Harvey Dong
Harvey Dong is an ethnic studies professor at the University of California, Berkeley. He grew up in Sacramento, California, and was raised by his grandmother and immigrant mother. He was an active member of the Asian American Political Alliance and the Third World Liberation Front. He continues his work by writing and researching the evolution of these entities. He has won awards for his writing, such as the Independent Publisher Award for the US West-Pacific - Best Regional Non-fiction for the book Mountain Movers: Student Activism & the Emergence of Asian American Studies.
Early life
Harvey Dong was born in downtown Sacramento, where he lived with his parents, grandmother and cousins. During his early childhood he lived close to Sacramento's Chinatown. His family was well known in the community as his grandfather ran a popular herb shop and volunteered at the Chinese language school. At the herb shop, members of the community would visit to send and receive letters from China. His grandfather passed before he could meet him, but all the hard work he did for the community lived on. He and his family later moved to a small predominantly white suburban neighborhood near the Sacramento River, when his father purchased a home using GI benefits. By the time Dong reached high school, the neighborhood's population was around 50% Asian. Although he had never felt any disdain from his neighbors, whenever he visited surrounding neighborhoods he would be called racial slurs. Many of his cousins were going through the same situation as well, but had a different reaction than he had. While their goal was to let it roll off their backs, Dong felt frustrated. Within the first week of middle school he had experienced threats, racist comments and taunts from his fellow schoolmates. In order to stop this repeated cycle he reacted with violence, which then caused the other students to never bother him again.Education
He enrolled at the University of California, Berkeley in 1966 with the intention to enter the business field by getting a degree in economics. At the same time, he made the decision to join the Reserved Officers' Training Corps. Growing up with family members who had joined the military, Dong always assumed that he would join too. During his time in the ROTC he was expected to wake up at 5:00 am, take part in drills, practice shooting and dismantling his rifle. What later made him change his perspective on continuing to take part in the military was the Vietnam War. He had also witnessed various racist incidents during his time there. Many students in his dormitory had been discussing the war and through these open discussions, he was able to gain a deeper understanding of what the war represented. This prompted him to go to his local bookstore to continue his research. After learning about the Gulf of Tonkin and Vietnam, he came to the conclusion that the United States should not be fighting in the Vietnam War. By the time his freshman year of college was coming to an end he had attended various anti-war rallies, demonstrations, and marches. When it became known to various conservative Asian Americans in his dorms that he was participating in anti-war rallies, they continuously threatened him. In October 1967, he participated in Stop the Draft week to protest against the Oakland Army Induction Center. He went on to attend Stop the Draft week part two in spring of 1968.Later in 1968, Harvey Dong became interested in volunteer work after seeing a flier stating the need for volunteers to tutor immigrant youth in San Francisco's Chinatown. Every Wednesday, Dong and his friend would drive from Sacramento to San Francisco to tutor. This volunteer group was brought together by UC Berkeley's Chinese American Organization. During his time in San Francisco, he would visit the office of the Intercollegiate Chinese for Social Action to discuss the current strikes happening at San Francisco State. These meetings were also a way for Dong to learn about poverty within the community and how the University needed to act on it. He began to attend more political rallies, functions and speeches where he saw solidarity amongst the attendees.
Beatrice Dong
His wife, Beatrice Dong, was among the first batch of students at UC Berkeley to take the Asian American studies program established by Harvey Dong and the TWLF in 1970. The pair married in 1974 in San Francisco City Hall. She led the 1974 Jung Sai Garment Workers Strike and was subsequently arrested.Harvey Dong and his wife, Beatrice Dong, were also part of the I-Hotel protests in San Francisco.
She was paralyzed from the neck down at the age of 29 after a bullet struck her in 1981.
Political activism
He was an active member of Asian American Political Alliance and worked in the struggle to save the International Hotel in 1977. While he contributed to several organizations, he is known for his work in establishing the Asian Community Center alongside fellow AAPA activist and participating in the I-Hotel and TWLF protests.Dong joined AAPA in the fall of 1968. The goal of AAPA was political education and advancement of the movement among Asian people and the organization used the concept of "Asian American" as a vehicle for political activism on and off the UC Berkely campus and Asian pan-ethnic self-determination. Within AAPA, he advocated the organization adopted the approach of "problem posing" to rais political consciousness". The organization's leadership was focused on the idea of creating an Asian American studies that served student and community needs. While a part of AAPA, Dong attended and facilitated in events such as "The Yellow Symposium ". This event "helped chart the direction for future Asian American activism. Asian American identity, Asian American Studies, community service, Asian student movements..."
Some of the most notable work AAPA did was their solidarity activism with the Black Panther Party, specifically through their activism in the "Free Huey" movement. Dong participated in multiple "Free Huey" rallies as a member of AAPA in addition to the collaborative events with Black Power and the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee. Additionally Dong was heavily active in the organization's anti-war activism and in the Chinatown anti-poverty protests. AAPA ceased activity in 1970.
The Asian Studies Field Office changed its name to the Asian Community Center in 1970. After the end of AAPA, Dong and other Asian American activists centered their work at the ACC. The Asian Community Center provided multiple services, including a youth program, food program, and film services for the elderly.
Through the ACC, Dong worked at Self-Help for the Elderly, which was a community organization catered towards Asian senior citizens. Through Self-Help, Dong served as the main organizer for the "Team 40" youth group, which was centered on the restoration and renovation of Old Chinatown Lane.
Alongside other AAPA activists, Harvey Dong was also a co-founder of Wei Min She, an Asian American anti-imperialist activist organization. Similarly to Everybody's Bookstore, Wei Min She was physically headquartered in the I-Hotel.
In addition his involvement in the Asian American Political Alliance, he took part in the Third World Liberation Front in 1969, which was largely a student-led movement that sought to establish ethnic studies departments and programs in universities and other academic institutions. The Third World Liberation Front was a coalition of Asian, Black, Latino, and Native American student groups and activists at the University of California-Berkeley. The ultimate goal of the TWLF was to see their lived experiences with oppression and systemic racism centered in academia and higher education. Dong participated in the protests, particularly the TWLF strikes near Sproul Hall on the Berkely campus. While working with the TWLF, Dong learned how to organize strike logistics, respond to mass arrests, negotiate demands, and deal with the press.
While in university, Dong became close friends with Black Panther activist and FBI informant Richard Aoki. Eventually serving as the executor of his will and estate after Aoki's death.
The I-Hotel protests
The I-Hotel protests are considered to be pivotal in the Asian American movement and Asian American activism in the 1960s.The International Hotel or I-Hotel was the resident of 150 elderly Filipino and Chinese tenants. It was the location of a nine year campaign and protests against the gentrification and encroachment of the neighboring Financial District in San Francisco. These protests utilized student and community grass-roots organization and is considered a milestone in housing advocacy. Located in the Filipino American enclave of Manilatown, the I-Hotel and surrounding areas were subject to the encroachment throughout the 1960s, turning much of the residential Manilatown into "higher use" developments. Walter Shorenstien, the President of the Milton Meyer & Company released plans to demolish the I-Hotel in order to use the land for a multi-level parking lot.
From 1968 to 1977, community action and protests resulted in eviction postponements, court stays, and local political intervention. Participants of the protests and community action included student activists from the Third World Liberation Front strikes of San Francisco State College and UC Berkeley. Harvey Dong participated in marches to the offices of Shorenstein protesting in support of the I-Hotel tenants in 1969.
His involvement in these protests for the preservation of the International Hotel in Manilatown, resistance to gentrification of ethnic neighborhoods, the housing rights of the ethnic residents of the hotel, as well as immigrant labor rights.
Eastwind Books
After the protests and activism surrounding the I-Hotel, Harvey Dong, with nine other activists and peers, purchased Everybody's Bookstore, which was located in the basement of the I-Hotel. The purchase of Everybody's Bookstore was the last of AAPA's activities. It was considered to be the first Asian American bookstore in the United States. It also served as a key provider of reading materials for activists and community members, particularly during the nine-year I-Hotel struggle. Everybody's Bookstore was evicted alongside the tenants in 1977.Harvey and Beatrice Dong purchased the Berkeley location of the Hong Kong owned Eastwind Books. Their bookstore, Eastwind Books, was considered a hub for local Asian American activism and art. It was one of the first Asian American books stores in the United States. The bookstore is considered to be a local landmark for Asian American and ethnic studies. Eastwind Books served as a cultural community center for Asian Americans and activists in the Bay Area. The bookstore also served as a physical archive for signs, banners, oral histories, and other artifacts from Asian American political movements in Berkeley and the San Francisco Bay Area.
Eastwind Books was used by Yuri Kochiyama, an Asian American and political prisoners activist, as her address and place of business. With many inmates and political prisoners sending letters meant for Kochiyama to Eastwind Books.
His bookstore hosted Black-Panthers co-founder, Bobby Seale. This event was used to introduce Southeast Asian refugee student activists to real-world activism. As well as promotional work for the book, Black Against Empire: The History and Politics of the Black Panther Party by Joshua Bloom and Waldo E. Martin. Eastwind Books also hosted an event for Al Robles, Filipino American poet and community activist. It was also the location of Brian Ang's first poetry book release.
One of Eastwind Books largest clients was the UC Berkeley Ethnic Studies Library. The bookstore was known for their catalog of Asian American literature, ethnic studies, Chinese-language books, and books on United States-Chinese relations. It was considered "long time staple" of the ethnic studies community.
Eastwind Books closed down in 2023. With increased costs, the rise of online retail options like Amazon, and lease issues in addition to gentrification listed as reasons for the closing. Their lease expired in April 2023, and the couple did not renew their lease. An online version of Eastwind Books still exists and is active as of May 2025.