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Scenario: Tensions between the Korean and African-American communities of economically-depressed Urbana have been growing for some time now. Korean-Americans own most of the grocery stores in the area. The African-Americans that make up most of their customer base have complained for a long time that they are ill-treated by the store owners. The owners in turn complain that their customers frequently steal items from the stores. Recently, an elderly African-American woman's visit to her local grocery store erupted into a city-wide incident. The store owners allege that she was attempting to shoplift. The woman denies this, and claims that she was beaten by one of the owners. Activists on both sides have made grandiose claims on television. The customer and owners have taken legal action. Tensions continue to mount. Now, a deacon from the local African-American church is meeting with the pricipal from the Korean-American school to see if they can find a way to lessen the tension surrounding the incident, and the history of such incidents.
Teaching materials:
For participants:
- General information for both parties
- Confidential instructions for:
- Deacon of the African-American Church
- High School Principal
Teacher's package includes:
- All of the above
- No teaching note available at this time
Note:
The fact pattern of this simulation is similar to that of Seoul Food in Urbana; the latter is a mediation involving legal representatives of the African-American and Korean-American communities, rather than the community members themselves.
Major Lessons:
This exercise can provide a forum for discussing many issues, including the effect of culture and ethnicity on partisan formation, the influence of race on conflict, the use of negotiation in the shadow of legal action, choosing representatives for a community, and dealing with one conflict when it is part of a pattern of conflicts.
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