless people, so there’s not much I can do there either.
Koreatown has gentrified, but the community is small and feels cozy. All the new housing is a little ridiculous. I mean, it’s great that they’re building new housing, but I don’t think it’s for the people who need it. Some gentrification is good because it develops a town, but there’s always going to be some point where it’s too much.
I live near Madang. There’s an elderly home nearby, and there used to be a giant parking lot next to it. They ended up making it an apartment, and now there are a lot of people living there. Also, there was this place called Camino Nuevo, where I used to go to school, and my school rented it or something from a Jewish place. They moved to another location, and they’re building a building right now at the Jewish place. I don’t know when it’ll get done, but it’s big.
I feel like they can add a bit more art installations in Koreatown. In other places like West Hollywood, there’s art all over the place, and it’s really cool to see. There’s one new art installation near Wilshire and Normandie — it’s like golden butterflies — and I think that’s really cool. Art is an indication of a community that’s thriving, so seeing that for the first time was really cool.
I remember walking down Wilshire from Rise and seeing spray paint on the ground. It said “Protect your heart,” with the “art” in “heart” in color. I thought that was cool. Next to the Line Hotel, there’s just a section where it’s this woman’s eyes, and I think that’s cool. Going past that is always nice.
All the festivals are always fun, like Jangtuh. I’m not sure what it’s for. It’s just cool to see all the little stands selling food, clothing, and all this other stuff. It’s nice to see my friends there. It’s a good opportunity to connect with people.
What is a significant memory in Koreatown?
Being on public transportation is a big thing for me. I like taking the train and the bus. The first time I took public transportation was when I started going to Rise Kohyang. I felt like that was an indication of becoming an adult because it was the biggest sign of independence. Being on a bus alone without my dad holding my hand was a big deal. I feel like I can go anywhere now.
Where is your favorite place in Koreatown?
The entire block of Wilshire. It goes all the way to Madang. I think there are a lot of things going on there. You have the [Wiltern] theater all the way at the end, and then you have Madang, and then you have like a bunch of different shops, and then there’s one bus route that goes all the way along it.
I like to eat in Koreatown. There are many restaurants with good food. When I was younger, I remember going to Korean barbecues a lot. There’s one place near where I live called Bulgogi Hut, but [it used to be] called Castle. It had all these different name changes and everything, but it’s pretty good. I feel like I live in the intersection of where there are Korean people and Hispanic people. I get both cultures; I get to see them and everything. I just like to walk around Koreatown.
How has the COVID-19 pandemic changed you?
It has definitely changed me. Before, there were a lot of great things to do, like going out with my girlfriend, Sally, and spending time with friends. We’re all just stuck at home now. I don’t know if it’s great that everybody’s super exposed to the media, but it’s great that everybody’s more aware of what’s going on right now, like the protests. Personally, I wasn’t always an activist. I’m aware of Black rights, trans rights, and gay rights. I guess now that everybody is together, I’m more aware of what’s going on. It makes me feel less afraid to speak out against what’s going wrong in this country.
I’m surprisingly less anxious than I expected to be. It’s nice to be at home. School is so fast-paced, and being there and seeing all those people — it’s kind of overwhelming. Everything’s simple, but I wouldn’t say I’m happy about it.
What is another way your life has changed because of the pandemic?
My eating habits. Normally, I like being outside. I used to only have time for breakfast and lunch, but now it’s just snacking all the time. I’ve definitely noticed that whenever I get bored, I’m like, “What is there to eat?” So I forage inside the refrigerator.
What has been the most challenging part of this experience?
I’m a pretty extroverted person. I like being outside. I usually find a way to get out, like I leave and take the train downtown or something. It’s hard not to be able to go out. Obviously, I can go out with a mask, but it’s very different.
What have you learned from this experience?
I’ve learned that it’s important to have a routine. I wake up in the morning, have breakfast, shower, and then I get ready for school. Without a routine, I was really jaded. Nothing made sense and I wasn’t paying much attention. Time passed slowly. I feel like it’s gotten a lot easier now that I have a little routine.
Who do you worry most about in your family or circle of friends?
I’m most worried about my parents because they’re both pretty old. My mom worries a lot. It’s really difficult for her. Before the entire quarantine, she put up papers with false information because she was just so scared. She wanted to make sure we were safe, but she didn’t necessarily research what she was looking at before she put it up.
My dad is pretty stubborn. I’d ask him, “Whoa, can you please sneeze into your elbow or cough into your elbow?” and he would ask, ‘Why should I do that? I’m doing it into my shirt.’ Let’s say we go back to work and he sneezes or coughs into a shirt, I feel like there’s going to be a lot of people who look at him and think, Oh, that’s strange. It’ll be pretty difficult for my parents; that’s why I’m worried about them.
What memory of this time will stick with you forever?
On Mother’s Day, I went on a walk with my mom. She said, “Why don’t we go to Sally’s place and drop off some food?” So we bought stuff at H Mart, went back home, and I took a shower. Sally texted me asking, ‘Oh, are you home?’ I said, “Yeah, what’s up?” And she said, ‘We left a gift downstairs for your mom.’ It was like, Are you kidding me? Because we were planning to do that too. And she didn’t know, and we went down and got flowers. Afterward, in the evening, my mom drove me to her place, and I dropped off some food. It was all really sweet.
If quarantine ended tomorrow, what’s the first thing you would do?
Oh my god, I’m going straight to Sally’s place! We wanted to go to Wetzel’s Pretzels because she really likes it. I feel like it depends on when quarantine ends. They said it’ll be July, but then they also say there’s going to be a second wave. It all sucks. But if it’s in the summer, we’re definitely going to the beach. If it’s in the winter, we’ll probably go to a park and have a picnic or go to The Last Bookstore.
How do you feel about transitioning to being a junior in an online setting?
I like the classes being online. I feel like everything’s slower. In person, it’s easy to be like, “Oh, teacher, I don’t get this.” But now the teachers only have an hour to teach their subject. In my algebra class, the teacher waits 30 seconds, but people take so long to respond. It’s difficult to get through a class and finish on time. That’s going to be a major setback. I’m planning to take pre-calculus over the summer. I wasn’t expecting it to be a video chat. I don’t even know if I’m ready for this. It’s scary.
Is there anything you want to say, given what we’re living through at the moment?
The biggest thing is not taking things for granted. You get comfortable when things like this aren’t happening, like being able to go out and spend time with your friends. I don’t know if it's a privilege, but it’s a great thing to have.