Little Tokyo's Greatest Activist
“You don’t think of it as history when it’s happening.” -Evelyn Yoshimura
Hello friends. It’s Wednesday! A couple of things before we dive into our regular content. First, I’d like to take some space for the children, teachers, and families impacted by the domestic terrorist attack at Robb Elementary School yesterday. I have nothing prolific to say but I think Roxane Gay sums it up succinctly.
Second, I will be going on a summer newsletter break for June and July. So this is the last newsletter you’ll see in your inbox until August! I’ll miss you but you can keep up with me on Instagram at kate.ate.great.
Lastly, I’ve been remiss not to mention that May is AAPI Heritage Month. This month started when a Capitol Hill staffer, Jeanie Jew, wanted to honor her grandfather who was murdered during a period of increased anti-Asian sentiment. On May 4, 1979, AAPI Heritage Month started as just a week. However, in the 1990s, it was extended to be a full month. You can read more about why they chose May and other details about the history here.
Now… onto the main event! This week we are learning about Evelyn Yoshimura who puts the A in activist!
Evelyn Yoshimura
Evelyn Yoshimura is best known for her activism for the Asian community and her work on the Gidra, a newspaper written by and for members of the Asian American movement. But, to get a full picture of Yoshimura, we have to start at the beginning.
When she was very young, Yoshimura’s parents moved to Crenshaw in Los Angeles. Her parents had been imprisoned in the Japanese concentration camps during WWII and Yoshimura was born just as they’d resettled after their release. Living in a predominantly Black neighborhood during the 50s and 60s gave Yoshimura an unintentional crash course in civil rights 101. She witnessed constant injustices faced by the Black community, including the Watts Riots, that shaped how she viewed the movement for Asian American civil rights.
When she started college at Cal State University Long Beach, she noticed a stark divide in her Asian peers. Some wanted to bond in solidarity and understanding while others wanted nothing to do with their fellow peers. Yoshimura took the solidarity approach and worked to change the school’s culture and curriculums. After hearing how deeply being imprisoned impacted her father, she screened a documentary on campus about the Japanese camps during WWII. Because her contact information was on the flier advertising the screening, she received death threats for showing the film. She worked with other students of color to get ethnic studies courses in the course catalog. When the administration refused to listen to the students, they put glue in the door locks on campus. Eventually, the administration lamented and made some ethnic studies classes available.
Yoshimura was also a staff member of the Gidra, a monthly newspaper highlighting the Asian American experience. Although it only ran from 1969 to 1974, many have deemed it the voice of the Asian American movement. To read more about the Gidra, you can read this article here. There’s also a digital repository of issues you can read here.
After college, Yoshimura continued her activism. She organized the Asian community to boycott Shell stations and march in protests during Apartheid. She joined the Little Tokyo People’s Rights Organization to stop the redevelopment and gentrification of Little Tokyo. She co-founded the Amerasia Bookstore which was one of the only bookstores to sell Japanese American literature.
To this day, Yoshimura is still working to protect and defend the rights of Asian Americans. She co-founded the Little Tokyo Service Center which sets out to improve the lives of underserved communities through equitable development. The Center also works to protect the historic area from the constant barrage of gentrification and redevelopment. Although she retired in December 2021, I think it’s unlikely the work will ever stop for Evelyn Yoshimura. As they sang in West Side Story, when you’re a Jet you’re a Jet all the way.
Alright, folks, that’s all! See you in August!
Citations
“Ruminations of an Asian American Badass” Little Tokyo Service Center
“Art Challenge: Women of Color Who Paved the Way” Ohio University Women’s Center
“Evelyn Yoshimura Retires” Little Tokyo Service Center