The Transformation for Chinese Americans from Political Apathy to Activism: A Case Study on Manhattan Chinatown Tenants in 1970

Lecture Center 12

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 tenants and finding an alternative site. In this demonstration, the tenants organized a committee to fight for their rights, getting the support from political figures and pressuring the landlords though media reports. These mature struggles are different from immature rent strikes from 1963 to 1964, manifesting the awakening of apathetic Chinese Americans in the political field. My preliminary conclusion is urban renewal may be the force that gave real impetus to the creation of a Chinese Americans social movement.