Asian American activism refers to campaigning in the Asian American community for social and political change. Although there is tremendous diversity within the Asian American community, most groups have shared experience of discrimination, exclusion, and racism throughout their history in the United States. Asian activism became prominent during the 1960s; it existed to a limited degree as early as the 1850s, but small disparate communities and ethnic divisions prevented a unified approach in dealing with common socioeconomic and political issues.

It was not until the late 1960s that the ideals of the civil rights movement and women's movement, reactions to the incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II, and American intervention in Korea and Vietnam created a unified Asian American identity and clarified a common set of grievances. Asian American organizations were founded upon their members' shared heritage, immigration experiences, and resistance to discrimination.

Goals of Activist Organizations

Generally, the goal of Asian American organizations was to promote community improvement, wider awareness of ethnic issues, and equal treatment. The establishment of ethnic organizations, changing immigration laws in America, rising birth rates in the Asian American community, and greater political awareness transformed the activist role of Asian Americans.

Following the student-led Third World strikes at San Francisco State College and the University of California, Berkeley (1968–1969), where Asian Americans fought for the inclusion of ethnic studies in school curricula, activists regularly sought to improve communities, overcome national racism and discrimination, and advocate against American imperialism. In the 1980s and 1990s, Asian American activism became increasingly professionalized, focusing on cultural preservation, national electoral politics, Jesse Jackson's 1984 presidential campaign, and reparations for Japanese American incarceration.

Explore further by reading Third World Strikes in The Asian American Experience database

Early Activism

While there is a history of political participation by Asians as early as the 1850s, such forms of activism focused primarily on labor disputes and improving living conditions rather than on ethnic grievances. The limited population of the Asian American communities and divisions between national groups meant that these actions were not connected to larger organizations or political goals. It was not until the 1930s and 1940s, following decades of racism and exclusionary laws (e.g., the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882; the Gentlemen's Agreement of 1907; and the Immigration Act of 1924, known as the Johnson-Reed Act) and in the wake of socialist political ideals sweeping Asia (e.g., anticolonialism and equality) that the roots of modern Asian American activism began.

In the early 20th century, most Asian migrants were working class, lived in ethnic enclaves, and often held racially segregated jobs. However, following passage of a Laundry Tax in New York City in 1933, which targeted Chinese establishments, business owners formed the Chinese Hand Laundry Alliance to challenge racist laws, present a unified voice to the political establishment, and overcome ethnic isolation. In addition, in 1936, Chinese members of the National Maritime Union, a labor organization pledged to protect members regardless of race, color, religion, or national origin, went on strike to receive equal pay and the right to shore leave.

Regardless of the successes of these labor actions, national racism against Asians culminated with the incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II, when all Asians (Japanese, Chinese, Koreans, Vietnamese, and Filipino) tended to be grouped together. As a result of the activism of the 1930s, the dissemination of new political ideals from East Asia, and the national racism presented by America in the denial of fundamental rights against most Asian groups during World War II, the development of an increasingly unified Asian American culture began to emerge.

Explore further by reading Pan Asian American Coalitions in The Asian American Experience database

Effects of the Civil Rights Movement

In the late 1960s, Asian American activism, building on the women's and civil rights movements and in response to the Korean War and the Vietnam War, began in earnest. The developing Asian American Movement grew out of a new sense of solidarity among Asian Americans of various ethnicities, reflected by the coining of the term "Asian American" in 1968. Asian American activism began in different locations throughout the country, such as San Francisco and New York, with different perspectives and goals but responding to common issues. In general, Asian American organizations during this period sought to bring about political and social change that would result in equal treatment for Asian Americans throughout U.S. society.

The activism of the period is defined by the members of these organizations, who were second-generation Asian Americans focused more on national issues of race, equality, and the Vietnam War, working with Black American organizations to eliminate discrimination. In San Francisco, community activists began to bring attention to the problems of Chinatown, including poor living conditions, unemployment, and racism. At the same time, students at San Francisco State College and the University of California, Berkeley, went on strike to challenge racism and promote the establishment of ethnic studies. Concurrent with these events was the International Hotel Campaign, which focused on the protection of a large residential building housing largely retired Asian workers and a range of community services and organizations.

From these events arose community organizations, such as the Third World Liberation Front, the Kearny Street Workshop, and the Asian American Political Alliance, which garnered national attention and gave way to wider political protests that sought to address racism, protect historical ethnic enclaves, and support cultural as well as artistic movements.

Explore further by reading The Asian American Movement in The Asian American Experience database

East Coast Activism and Evolving Focus

By contrast, in New York, Asian American activism is credited as beginning in 1968, when Kazu Iijima and Minn Matsuda sought to start a Japanese American community organization for their children to learn about and maintain their Asian heritage. The result was the creation of the Asian Americans for Action (AAA) group, whose members included students from Columbia University and the City College of New York.

The AAA, a pan-Asian organization, focused on establishing a political voice in opposition to the Vietnam War, declaring it to be a military excursion driven by American racism and imperialist ideals and arguing that it was a conflict being fought for natural resources and business interests rather than as an effort to protect the rights of people.

Throughout the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s, Asian American activism became increasingly professionalized, focusing on cultural preservation, the continued promotion of civil rights, national electoral politics, and campaigning for reparations for the incarceration of Japanese Americans. These changes in Asian American activism reflect the growing sophistication of the movement as well as the shifting nature of social and political organizations throughout the nation since the 1980s.

Sean Morton

This article is drawn from Bloomsbury / ABC-CLIO's The Asian American Experience academic database.

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