Where does the term “Asian American” come from?
Personally, I’ve never thought about the background of this term until my friend, and the director of Make Us Visible introduced me to its fascinating history when chatting.
I consider myself Asian American. But I hadn’t realized the true depth behind that statement, until I did further research.
The term itself developed from a movement located at Berkeley and the founding of the Asian American Political Alliance. The 1960’s marked a period where radical transformations and new ideas were brought to light to combat racism and discrimination against Asian Americans, especially as hate crimes toward our community was at an all time high. This movement also incentivized solidarity not just within the diverse Asian American population, but also with other groups like Black Americans. The term “Asian American” was then coined by Emma Gee and Yuji Ichioka as a way to defy restricting or derogatory terms used to refer to Asian Americans.
I believe that this term was not only a product of our own solidarity, but also our solidarity with other minority communities.
Black American movements toward achieving civil rights and resisting systemic discrimination have historically inspired Asian American movements. For example, Pat Sum’s visit to witness the activism of the CORE and the demonstrations against the Ku Klux Klan incentivized her own efforts in advocacy. Furthermore, the Asian American movement in the 1960s was also deeply inspired by the Black Power movement.
We are not just the model minority; we would not be where we are today without the support and influence from Black Americans, among other minorities. The very development of the term Asian American that I, and millions of others also identify themselves with, comes from fighting for our civil rights alongside other groups struggling with the same issues we faced. The prevailing consciousness between minorities should not be that of separation or isolation, but the same solidarity that allowed for impactful movements that incentivized genuine change.