Welcome to the Asian American Movement 40th Anniversary collection from the archives of the Asian Community Center (once located on Kearny St. in San Francisco). We focus on 1968 because that year was the beginning point for the Asian American movement. 1968 witnessed world changing events and many Asian Americans responded to make the world a better place for humanity. This project is sponsored by the Asian Community Center History Group. Email project at ewbbinfo@yahoo.com
January 1968
Tet Offensive in Vietnam, Viet Cong temporarily seized the
Mar. 3, 1968
More than 1000 Chicano students walk out of
March 1968
My Lai Massacre was the mass murder of 347 to 504 unarmed citizens of Vietnam, mostly women and children, by
March 1968
SFSU Third World Liberation Front was formed with the Black Students Union, the Mexican American Student Confederation, the Philippine American Collegiate Endeavor (PACE), the Intercollegiate Chinese for Social Action (ICSA), the Latin American Students Organization, and an American Indian student organization. The Asian American Political
April 4,1968
Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. His murder was followed by urban riots nationwide in up to 76 cities
April 6, 1968
Bobby Hutton, 16 years old and the first Black Panther Party recruit, was killed in
May 1968
Asian American Political
SFSU TWLF staged a sit-in at President Summerskill's office. Resulted in opening of 412 admission slots for TW applicants over the next two semesters, and the creation of at least 10 faculty positions for TW professors. Sit-in also involved first major act of police violence against student demonstrators with clubbings, ten injuries requiring hospitalization, and twenty-six arrests. Summerskill resigned a few months later and there was no fulfillment of earlier agreements. Student frustration leads to divergence from traditional protest channels.
June 30, 1968
Berkeley mayor Wallace Johnson declares a state of emergency and a three day curfew in the city in response to violence in the wake of student demonstrations in support of Paris, France May Uprising of students and workers the previous month.
October 28, 1968
First eviction notice was served on 196 International Hotel tenants, mostly elderly Filipino and Chinese men. The tenants were given until the first of January 1969 to leave. Milton Meyers Co. owned by Walter Shorenstein planned to demolish the building to build a parking lot..
November 1968
November 28-31, 1968
AAPA was part of a S.F. Bay Area delegation to the Montreal Hemispheric Conference to end the Vietnam War.
November 28, 1968
Free
January 10,1969
UCB African American Students Union began to discuss publicly the need for action, including a possible strike. The AASU, Mexican-American Student Confederation (MASC), and the Asian American Political
January 11, 1969
Asian American Experience/Yellow Identity Conference held at U.C. Berkeley. Sponsored by Chinese Students’ Club, Nisei Student’s Club and Asian American Political
Next day Statewide AAPA meeting held at U.C. Berkeley after the Yellow Identity Conference.
January 21, 1969
UC Berkeley Third World Strike begins.
March 16, 1969
Community and tenants protests forced a new International Hotel lease agreement to be signed on this day. But instead an early morning arson fire kills three tenants and destroys a wing of the International Hotel. Landlord cancels negotiations and takes steps to condemn building.
May 4, 1969
May 4th Rally at
November 1969
78 Native American activists seize and occupy
February 1970
Asian Studies Field Office (UCB) established in the Victory Building on Kearny Street, located next to the International Hotel. Arrangement is made with United Filipino Association to sublet the space. By summer 1970
Chinatown Cooperative Garment Factory began operations, sharing space inside ACC.
November 15, 1970
February 5 & 8, 1971
Police raids on
April 9, 1971
Tiao-yu Tai Protest Rally at
1971
Wei Min She Organization founded in
February 21, 1972
President Nixon visits
April 29, 1972
Chinese Ping Pong Delegation arrives at
August 1972
December 1972
Chinese Progressive Association was founded.
1973.
WeiMin Newspaper Vol.1No.1 October 1971
FILMS
“Wei Mm She’s Film Program has been in existence for almost two years. Many improvements, such as translating films in English into Chinese (so that films can be shown regardless of its language) have been made during that time in order to serve the people better.
Films are shown at the
The ones most enthusiastically received are those from
We urge you to come, and welcome any suggestions you have for us.”
