Who is Yuri Kochiyama?
Yuri Kochiyama (1921- ) is a grassroots civil rights activist who has involved herself in a wide range of issues from international political prisoner rights, nuclear disarmament, and Japanese redress for World War II internment. In the 1940s Yuri Kochiyama and her family were one of the many Japanese Americans to be sent to internment camps following the bombing at Pearl Harbor. Several years later she saw many similarities between how the Japanese had been treated in the camps and how many minority groups, especially blacks, were treated in the U.S. at the time. For more than sixty years afterwards Yuri Kochiyama has been an enthusiastic activist and a key supporter of many civil rights groups: in the 1960s she was a member of the Harlem Parents Committee organizing protests for more street lights in her neighborhood, and in 1977 she and 29 others from the Puerto Rican group the Young Lords stormed the Statue of Liberty to bring attention to the issue of Puerto Rican independence. Perhaps most famously, Yuri Kochiyama was a close friend and associate of Malcolm X, and was by his side at his assassination in 1965.
This website tells a small of part of the story that is Yuri Kochiyama. Navigation is on the left, please enjoy yourselves and learn something new!

Navigation – The links to Main (this page) and about the makers.

Biography – details parts of Yuri Kochiyama’s life influential to shaping her ideas and philosophy.

Work – highlights some of the work Yuri Kochiyama has involved herself in.

APALSA – two of the makers of this website heard Yuri Kochiyama speak at Harvard, and describe their thoughts.

Extras – Multimedia and links.