LOS ANGELES — A group of Koreatown residents has filed a federal lawsuit claiming city officials used race to create a Los Angeles council district.

Tuesday’s suit says the city has diluted and negatively impacted the voting power of Koreatown residents by unnecessarily, unlawfully and unconstitutionally dividing their community into two separate districts.

The Los Angeles Times says Koreatown was split when Councilman Herb Wesson’s new district was created.

The five residents who filed suit say race was used as the predominant factor in reworking the political boundaries. The new boundaries increased the number of black voters in Wesson’s district.

Wesson is black.

Activists want Koreatown shifted into the Councilman Eric Garcetti’s district, which includes Thai Town and Historic Filipinotown. They feel it would improve chances for an Asian American candidate.