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A review by kyulee
Contemporary Asian American Activism: Building Movements for Liberation by Diane C Fujino, Robyn Magalit Rodriguez
4.0
This book is a really comprehensive overview and reflections of Asian American activists over the past 20-30 years. As the book's editors Diane Fujino and Robyn Magalit Rodriguez point out, there's a lack of research/literature done on Asian American activism post the 1960s/70s Asian American Movement.
Because of this, this anthology attempts to bridge that gap and build an archive of intergenerational knowledge by drawing on the diverse organizing experiences of many different people and communities. But because it is an anthology and has many diverse voices, it is harder to see an overall "narrative" throughout the entire text. Sometimes, it also felt like I was reading about pockets of activism scattered throughout the country that were loosely related, rather than a unified movement with a singular goal - which I guess isn't what the book was arguing for, but this still stood out to me nevertheless.
I also noticed that despite contextualizing modern day Asian American activism within the legacy of the Asian American Movement, some of the activists who the contributors interview/work with don't necessarily consider themselves as carrying the legacy of the 60s/70s Movement. I thought this was understandable because the Movement and the term Asian American today can still center East Asians, so people who aren't East Asian might not necessarily identify with the Asian American Movement.
Despite this, I thought most of the chapters in this collection were really good, and I felt they demonstrated the diversity and depth of Asian American activism since the 60s/70s, and how today's movement work can draw upon intergenerational knowledge. For example, I really liked the chapter about how Filipino activists in the SoMa district in San Francisco learned from elders who were part of the I-Hotel struggle in the 60s/70s to fight against the tech gentrification happening in the city. I also appreciated just reading the stories of activists like Eddy Zheng, whose story of advocating for Asian American prisoners while being incarcerated was so inspiring. The connections to international activism in the BAYAN USA chapter captured my attention as well, and I wished there were more chapters on the international connections! The reflection chapters near the end of the book by older activists felt grounding, and informative on how to continue movement building in a sustainable and community-driven way.
Overall, I'm very glad I read this book! It really does a good job demonstrating how current Asian American activism draws from the past to advocate for a more just and sustainable world today. I felt it really opens up the potential for more research to be done on Asian American activism in the current day.
Because of this, this anthology attempts to bridge that gap and build an archive of intergenerational knowledge by drawing on the diverse organizing experiences of many different people and communities. But because it is an anthology and has many diverse voices, it is harder to see an overall "narrative" throughout the entire text. Sometimes, it also felt like I was reading about pockets of activism scattered throughout the country that were loosely related, rather than a unified movement with a singular goal - which I guess isn't what the book was arguing for, but this still stood out to me nevertheless.
I also noticed that despite contextualizing modern day Asian American activism within the legacy of the Asian American Movement, some of the activists who the contributors interview/work with don't necessarily consider themselves as carrying the legacy of the 60s/70s Movement. I thought this was understandable because the Movement and the term Asian American today can still center East Asians, so people who aren't East Asian might not necessarily identify with the Asian American Movement.
Despite this, I thought most of the chapters in this collection were really good, and I felt they demonstrated the diversity and depth of Asian American activism since the 60s/70s, and how today's movement work can draw upon intergenerational knowledge. For example, I really liked the chapter about how Filipino activists in the SoMa district in San Francisco learned from elders who were part of the I-Hotel struggle in the 60s/70s to fight against the tech gentrification happening in the city. I also appreciated just reading the stories of activists like Eddy Zheng, whose story of advocating for Asian American prisoners while being incarcerated was so inspiring. The connections to international activism in the BAYAN USA chapter captured my attention as well, and I wished there were more chapters on the international connections! The reflection chapters near the end of the book by older activists felt grounding, and informative on how to continue movement building in a sustainable and community-driven way.
Overall, I'm very glad I read this book! It really does a good job demonstrating how current Asian American activism draws from the past to advocate for a more just and sustainable world today. I felt it really opens up the potential for more research to be done on Asian American activism in the current day.