Contents
Yuri Kochiyama
Building alliances between Asian American activism and Black liberation movements.
Cross-community organising · Prisoner advocacy
- Born
- 19 May 1921
- Birthplace
- San Pedro, California, United States
- Died
- 1 June 2014
More people
Yuri Kochiyama
Japanese American organiser whose wartime incarceration helped shape decades of civil-rights and political-prisoner advocacy.
Early life
California upbringing
Born to Japanese immigrant parents and grew up in San Pedro.
Wartime incarceration
Was imprisoned with her family at the Jerome camp in Arkansas during World War II.
Career
- 1940s–1950s
Community work
Organised correspondence for soldiers and later moved to New York.
- 1960s–1970s
Harlem activism
Worked with civil-rights organisations and developed ties with Malcolm X.
- 1980s onward
Redress and advocacy
Campaigned for Japanese American reparations and continued supporting political prisoners.
Campaigns & contributions
Cross-community organising
Connected Asian American activism with Black liberation campaigns.
Prisoner advocacy
Helped organise support for people she considered political prisoners.
Japanese American redress
Participated in the movement for an apology and compensation for wartime incarceration.
Beyond work
Family partnership
Married Bill Kochiyama, a Japanese American army veteran.
Contested politics
Her support for revolutionary movements included statements that attracted strong criticism, including praise for Osama bin Laden in 2003.
Sources & photo credit
Biography and references ↗Biography and contributions ↗Photo: Unknown author Unknown author. Public domain · Original image. Cropped and displayed in monochrome.
