Dallas Koreatown's long push for official city recognition heightens after shooting

ProfileSectionstvFeaturedMore From NBCFollow NBC NewsJoann Roh was surprised by the limited police presence around her Dallas restaurant the day after a shooting at a hair salon next door last week injured three women of Korean descent.“I can’t help but wonder if it’s because we’re a Korean community,” Roh, who owns Sura Korean Bistro and knew the salon owners, told NBC Asian America.Local advocates say a sense of safety and community could be bolstered by having the neighborhood officially designated as a Koreatown, a status and recognition from the city it currently does not have. While Koreatowns in other major cities, such as Los Angeles and New York, have been officially designated, a Korean community that has had roots in the city for at least 50 years is still asking for rights to own their communal space.Roh said that the salon’s owners frequented her restaurant at least once a week during lunch breaks or for dinner to wind down after closing their store. Jennifer Brown, a spokesperson for the city, wrote in an email, “We are still working through what that designation would look like, so are not able to comment in detail about the potential process or contents at this time.”Brown added that official designation is in the “very beginning stages,” and that the city is now “helping them to identify a boundary, priorities, and potential resources.”Lee said that while the community has a “strong, outstanding relationship” with the city and police, this issue brings to the forefront the need for additional security measures in a communal sense.