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사이구 Sa I Gu: April 29, 2026

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There were several Los Angeles Uprising anniversary commemoration events I attended this year. March 2026 marked the 35th anniversaries of the brutal LAPD (Los Angeles Police Department) beating of un-armed motorist Rodney King and the killing of teenager Latasha Harlins wrongly accused of shoplifting by storeowner Soon Ja Du. Today, April 29, 2026, marks the 34th anniversary of the 1992 Los Angeles Uprising (known in the Korean American community as 사이구 “Sa I Gu” meaning 4-2-9) and the death of 18-year-old Edward Jae Song Lee who was shot and killed in the crossfire trying to protect a Koreatown store.

I had the honor of interviewing the families of Rodney King, Latasha Harlins, and Edward Jae Song Lee for my 2024 award-winning YA nonfiction book, RISING FROM THE ASHES: LOS ANGELES, 1992. EDWARD JAE SONG LEE, LATASHA HARLINS, RODNEY KING, AND A CITY ON FIRE (Norton Young Readers/W.W. Norton & Co., 2024). My book won the prestigious 2025 YALSA Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults Award, the 2025 SCBWI Golden Kite Award for Nonfiction Text for Older Readers and the 2025 California Library Association’s John and Patricia Beatty Award (for distinguished books promoting an awareness of California and its people). RISING FROM THE ASHES was also chosen as a “Best Book of the Year” by Kirkus Reviews, Publishers Weekly, School Library Journal, Horn Book, and the Chicago Public Library along with five starred reviews.

In honor of today’s 사이구 Sa I Gu 2026 anniversary, below are photos from the events I attended this year. Since my book’s publication, I have remained in close touch with the almost 100 people I interviewed for it. I have also included photos of my original RISING FROM THE ASHES book launch event from May 9, 2024 at the Village Well Books & Coffee bookstore.

I am grateful for our blossoming friendship and solidarity with the Lees, Harlins, and Kings as we continue to celebrate the lives of their children Eddie, Tasha, and Glen. (Please visit: https://rodneyking.org and https://www.latashaharlinsfoundation.org)

March 8, 2026: Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer Hyungwon Kang and I attended the 35th anniversary commemorating the 1991 LAPD beating of Rodney King held at his original childhood home in Altadena which thankfully survived the devastating 2025 wildfires. For more info on the fires, check out my blog where I interviewed former LAFD chief Emile Mack and Rodney’s daughter Lora King for updates. Link: https://paulayoo.com/lastrong-1992-2025/ (Photo credit: Paula Yoo)
March 8, 2026: It’s always such a pleasure to reconnect with Rodney King’s lovely daughter Lora King. For more info on her activism, visit her website: https://rodneyking.org #GetAlong (Photo credit: Paula Yoo)
March 8, 2026: Always love seeing the Harlins! We enjoyed the fundraiser to support families in Altadena with My Tribe Rise and Altadena Rising. And the barbecue was delicious! For more info, go here: https://mytriberise.org/home and https://www.altadenarisingnow.org (Photo credit: Paula Yoo)
April 25, 2026: It was wonderful to celebrate the life and legacy of Latasha Harlins on the 35th anniversary with the Harlins family. The event was held at the Algin Sutton Recreation Center where Latasha and her siblings and cousins would play. Today the center has a beautiful mural of Latasha by artist Victoria Cassinova, commissioned in 2021 by the City of Los Angeles. Link: https://recreation.parks.lacity.gov L-R: Vester, Janlisa, Christina, and Shinese. https://www.latashaharlinsfoundation.org (Photo credit: Paula Yoo)
April 25, 2026: The Harlins surprised me with an award! “Truth Through Storytelling & Advocacy Award: In honor of your powerful voice and commitment to advocating for social change on behalf of Latasha Harlins. Through your work as an author, you have helped bring awareness to the injustices surrounding her story, including its impact during the 1992 Los Angeles uprising. Your continued support of the Harlins family and community movement has helped educate, inform, and inspire the ongoing fight for justice.” Much love to the Harlins. L-R: Shinese Harlins & Paula Yoo (Photo credit: Paula Yoo)
April 25, 2026: Filmmaker and film professor Shannon Dion and I proudly accept our awards from the Latasha Harlins Foundation! Shannon directed the beautiful 2025 movie LATASHA HARLINS, now available on Apple TV, Tubi, and Youtube! (Photo credit: Hyepin Im)
April 25, 2026: It was an honor to interview activist Najee Ali for my book. We had a wonderful reunion! Najee also received a community award from the Latasha Harlins Foundation for his fight against racism and hatred and his lifelong commitment to activism for justice and peace. (Photo credit: Paula Yoo)
April 25, 2026: Activist Hyepin Im also attended the Harlins event. I interviewed her for my book about how Sa I Gu inspired her to do outreach community work to unite our Korean and Black communities. For more information, visit her organization here: F.A.C.E. (Faith, Empowerment & Community Development). Website: https://www.facela.org (Photo credit: Hyepin Im)
May 9, 2024: Thank you again to Village Well bookstore for hosting my book launch for RISING FROM THE ASHES along with a live podcast recording with photographer Hyungwon Kang and Jeff Yang and Phil Yu‘s THEY CALL US BRUCE!
May 9, 2024: Thank you again to Village Well bookstore for hosting my book launch for RISING FROM THE ASHES along with a live podcast recording with THEY CALL US BRUCE! L-R: Phil Yu, Jeff Yang, Paula Yoo, Hyungwon Kang. (Photo credit: Mel Melcon)
May 9, 2024: Thank you again to Village Well bookstore for hosting my book launch for RISING FROM THE ASHES along with a live podcast recording with THEY CALL US BRUCE! (Photo credit: Mel Melcon)
May 9, 2024: I also played the Korean folk song ARIRANG at the start of my book launch with Village Well and the live THEY CALL US BRUCE podcast recording. (Photo credit: Mel Melcon)
May 9, 2024: Many people I interviewed, including storeowner Wan Joon Kim’s son, music business producer and entrepreneur Kirk KIm (pictured far left), attended my book launch! (Photo credit: Paula Yoo)
May 9, 2024: Many people I interviewed, including former storeowner Cornelius Pettus, attended my book launch. You can see Hyungwon Kang’s famous photo of a young Pettus trying to save a store from 1992 here: https://paulayoo.com/gallery/ (Photo credit: Paula Yoo)
May 9, 2024: We had a book launch celebratory lunch at Soowon Galbi with award-winning translator Aerin Park, Edward Jae Song Lee’s mother Jung-hui Lee, and photographer Hyungwon Kang. (Photo credit: Paula Yoo)
May 9, 2024: Mrs. Lee told me that her son Eddie had picked up a bowl of noodles for his Korean 돌 dol first birthday, symbolizing long life. She said my book and his legacy in the 1992 L.A. Uprising prove his fortune came true. He will live forever in our history books and in our memories. (Photo credit: Hyungwon Kang)
May 9, 2024: I paid my respects with translator Aerin Park and Hyungwon Kang at Edward Jae Song Lee’s grave. He is buried in the same cemetery not far from where Rodney Glen King rests. I also did the traditional 제사 Jesa bow, a Korean ancestral ritual bow to show respect to deceased ancestors. 사이구 Sa I Gu. (Photo credit: Hyungwon Kang)
May 9, 2024: We also stopped by Rodney King’s grave to pay our respects. I also did the traditional 제사 Jesa bow, a Korean ancestral ritual bow to show respect to deceased ancestors. As he so famously said, let us all #GetAlong https://rodneyking.org (Photo credit: Hyungwon Kang)
January 22, 2022: When I first started working on my book, I went to pay my respects to Latasha Harlins. Her family had just celebrated her birthday and left these beautiful balloons by her side. I also did the traditional 제사 Jesa bow, a Korean ancestral ritual bow to show respect to deceased ancestors. May Latasha #RIP Rest in Peace and Rest in Power. https://www.latashaharlinsfoundation.org
Photo © Hyungwon Kang
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