Trixie Le

Discussion 1A
10/12/15
Journal Entry Reflection of Week 2
I was able to see how the anatomy of a movement, coherence, desires, tactics, and
outcomes, were applied to the emergence of the Asian American movement
I feel that the most important component to a movement is coherence since a
movement cannot exist without it, and people are more powerful when represented in
numbers. This is seen in Asian American Panethnicity. It shows how multiethnic Asians
of varying backgrounds came together through common experiences and racial bonds.
Unlike the second generation of Asian Americans, the Asian Americans before the 1960s
experienced ethnic disidentification, more so, some groups even participated in
exclusion movements against other Asians. One huge example was how Japanese
immigrants differentiated themselves from Chinese people since there was racism against
the Chinese. Instead, most Caucasians still clumped all Asians together. Nonetheless, this
racial discrimination of clumping later served as one of the unifiers for the later Asian
American generations. Many factors such as language and old political drama that once
separated older Asian immigrants, became negligible to the 2nd and 3rd generation of
Asian Americans since they had distant old world ties. Interestingly enough, Asian
Americans of different ethnic backgrounds often connected better with each other than
Asians that were born in America and immigrant Asians of the same racial origin.
Through common experience and racial bonds, they were able to form and call
themselves Asian Americans rather than orientals. This was crucial to the formation

of a movement since they were able to distinctly identify and define themselves as a
group.
As a result, many Asian American groups emerged from this and became political
activists that often took direct action when faced with discrimination. As a movement,
they now could have desires and different tactics to achieve this desire. Rethinking the
Asian American Movement demonstrates how different Asian American activist groups
took action as Asian Americans along with their impact and different tactics.
One comparison can be made between the Asian American anti-Vietnam war
movement and the movement for Vincent Chin. Both cases caused awareness of how
many Americans act as if Asian lives dont matter, and was a criticism to the
government. The Asian American anti-Vietnam war movement criticized the U.S.
military for its treatment of their Asian American soldiers and Asians in Southeast Asia,
whereas Vincent Chens case was a criticism of the U.S judicial system. Although both of
the movements were unsuccessful in achieving their desires, they showed how Asian
Americans have a voice when they stand up and take direct action. Furthermore, they
have made imprints on modern day society, future movements, and a more racially
conscious audience.