Compare And Contrast Milk And Harvey Milk

Grant Haydon

Lee 5 / Cabrera 6

Honors Humanities 10

20 March 2023

A Solution to Stereotypes

Martin Luther King Jr. is quoted as saying “We know through painful experience that freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor, it must be demanded by the oppressed” (King). This philosophy, finally introduced to minority groups during the Civil Rights movement, began the end of an era of slavery, segregation, internment, and stereotypes generally being accepted as the norm. As leaders of smaller oppressed minority groups, both Amy Uyematsu and Harvey Milk had the unique experience of a lack of focus. Media watched as Martin Luther King led African American through bus strikes, protests, and legal changes, while Asian Americans quietly ignored

Asian Americans discovered that they had power through the Berkeley strike where they convinced a college to introduce ethnic studies programs, leading Amy Uyematsu to create the Yellow Power movement which was inspired by Malcolm X’s movement in its nationalism and trust in self-determination. In her speech, Uyematsu inspires Asian Americans to join the Yellow Power cause, to join the “shout for Yellow Power” because it “symbolizes the birth of a new Asian--one who will recognize and deal with injustices” (Uyematsu). Uyematsu employs an inspirational tone in her words “shout,” “birth,” and the name of her movement itself, “Yellow Power,” which instills a sense of desire in Asian Americans for a time where powerful Asian Americans exist that she describes will be able to deal with injustices. Amy Uyematsu shows Asian Americans that there is a chance for Asian Americans to rid themselves of distorting stereotypes of being accommodating or passive and that directly contrasting the negative stereotypes with a large voice, such as the Yellow Power movement, will allow them to do so. Harvey Milk instead fought for the LGBTQ+ movement, but also fought for expression and power specifically through political representation. He recognized that there has not been an openly gay public politician in the US, and therefore LGBTQ+ requests were not being met on a legal level. In his speech, he calls for support for his campaign by strongly expressing the need for “a legislator who was gay and proud of that fact and one who will not walk away from the responsibilities that face such a legislator,” claiming it will “mean that a green light is lit” (Milk). Milk applies a metaphor with the phrase “green light,” comparing the outcome of a green