First Published: IWK Journal, No. 1, August 1974.
Transcription, Editing and Markup: Paul Saba
Copyright: This work is in the Public Domain under the Creative Commons Common Deed. You can freely copy, distribute and display this work; as well as make derivative and commercial works. Please credit the Encyclopedia of Anti-Revisionism On-Line as your source, include the url to this work, and note any of the transcribers, editors & proofreaders above.
EROL Note: This document was written and circulated by Wei Min She and others to mobilize support in the San Francisco Asian community for May Day rally in 1974 called by the Revolutionary Union. See here for a response from I Wor Kuen.
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On behalf of the Asian Contingent to May Day and on behalf of the Asian people in America who have been separated from the American workers’ movement, we are proud to unite here today with working people of all races and nationalities.
It’s only through working class unity and support of each others’ struggles that we can effectively fight against all forms of national oppression. The capitalists realize this fact and they have been able – at times – to prevent Asians from uniting with white workers.
Historically, in times of unemployment and recession, the employers spread lies that it was the Chinese, Japanese and Philipinos who were the causes. Myths and lies were spread about Asians; that we were apathetic and unorganizable, that we drove wages down, and that we could never unite with American workers.
We hold that these are lies handed down by the capitalists to confuse and divide the American people. Our history in this country has shown that we have been willing to unite with all workers when the door was opened to us. We’ve participated in numerous strikes on our own when we were excluded from the American labor movement. And we’ve participated in strikes and labor struggles with workers of all races when we were allowed to do so.
But we have more in common than in difference. That’s why we are here today under the slogan, ASIANS UNITE! FIGHT NATIONAL OPPRESSION...BUILD WORKING CLASS UNITY. The only way for Asian Americans to combat racism and national oppression is to link our struggle with the struggle of the American working class into a single united front against the capitalist class in this country.
The organizations which make up the Asian Contingent include:
1. Wei Min She
2. Taishu
3. Wei Min Bao
and others