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The Transformation For Chinese Americans From Political Apathy To Activism: A Case Study On Manhattan Chinatown Tenants In 1970, Shouyue Zhang

CURCE Annual Undergraduate Conference

This presentation will introduce the political participation of Chinese tenants in Manhattan Chinatown in the era of post-Civil Rights Movement. To strive for the self-determination of their communities, the “Model Minority” unprecedentedly participated in social movements named as “Asian American Movement” across the United States in the 1970s. This case study will describe the background, mobilization, and process of a demonstration against the telephone company‘s requisition of land located in Manhattan Chinatown from 1969 to 1970. Consequently, the telephone company was no longer mighty as real estate developers in the early stage of urban renewal, even making a concession to …