The Asian American Movement: A Comparative Analysis

The Asian American Movement was an era of radical change in which the urgency for Asian Americans to overcome oppression and negative perceptions of American society transcended their clichéd silence and indifference. However, such a(this) monumental movement was not achieved without the courageous efforts of activists who had ideologies that coincided but also contradicted each other that stemmed from their different backgrounds. Two advocates in particular who emphasized the need for social change were Amy Uyematsu in her new article “The Emergence of Yellow Power” and Warren Furutani in his interview with the Amerasia staff. Both activists, in their own contexts, explain the evolution of the Asian American Movement, highlighting its roots, …show more content…
Uyematsu explains how the movement was derived from Asian Americans “seeking freedom from racial oppression through the power of a consolidated yellow people”(Uyematsu 3). Similar to the African American Civil Rights Movement, improving social and economic conditions could only be achieved through ethnic political power which the Asian American Movement aimed to promote. In fact, “yellow power” was also a key reason why Uyematsu published her article in Gidra, a student-run news article created in 1969 based in UCLA. As student in the midst of the Asian American Movement, Uyematsu wanted the Asian American voice to be heard on college campuses which prompted her to advocate for Asian American students to “control the decision making processes affecting their …show more content…
Uyematsu mentions that “the yellow power movement cannot begin until the yellow people in America have reached the primary stage of yellow consciousness. Once they do get themselves together, then they are ready to decide on how to achieve social change”(Uyematsu 4). Similarly, Furutani expresses how Asian American studies is a catalyst for increased awareness of the Asian American Movement in that the things that students learn in school can be directly applied and spread throughout the movement. Despite their differences in organizations and experiences, Uyematsu and Furutani are both still located in Los Angeles, one of the focal points of the Asian American Movement and share a common objective of growing consciousness among Asian Americans. Spreading awareness of the Asian American and Third World Movements is a major goal for Asian American activists in that it educates and informs Asian Americans of the perpetual white racism and oppression that they are subjected to. In doing so, Asian Americans are more likely to neglect the differences between their ethnicities and will stand together in the fight to suppress racism, an ambition among all Asian Americans which will unify