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History of the Red Guard Party
By Former Members
Part 1 of 5
The Red Guard Party was founded in San Francisco's Chinatown in February of 1969. Our membership was primarily composed of American-born Chinese youth. Due to the incorrectness of our political line, our organizational structure and our method of work, we disbanded in July of 1971.
Our history of participation as cadre in the Red Guard has helped to strengthen our political understanding and the practical work we are presently engaged in. Although the Red Guard made many errors, the organization was still a very positive development in the course of the mass political movement at the time in the United States.
There are positive and negative aspects to everything. When looking back at the history of the Red Guard, we must look at both its good points and bad points. In order to understand our strengths and the source of our errors and weaknesses, we are writing this history and analysis so that people can learn from the experiences of the Red Guard to advance the revolutionary movements forward.
Material Conditions
What were the material conditions that existed prior to the founding of the Red Guards? First of all, the international situation shaped our consciousness, particularly the struggle of the Indo-Chinese people. The year before the Red Guards came into existence, the National Liberation Front had launched the Tet Offensive forcing President Johnson to end the bombing of the North and begin the Peace Negotiations. Next, the force that was generated from the People's Republic of China found it's way into our consciousness as our nationalism grew. No longer could the reactionaries deny to us the existence and accomplishments of our 800 million compatriots by claiming the feeble Chiang Kai-sek government as the real China. Secondly, the political atmosphere in the San Francisco Bay Area was one of tremendous mass political upheaval -- the growing anti-war movement to stop the U.S.'s genocidal war in Vietnam; the Third World struggles on campuses for ethnic studies and an end to the institutional racism; and the development of Third World revolutionary organizations -- influenced us greatly. Thirdly, the miserable conditions which existed in Chinatown could no longer be tolerated.
