05/19/2026
Today, Foundations and Futures & the UCLA Asian American Studies Center honors the life and legacy of Yuri Kochiyama — a visionary activist whose work helped shape the foundations of Asian American activism, ethnic studies, and cross-racial solidarity movements across the country.
Yuri Kochiyama was born Mary Yuri Nakahara on May 19, 1921 in San Pedro, California. She became one of the most iconic figures among Asian Americans dedicated to community activism and liberatory social change. As a young teen, her family was imprisoned along with 125,000 Japanese Americans during World War II. While at the Jerome, Arkansas concentration camp, she helped found the Crusaders with other women to support Japanese American soldiers sent to fight for the US military. Her ethical humanitarianism was rooted in Christianity and evolved after the war as she developed close relationships with key figures in the Civil Rights, Black Power and anti-war movements in New York City from the 1950s. She married Bill Kochiyama and they raised six children, eventually settling in Harlem where they grew their activism. Over her lifetime, Yuri committed herself to many movements, including support for political prisoners, Ethnic Studies, Japanese American redress and reparations, and organizations like Asian Americans for Action.
We welcome you to explore the richness of her life and legacy in Foundations and Futures: https://www.foundationsandfutures.org
Additional resources include the UCLA Asian American Studies Center’s digital exhibition and collection: https://learn.aasc.ucla.edu/kochiyama/
Happy Birthday Yuri 🌟
