How Martin Luther King Jr. inspired Asian Americans

A Pew Research Center study in 2023 revealed a startling statistic: 25% of Asian Americans know either “not much” or “nothing at all” about Martin Luther King Jr.’s famous “I Have a Dream” speech.

This lack of familiarity stands in sharp contrast to King’s profound impact on Asian Americans, from catalyzing civil rights legislation that reshaped immigration to inspiring cross-racial solidarity. Today — on Martin Luther King Jr. Day — we remember his contributions to our community.

King’s leadership in the civil rights movement influenced pivotal changes in the country’s laws, such as the following:

King’s broader vision of justice transcended racial boundaries, resonating deeply with Asian American activists. In his 1967 “Beyond Vietnam” speech criticizing the Vietnam War, King described the U.S. government as “the greatest purveyor of violence in the world today.” His denunciation of militarism and racism encouraged communities of color to examine the intersections of imperialism and oppression. For Asian Americans, this critique hit close to home, as American foreign policies devastated their ancestral homelands.

Mark Tseng-Putterman, a historian of Asian American community politics, contextualizes this solidarity in a 2017 Medium article, noting how Black internationalists like Angela Davis and Muhammad Ali linked struggles against militarism abroad to systemic racism at home. This intersectional lens inspired Asian Americans to forge connections between their migration histories and U.S. imperialism.

Hak Joon Lee, a Korean American theologian, regards King as a “God-sent teacher” who helped him navigate his racialized identity. In a 2019 op-ed for Inheritance magazine, Lee notes that King’s approach mirrors jazz — a collective, improvisational art form that celebrates individuality while fostering collaboration.

This perspective extends to activism. Lee emphasizes that “Asian Americans still face the huge task of exploring Asian American identity in its complexity and plurality, of exploring conversation with rich Asiatic religious cultural traditions, and of measuring and arranging our relationships with other racial groups.” King’s model, he notes, offers a “third way” between divisive identity politics and post-racial idealism.

King’s vision of the “Beloved Community” — a society grounded in justice, inclusivity and love — is an inspiration to Asian American activists. The concept has encouraged the creation of multicultural coalitions aimed at dismantling systemic racism. As a philosophy, it highlights the interconnectedness of all struggles, emphasizing that unity and collaboration are essential for meaningful change.

Beyond this, King’s principles significantly influenced the formation of Asian American identity during the civil rights era. His dedication to dignity and nonviolence provided a template for Asian Americans to assert their rights in a nation that often marginalized them. This influence is evident in the establishment of Asian American advocacy organizations that paralleled the Black civil rights movement.

King’s anti-imperialist stance also resonated deeply with Asian American communities, particularly those affected by U.S. military actions abroad. His opposition to the Vietnam War and critique of American foreign policy galvanized Asian Americans to connect their own migration histories with the broader struggles against imperialism.

This solidarity extended to support for global decolonization movements, with King’s speeches inspiring Asian Americans to engage in activism that addressed both domestic and international issues. By linking the impacts of militarism abroad to systemic racism at home, King’s legacy offers a powerful reminder of the global stakes in the fight for justice.

To honor King’s legacy, Asian Americans must confront uncomfortable truths within their communities. Tseng-Putterman highlights the need to reject the “white conservative” appropriation of King’s words and to challenge intra-community complicity in systemic racism, such as opposition to affirmative action or police accountability. As late author and scholar Gary Okihiro poignantly reminded us: “Asians, it must be remembered, did not come to America; Americans went to Asia. Asians, it must be remembered, did not come to take the wealth of America; Americans went to take the wealth of Asia. Asians, it must be remembered, did not come to conquer and colonize America; Americans went to conquer and colonize Asia. And the matter of the ‘when and where’ of Asian American history is located therein.”

The future lies in building coalitions rooted in shared struggles. “A time comes when silence is betrayal,” King declared in his 1967 speech. For Asian Americans, breaking that silence means standing in solidarity with marginalized communities, dismantling systemic inequalities and embracing the “beloved community” as a guiding principle.

This story is part of The Rebel Yellow Newsletter — a bold weekly newsletter from the creators of NextShark, reclaiming our stories and celebrating Asian American voices.

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