CRE 287 - Understanding Asian American Social Movements

 Understanding Asian American Social Movements

1) Starting in the 1960s and 1970s to present -promoting social justice, equality and representation.

2) The Formation of Early Asian American Social movements -characterized by sense of solidarity and unity among different Asian ethnic groups

3) Challenged dominant narratives and stereotypes

4) influenced by concept of "Third World Solidarity" = emphasized shared experiences and struggles of communities of color

5) Key organizations involved -early AA social movements

a. the Asian American Political Alliance

b. The Asian American Studies Department at San Francisco State U.

c. The Yellow Brotherhood

d. The Asian American Student Union

-played crucial role promoting AA identity and challenging status.

Helped create sense of solidarity and community

6) Key Figures involved in Movement

a. Yugi Ichioka -historian/activist credited with coining term Asian American.

b. Gordon Hirabayashi -sociologists/activists involved in formation of Asian American Political Alliance

c. Alex Hing -community organizer/activists involved in formation of Yellow Brotherhood

d. Miriam Ching Louie -community organizer/activists involved in formation of Asian American Student Union.

7) Role of Identity Politics in Shaping Asian American Activism

a. played significant role -concept Asian American is a product of identity po9litics, bringing together multiple ethnic groups under shared identity

b. movement emphasized the importance of self-definition/self representation.

c> The Asian American movement product of intersection of identity politics and social movement politics =Yen Le Espiritu

7. Contemporary Asian American Activism -shaped by number of factors to include social media, intersectionality, and rise of Asian American representation in p0olitics and media.  

8) The Impact of Social Media on Modern AA Social Movements -Twitter, Instagram, Facebook enabled activists to mobilize/organize around issues, share information, amplify marginalized voices.

e.g.. #Asians4BlackLives movement -2020 used social media to mobilize AA around issues of racial justice/solidarity with BLM movement.

10. Intersectionality and its Role in Contemporary AA activism

a. played crucial role, a concept coined by Kimerle Crenshaw highlighting different forms of oppression intersecting and are compounded. 

AA activists used intersectionality to highlight ways that issues such as racism, sexism, homophobia, and classism intersect and impact AA communities.

11. The Rise of AA Representation in Politics and Media -recent years significant rise such as Andrew Yang and Ro Khanna running for high-profile political offices, films such as Cray Rich Asians and To all the Boys I've loved = mainstream success.

all increased and amplified AA voices and perspectives giving them new opportunities to engage even larger and mainstream audiences.

12. Challenges and Future directions -a number of challenges include ongoing struggles around issues such as racism , xenophobia and economic inequality 

a. Racism and Xenophobia -AA face high levels -particularly after Covid-19 pandemic

b. Economic inequality -significantly impact some AA communities experiencing high levels of poverty and economic insecurity.

12. Importance of Coalition-building and Solidarity -critical to success of AA activism

a. building coalitions across other communities of color -helps to amplify voices and achieve greater impact.

    e.g. AA Studies department at San Francisco State U. worked with other ethnic departments promoting solidarity and coalition building among communities/students of color.

13. Emerging Trends and issues in AA social movements.

a. Climate justice -particularly among those communities disproportionately impacted by climate change. 

b. Technology and social justice -activists explore intersection in areas such as surveillance and data justice.

14: Conclusion -AA social movements crucial in promoting social justice, equality and representation -from 1960s/1970s to today. shaped by factors such as identity politics, social media and intersectionality.

future these movements will continue to impact American society

build coalitions, and amplify marginalized voices, and mobilize around key issues.

leading to greater impact, more just and equitable society for all 







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