Yamada, Mitsuye. “Asian Pacific American Women and Feminism.” This Bridge Called My Back, edited by Cherríe Moraga and Gloria Anzaldúa, State University of New York Press, Albany, pp. 68–72.
In this essay by Mitsuye Yamada, she discusses the experience of Asian American women and the expectations put on them in the feminist movement. Existing women’s organizations have shown their lack of experience with Asian American women, and that they have a preconceived image of what they should act like. It’s like they are expected to be entertaining rather than educational, and are meant to not make anyone uncomfortable. The majority of groups do not make an effort to educate themselves about different cultures, and this burden is put on women like Yamada. She goes on to say that there shouldn’t have to be a choice between working with the women’s movement and working with organizations that help their ethnic communities. Yamada says that Asian American women will be unable to speak out until they feel safe and at home in the United States, which has proved to be difficult considering the ever changing attitudes towards Asian Americans.
