The Yellow Power Movement: Boxers, Panthers, and Hotels

by Ben Wang
1/31/02

There is a classic, very original hip-hop album by Dan the Automator, Del tha Funkee Homosapien, and Kid Koala called Deltron 3030. On it, the trio warns about corporate rule and space imperialism in the year 3030. With musical genius and lyrical metaphors of anti-authoritarianism and anti-imperialism, the Deltron 3030 crew attacks the system better than Orwell ever could. Of course, two of the three members of Deltron 3030 happen to be Asian, which brings up an interesting if rarely discussed topic–how have people of Asian descent fought against U.S. imperialism, white supremacy, and 3rd world oppression? Despite all the stereotypes of us as model minorities, Asians and Asian Americans have caused much ruckus when faced with oppression.

In the late 19th century, the western powers were fighting over colonies like little kids fighting over Voltron's right arm. In 1898, the U.S. and Spain were battling over who would occupy numerous 3rd world countries in what is known as the Spanish-American war, even though none of the costly wars took place on Spanish or American soil. The Philippines were one of the colonies involved, and a secret organization performing Masonic rites called Katipunan was formed first to rid the Philippines of Spanish rule in 1892, and was revived again in 1900 in the fight against the U.S. There had been over 200 violent rebellions under 350 years of colonial Spanish rule, but the Katipunan rebellion in 1892 was one of the more successful. However, by 1914, 200,000 to 600,000 Filipinos had been slaughtered by the U.S. military and the Philippines were again placed under western rule

Yellow Panther