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In June 1974, a grassroots organization called Asian Americans for Equal Employment (AAFEE) published this special bulletin, drawing attention to the struggle for fair hiring in Chinatown. Centered around an ongoing protest at the Confucius Plaza construction site, the newsletter offers a bilingual (Chinese and English) firsthand account of community organizing that challenged entrenched discriminatory practices against Asian American workers.

By stepping into the fray of urban labor politics, AAFEE placed Chinatown residents—often overlooked and undervalued—in the larger national narrative of civil rights and workers’ rights movements.

Historical Context

During the early 1970s, New York City grappled with widespread economic uncertainties, declining industrial jobs, and a construction sector notorious for discriminatory hiring. Asian Americans, particularly Chinese Americans in Chinatown, found themselves systematically excluded from trade unions and living-wage positions in the building trades. Despite having contributed significantly to America’s urban economies, they were largely seen as an invisible labor force—a workforce of laundromat, restaurant, and garment workers whose struggles seldom drew mainstream attention.

Against this backdrop, the Confucius Plaza project became a flashpoint. The general contractor, the DeMatteis Corp., was building a large residential complex in the heart of Chinatown. Asian American community organizers, led in part by AAFEE, seized on this project as a test case for demanding equal employment opportunities. Their demonstrations began in May 1974 and persisted, achieving considerable visibility. Alongside similar labor actions in other communities of color, the Confucius Plaza protests marked a turning point in broader struggles over urban development, labor rights, and racial equity.

Strategies and Content

• Bilingual Outreach
  The newsletter uses both Chinese and English to mobilize a cross-section of Chinatown residents—especially newly arrived immigrants—and to connect them to broader solidarity networks. By making the text accessible in the community’s primary languages, AAFEE built a broad coalition of workers, families, and local merchants.
• Community-Centric Reporting
  Rather than rely on external media to tell their story, activists produced in-depth articles and photographs that contextualize the protest from an Asian American point of view. Sections titled “Attacks on Minority and Working People” and “The Struggle at Confucius Plaza” outline the immediate issues of racism and exploitation.
• Comparisons to Other Movements
  The bulletin draws parallels between the fight for jobs in Chinatown and the broader struggles for racial and economic justice among Black, Puerto Rican, and other marginalized communities in the city. Through these references, it places local activism within a larger landscape of worker solidarity.
• Emphasis on Direct Action
  The newsletter underscores tactics like picketing, protesting at the work site, and confronting city officials. It frames visible demonstrations as both a necessity—given the economic crisis in the U.S.—and a proven way to shine a spotlight on systemic injustice.

Language, Imagery, and Symbolism

• Urgent Tone and Unity
  Headlines such as “The Struggle at Confucius Plaza” and “Stop Racial Discrimination Immediately” convey a sense of emergency and conviction. The text calls for solidarity across different racial and ethnic communities, emphasizing shared interests in fair wages and labor rights.
• Protest Photographs
  Images of demonstrators bearing signs that demand fair hiring—e.g., “Hire Chinese Workers” or “We Want Jobs”—capture the intensity of the protests. Such visual evidence challenges stereotypes of Asian Americans as passive or politically disengaged; instead, they appear as engaged constituents voicing collective demands.
• Historical Continuity
  The newsletter references past exclusionary laws and xenophobia that shaped Asian American life in the U.S. By situating current struggles in a continuum of discrimination—from the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 to exploitative conditions in the 20th century—the text highlights the long arc of injustice that protesters hoped to undo.

Impact

The Confucius Plaza protests were a seminal moment for Asian American labor activism, showing that Chinatown residents could and would fight for equitable treatment. While immediate results varied—some concessions were won, other demands were slow to be met—the movement effectively challenged an exclusionary status quo in New York’s construction industry and inspired future generations of Asian American labor organizers.

The push for inclusivity in public and private projects, from hiring practices to language access, draws heavily on frameworks established by mid-20th-century civil rights battles. By claiming public space and amplifying local voices, AAFEE demonstrated that Asian Americans could be—and indeed were—vocal participants in shaping labor standards and policies in major American cities.

Special thanks to the USC Digital Imaging Lab for their support in digitizing this item.