ABSTRACT
The emergence of the Asian American movement (hereafter, the Movement) in the 1960s marked a watershed event in the history of Asians in America. The Movement sought to strengthen the political clout of Asian Americans and improve their opportunities in mainstream American society. By redefining Americans of Asian ancestry as Asian Americans and organizing them into a pan-Asian coalition, the Movement was and remains a vehicle for empowering Asians in America. This chapter takes a critical look back at the Movement in the 1960s, specifically reevaluating its organizers, defining their goals, and identifying the issues around which they chose to mobilize. It also focuses on one of the most enduring legacies of the Movement-the creation of Asian American Studies as an academic field. Finally, it assesses what lessons the Movement offers the new generation of Asian American youth, investigates some of the issues around which they organize today, and speculates on the future of Asian American activism at the turn of the twenty-first century.
