▁to ▁John ▁K aj i , ▁a ▁Tor rance ▁resident ▁quoted ▁in ▁Public ▁Radio ▁International ▁who ▁was ▁the ▁son ▁of ▁Toy ota ' s ▁first ▁American - based ▁account ant , ▁the ▁Japanese ▁corpor ate ▁presence ▁in ▁Tor rance , ▁beginning ▁with ▁Toy ota , ▁attract ed ▁many ▁eth nic ▁Japanese . ▁Toy ota ▁moved ▁its ▁operations ▁to ▁its ▁Tor rance ▁campus ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 2 ▁because ▁of ▁its ▁proxim ity ▁to ▁the ▁Port ▁of ▁Long ▁Beach ▁and ▁Los ▁Angeles ▁International ▁Airport , ▁and ▁it ▁was ▁followed ▁by ▁many ▁other ▁Japanese ▁companies . ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 4 ▁Toy ota ▁announced ▁it ▁was ▁moving ▁its ▁U . S . ▁headquarters ▁to ▁Pl ano , ▁Texas . ▁ ▁Kore ans ▁ ▁As ▁of ▁ 1 9 9 2 ▁about ▁ 6 0 % ▁of ▁the ▁Korean ▁population ▁in ▁the ▁South ▁Bay ▁region ▁lived ▁in ▁Tor rance ▁and ▁Gard ena . ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 0 , ▁ 5 , 8 8 8 ▁eth nic ▁Kore ans ▁lived ▁in ▁Tor rance , ▁a ▁ 2 5 6 % ▁increase ▁from ▁the ▁ 1 9 8 0 ▁figure ▁of ▁ 1 , 6 5 2 ▁eth nic ▁Kore ans . ▁ ▁Econom y ▁Tor rance ▁is ▁home ▁to ▁the ▁U . S . ▁headquarters ▁of ▁Japanese ▁autom aker ▁American ▁H onda ▁Motor ▁Company . ▁Robinson ▁Hel ic op ters ▁are ▁designed ▁and ▁built ▁in ▁Tor rance ▁as ▁are ▁H oney well ' s ▁Gar rett ▁tur bo charg ers , ▁used ▁on