On July 24, the Inland Empire Civil Rights Institute commemorated the 15th anniversary of the Young Oak Kim Center with the opening of a new exhibition, "Building Our Region's Korean Communities," now on display in downtown Riverside.
Serving as a tribute to a recently discovered chapter of American history, the exhibit sheds light on Pachappa Camp, the first Koreatown in the United States, founded in Riverside in 1905.
The exhibit drew heavy inspiration from the findings of Dr. Edward T. Chang, a professor of ethnic studies at the University of California, Riverside. While studying a 1908 map discovered by his undergraduate student, he noticed a faint label in a small corner of downtown Riverside marked as a Korean settlement.
"A Korean settlement in 1908, in Riverside? I've never heard of it," Chang said. "However, once I decided to look into it, finding bits of information in old newspapers on Pachappa Camp and piecing it all together, we were finally able to conclude that it truly was the first Koreatown in the United States."
Established by Ahn Chang Ho (Dosan) in 1904, Pachappa Camp served as a refuge for the early pioneers of the Korean American community, many of whom were discriminated against at the time. At its peak, Pachappa Camp was home to 300 Korean Americans and was later used as a base for the Korean National Association, where Dosan and other leaders strategized how to liberate Korea from Japanese colonial rule.
"Dosan served as our leader, he was one of the early pioneers. It was because of Dosan that we were able to contribute to the independence of Korea," Kookhi Bae, a Korean American who attended the exhibit, said. "In such a new environment, Dosan led the way in teaching us how to live in this country and live as a community."
Pachappa Camp's existence was brief, disappearing by 1918. However, its legacy remains an integral part of American history. The discovery of the camp captured the true beginnings of Korean Americans' integration into the country's tapestry, even while facing discrimination and adversity.
When asked what inspired the creation of the exhibit, coordinator Dr. Carol Park explained, "We want people to be inspired — to know that our communities are diverse and that America is made up of multiethnic communities that each have their own story. The tapestry we showed today? That is America."
As the Inland Empire continues to grow in diversity, exhibits like "Building Our Region's Korean Communities" serve as powerful reminders of the past: stories once buried, now reclaimed. In honoring Pachappa Camp, Riverside not only pays tribute to its Korean American pioneers but also reaffirms the importance of cultural history in shaping a more inclusive future.
More information: The exhibit is open to the public and can be visited at the Inland Empire Civil Rights Institute's location at 3933 Mission Inn Avenue, Suite 102, in Downtown. More details can be found at inlandcivilrights.org.
