Asian American Movement

The Asian American Movement

By Devansh Saxena

Index

Summary

Lasting Effects

Causes/Motivations

Major Events

Music Playlist

Gov. Response

References

Summary

During the 1960s-1970s, the Asian American Movement took form, with the goal of ending discrimination and securing equal rights for all people of Asian descent. The issue was particularly glaring in their lack of equal access to employment, housing, and basic services. The movement led to the creation of various non-profit organizations, and primarily consisted of large, non-violent protests across the nation.

Causes/Motivations

• Japanese internment camps, enacted by President Roosevelt during WW2, angered many Asian Americans
• The Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 prompted a large increase of Asian immigrants who were looking for employment
• Unfair labor practices such as during the construction of Confucius Plaza in Manhattan, where DeMatteis Corp. refused to hire Asian Americans for the government-funded project
• The "Black power" movement heavily influenced Asian Americans, as black activists continued to protest institutional racism. This led to the birth of "Yellow power".

Government Response

Due to the Vietnam War in 1975, the Asian American Movement began to collapse. Vietnamese faced hostility, and this translated to anyone who looked similar to them. Because of this, government response to the movement was limited and took much longer.

• President Gerald Ford signed Proclamation 4417 in the year 1976, declaring Japanese internment a "national mistake"
• President Ronald Reagan signed the Civil Liberties Act of 1988, which granted $20,000 to surviving internees/their families and issued a federal apology
• Increased employment opportunities for Asian Americans as progress was made

Lasting Effects

• Organizations such as the Asian American Political Alliance (AAPA) and Asian Americans for Equality (AAFE) rapidly grew in notoriety. They helped plan strikes, recruit youth activists, fight gentrification, and much more, positively impacting the future of America
• Asian Americans have more recently begun to appear in important political roles as well. In 2000, Norman Mineta became the first Asian American to serve in the presidential cabinet, and in 2021 Kamala Harris became the first person of partial Asian American descent to be vice president of the U.S.

Although significant progress has been made, the Asian American Movement still continues to this day. The fight for equality has not ended for any particular minority, and due to the recent COVID-19 pandemic, Asian Americans have continued to receive hate and even suffer from violence. There is still much work to be done in order to end discrimination and secure equal rights for all.

Major Events

Music Playlist

Info

Info

References

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1nmiMmeIF5PEEr-ZdMKdd6iZX56H9LPf_LHWf8Focw2c/edit?usp=sharinghttps://docs.google.com/document/d/1nmiMmeIF5PEEr-ZdMKdd6iZX56H9LPf_LHWf8Focw2c/edit?usp=sharing