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Lori Leong
from East Wind Magazine Vol. 1 No. 1 (1982)
Subheadings were added to the original publication to make this more readable on the web.
I got involved in the late '60s and early'70s when I was a freshman in college.
What affected my involvement in the Asian Movement was being in a relationship with an Asian guy who was active on campus. But I was an oppressed woman in that relationship- I went to meetings with him, but I did not feel I could participate. He didn't encourage me to express my ideas nor did he seek them out. Then I met other Asian sisters in the Movement, and they really helped me express my ideas for the first time in my life. I could actually feel that I had some ideas to contribute to building something. But at the same time that I began to express my ideas, I had a very difficult time with my boyfriend. He resented my participation and closeness with other Asian sisters.
Sisters and Men
For a long time, I subjected myself to a lot of physical beatings by him. Looking back on it from where I'm at now it's hard to see why I would subject myself to that kind of treatment by a man. Like a lot of other women, I was brought up to accept your place in society - to get married, listen to your husband, basically get a man and hold on to him. Getting the courage to break out of that kind of relationship didn't happen overnight. It only happened when I began to understand what was going on, and with the support of people around me, particularly Asian women.
"Asian sisters really helped me express my ideas for the first time in my life."
