🧋Intro to Asian American History Unit 6 – Asian American Activism (1960s-1980s)

Key Events and Movements

• Asian American Movement emerged in the late 1960s as a broad coalition of Asian American activists, students, and community members
• 1968 Third World Liberation Front strikes at San Francisco State University and UC Berkeley demanded Ethnic Studies programs and greater representation
• 1970s saw the rise of Asian American cultural and community organizations (Kearny Street Workshop, Asian American Theater Company)
• 1982 murder of Vincent Chin galvanized Asian American activism against anti-Asian violence and racial scapegoating
  • Chin, a Chinese American, was beaten to death by two white autoworkers in Detroit who blamed Japan for the decline of the U.S. auto industry
• Redress and reparations movement for Japanese American incarceration during World War II gained momentum in the 1970s and 1980s
  • Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians (CWRIC) hearings in 1981 provided a platform for Japanese American testimonies
  • Civil Liberties Act of 1988 officially apologized and provided reparations to surviving internees
• Asian American women's movement addressed issues of gender, race, and class within Asian American communities and the larger feminist movement

Major Figures and Organizations

• Yuri Kochiyama, Japanese American activist involved in the Black Power and Asian American movements
  • Worked closely with Malcolm X and was present at his assassination in 1965
• Philip Vera Cruz, Filipino American labor organizer and co-founder of the United Farm Workers (UFW)
• Grace Lee Boggs, Chinese American philosopher and activist in the Black Power and civil rights movements
• Asian American Political Alliance (AAPA), founded at UC Berkeley in 1968, was one of the first pan-Asian American political organizations
• Kearny Street Workshop, founded in San Francisco in 1972, fostered Asian American art, literature, and cultural production
• Asian Law Caucus, founded in 1972, provided legal services and advocacy for Asian American communities
• Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA), founded in 1981, advocated for greater diversity and representation in media
• National Coalition for Redress/Reparations (NCRR), founded in 1980, played a key role in the Japanese American redress movement

Social and Political Context

• Civil rights movement and Black Power movement of the 1960s inspired and influenced Asian American activism
• Vietnam War and U.S. imperialism in Asia sparked anti-war activism and solidarity with Third World liberation movements
• 1965 Immigration and Nationality Act led to a significant increase in Asian immigration and demographic changes
  • Shifted Asian American communities from primarily U.S.-born to majority foreign-born
• Model minority myth emerged in the 1960s, stereotyping Asian Americans as successful and well-assimilated
  • Used to undermine Black civil rights activism and obscure the diversity and struggles of Asian American communities
• Socioeconomic disparities and labor exploitation faced by Asian American workers, particularly in garment, restaurant, and agricultural industries
• Urban renewal and gentrification displaced Asian American communities and threatened cultural institutions
• Growing conservatism and backlash against social movements in the 1970s and 1980s posed challenges to Asian American activism

Ideologies and Strategies

• Pan-Asian solidarity and identity emphasized shared experiences and struggles among diverse Asian American ethnic groups
• Third World solidarity connected Asian American struggles with those of other communities of color and global liberation movements
• Self-determination and community empowerment prioritized grassroots organizing and leadership within Asian American communities
• Cultural nationalism celebrated Asian American heritage, arts, and cultural production as forms of resistance and identity-building
  • Creation of Asian American studies programs, cultural centers, and media outlets
• Electoral politics and voter mobilization sought to increase Asian American political representation and influence
  • Campaign to elect Norman Mineta as first Asian American mayor of San Jose in 1971
• Direct action and protest tactics (rallies, marches, strikes) raised visibility and applied pressure for change
• Coalition-building with other marginalized communities recognized shared struggles and built alliances
  • Asian American support for United Farm Workers' grape boycott and solidarity with Chicano Movement

Intersections with Other Movements

• Asian American women played key roles in both the Asian American movement and the broader feminist movement
  • Addressed issues of patriarchy, gender roles, and labor exploitation within Asian American communities
  • Challenged white feminism to recognize the intersections of race, class, and gender
• Solidarity with Black Power and civil rights movements, recognizing shared experiences of racism and oppression
  • Asian American support for Black Panther Party and Angela Davis
• Collaboration with Chicano Movement and Puerto Rican activism around issues of immigration, labor rights, and anti-imperialism
• Participation in anti-war and peace movements, opposing U.S. military interventions in Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos
  • Asian Americans played visible roles in protests and draft resistance
• Queer Asian American activism emerged in the 1970s and 1980s, challenging homophobia and heteronormativity within Asian American communities and the broader LGBTQ+ movement

Media Representation and Cultural Impact

• Asian American independent media emerged to challenge stereotypical and marginalizing representations in mainstream media
  • International Examiner newspaper, founded in 1974, covered Asian American issues and perspectives
  • Asian CineVision, founded in 1976, promoted Asian American filmmaking and media arts
• Documentaries and films by Asian American directors (Curtis Choy, Loni Ding, Christine Choy) chronicled Asian American histories and contemporary struggles
• Asian American literature and poetry flourished, giving voice to diverse experiences and identities
  • Janice Mirikitani, Lawson Fusao Inada, Shawn Wong, Maxine Hong Kingston
• Mainstream media coverage of Asian American activism was often limited, stereotypical, or dismissive
  • Vincent Chin case received minimal national attention until Asian American journalists and activists pushed for greater coverage
• Yellowface and whitewashing in Hollywood films (Breakfast at Tiffany's, The Good Earth) perpetuated stereotypes and exclusion of Asian American actors
• Cultural festivals and community events (Lunar New Year, Obon) served as spaces for cultural celebration, education, and solidarity-building

Challenges and Opposition

• Persistent stereotypes and marginalization of Asian Americans as perpetual foreigners or model minorities
• Anti-Asian violence and hate crimes, often fueled by economic anxieties and xenophobia
  • 1982 murder of Vincent Chin, 1987 Dotbusters attacks on South Asian Americans
• Surveillance, infiltration, and repression of Asian American activist groups by government agencies (FBI, CIA)
• Generational and political differences within Asian American communities, particularly between U.S.-born and immigrant generations
• Language barriers and limited resources for organizing and outreach in diverse Asian American communities
• Lack of disaggregated data and research on Asian American experiences and needs, obscuring disparities and challenges
• Conservative backlash and anti-affirmative action campaigns in the 1980s, framing Asian Americans as victims of racial quotas
• Ongoing underrepresentation and misrepresentation of Asian Americans in politics, media, and public discourse

Legacy and Ongoing Influence

• Establishment of Asian American studies programs and cultural institutions has provided spaces for research, education, and community-building
• Asian American activism has expanded to encompass a wider range of issues and identities (LGBTQ+ rights, environmental justice, disability rights)
• Multiracial solidarity and coalition-building continue to be key strategies for addressing shared struggles and envisioning collective liberation
• Representation of Asian Americans in politics has increased, though still underrepresented relative to population
  • Patsy Mink, first Asian American woman elected to Congress in 1964
  • Norman Mineta, first Asian American Cabinet secretary, serving under Clinton and Bush administrations
• Asian American voter turnout and political influence have grown, though disparities persist across ethnic groups and generations
• Ongoing campaigns for ethnic studies, language access, immigration reform, and disaggregated data collection
• Intergenerational transmission of movement histories and values through oral histories, archives, and community education
• Continued need for solidarity and activism in the face of ongoing racism, xenophobia, and socioeconomic inequities