The Black Power Movement and The Asian American Movement

http://www.dartmouth.edu/~hist32/History/S18%20-%20The%20Black%20Power%20Movement%20and%20the%20Asian%20American%20Movement.htm

In "The Black Power Movement and The Asian American Movement", Evelyn Chin states the relation between the two social movements and how the Black Power Movement influenced the Asian American Movement into effect. Chin states that people of color (I will not use "minority" as I personally feel the term is politically incorrect and disrespectful) all shared experiences of racism and oppression. In addition, people of color also share the same goals of achieving ideal freedom and equality for all individuals. These shared experiences and goals eventually led to the formation of social movements in the 1950's and onward. Chin shares that Black Americans and Asian Americans have had similar experiences with one another since historical times, starting back when Blacks were being brought over to America for slave labor. After the passing of the Emancipation Proclamation, Asians were brought over to replace Blacks as slaves.

Ideas of activists such as the ever-so-famous Malcolm X who influenced the Black American-heavy Civil Rights Movement and Black Power Movement also influenced the Asian American Movement. Yuri Kochiyama, famous Asian American activist, once worked alongside Malcolm X and argues that his common activist ideas of self-determination and rejection of assimilation into American society prompted the foundation of a social movement specifically involving Asian American communities all over the country.