Ambassador Attalah Shabazz poses with a photo of the late Yuri Kochiyama. Photo by Lia Chang
A Program from Yuri Kochiyama’s memorial in New York on September 27, 2014. Photo by Lia Chang
The First Corinthian Baptist Church in New York was filled to capacity on the last Saturday in September for a memorial service to celebrate the life of activist Yuri Kochiyama, who passed away peacefully in her sleep in Berkeley, California on the morning of Sunday, June 1, 2014, at the age of 93.
Soh Daiko, Pua Ali’i ‘llima o Nuioka, Janice Robinson, Taiyo Na and Magnetic North, and New Heritage Theatre Group’s Impact Repertory were among the artists who performed in tribute to Yuri.
Former Black Panther Jamal Joseph served as emcee and Yuri’s granddaughter Akemi Kochiyama read a statement from the family. Malcolm X’s oldest daughter Ambassador Attalah Shabazz, Peter Wong, Lumumba Akinwole-Bandele, Tomie Arai and Zulu Williams were among those who gave remembrances.
Over a span of more than 50 years, Yuri worked tirelessly for social and political change through her activism in support of social justice and civil and human rights movements.
At its annual convention at the Los Angeles Hilton and Towers in 1993, APALA honored four pioneers in the crusade for Asian American civil rights. (L-R) Jesse Jackson Jr., David Trask, Jr., a noted Hawaiian labor leader, Yuri Kochiyama, a peace and community activist from New York who died in 2014, Fred Korematsu, the civil rights proponent who called upon the U.S. Supreme Court to rule on the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II who died in 2005; Jesse Jackson; Frank Atonio, who brought forward a complaint in the important labor discrimination case known as Wards Cove, and Kent Wong, APALA’s first president. Photo by Lia Chang
The Kochiyama Clan.
Yuri was born on May 19, 1921 in San Pedro, California and spent two years in a concentration camp in Jerome, Arkansas during World War II. After the war, she moved to New York City and married Bill Kochiyama, a decorated veteran of the all-Japanese American 442nd combat unit of the U.S. Army.
Yuri’s activism started in Harlem in the early 1960’s, where she participated in the Harlem Freedom Schools, and later, the African American, Asian American and Third World movements for civil and human rights and in the opposition against the Vietnam War. In 1963, she met Malcolm X. Their friendship and political alliance radically changed her life and perspective. She joined his group, the Organization of Afro-American Unity, to work for racial justice and human rights. Over the course of her life, Yuri was actively involved in various movements for ethnic studies, redress and reparations for Japanese Americans, African Americans and Native Americans, political prisoners’ rights, Puerto Rican independence and many other struggles.
Yuri and her husband, Bill Kochiyama, were featured in My America…or Honk if You Love Buddha (1997), the documentary by Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Renee Tajima-Peña.
Film clips featuring Yuri in Renee Tajima-Pena’s My America…or Honk If You Love Buddha; Yuri Kochiyama: Passion for Justice by Pat Saunders and Rea Tajiri; and Mountains That Take Wing: Angela Davis and Yuri Kochiyama were shown during the memorial.
Akemi Kochiyama, John Kuo Wei Tchen and Audee Kochiyama-Holman. Photo by Lia Chang
Yuri is survived by her living children—Audee, Eddie, Jimmy and Tommy, grandchildren—Zulu, Akemi, Herb, Ryan, Traci, Maya, Aliya, Christopher, and Kahlil and great-grandchildren—Kai, Leilani, Kenji, Malia and Julia.
Pamela Wu-Kochiyama, her husband Eddie Kochiyama and guest at Yuri Kochiyama Memorial at First Corinthian Church in New York on September 27, 2014. Photo by Lia Chang
Click below to see excerpts of tribute performances by Soh Daiko, Pua Ali’i ‘llima o Nuioka, Janice Robinson, Taiyo Na, Magnetic North, New Heritage Theatre Group’s Impact Repertory for Yuri.
Below is the full program lineup for Yuri’s memorial.
Soh Daiko
Tribute: “Hachidan”
Soh Daiko. Photo by Lia Chang
Jamal Joseph, Emcee
Welcome & brief remarks
Pastor Desiree Allen
Welcome to First Corinthian Church
Akemi Kochiyama
Statement from the family
Pua Ali’i ‘llima o Nuioka
Tribute: Hula performance
with Director Kumu Hulu Vicky Holt Takamine
Hula performance tribute for Yuri Kochiyama by Pua Ali’i ‘llima o Nuioka. Photo by Lia Chang
Peter Wong. Photo by Lia Chang
Film clip: Yuri Kochiyama: Passion for Justice
by Pat Saunders & Rea Tajiri
Peter Wong
Remembrances
Janice Robinson
Tribute: “Angel of the Night”
Attalah Shabazz
Remembrances
Film clip: Mountains That Take Wing: Angela Davis & Yuri Kochiyama
by C.A. Griffith & H.T.L Quan
Lumumba Akinwole-Bandele
Remembrances and message from Dr. Mutulu Shakur
Taiyo Na and Magnetic North
Tribute: “Asian Song”
Tomie Arai
Remembrances
Film clip: My America…or Honk If You Love Buddha
by Renee Tajima-Pena
Jamal Joseph and Impact Repertory
Remembrances and tribute
Impact Repertory Theatre. Photo by Lia Chang
Zulu Williams
Closing remarks
Great Grandchildren – Leilani, Malia, Kenji and Kai
Reading of “My Creed” (by Yuri in 1939); and Kai’s statement
Ambassador Attalah Shabazz and Yuri Kochiyama’s great grandchildren at Yuri Kochiyama Memorial at First Corinthian Church in New York on September 27, 2014. Photo by Lia Chang
Click to view slideshow.
Video tribute by Tadashi Nakamura
Yuri Kochiyama: Passion for Justice (1994), a film by Pat Saunders and Rea Tajiri, chronicles her remarkable contribution to social change through some of the most significant events of the 20th century, including the Black Liberation movement, the struggle for Puerto Rican independence, and the Japanese American Redress movement.
Yuri appeared as herself in the TV movie, “Death of a Prophet — The Last Days of Malcolm X” (1981); in the 12 award winning documentary, All Power to the People! (1996), by Chinese-Jamaican-American filmmaker Lee Lew-Lee for ZDF-Arte, broadcast in 21 nations and the U.S. between 1996-2001; is the subject of a documentary film with Angela Davis called Mountains That Take Wing (2010) by C.A. Griffith & L.T. Quan; and is the subject of a Tim Toyama’s play, Yuri and Malcolm X.
Yuri’s speeches were published in Discover Your Mission: Selected Speeches & Writings of Yuri Kochiyama (1998), by Russell Muranaka, and she wrote Passing It On: A Memoir (2004).
In 2005, Kochiyama was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize through the “1,000 Women for the Nobel Peace Prize 2005” project.
Click here for John Kuo Wei Tchen’s tribute on Yuri Kochiyama (1921–2014) on www.versobooks.com.
Video on Yuri
Watch Yuri’s 2008 interview on Democracy Now!
This interview aired the week that marked 43 years since Malcolm X was gunned down in the Audubon Ballroom in Harlem, and Yuri also recalls how she cradled his head as he lay dying on the stage.
Life.com: Yuri Kochiyama, at Malcolm X’s Side When He Died, Is Dead at 93
AAPI Civil Rights Heroes – Yuri Kochiyama
Other articles on Yuri Kochiyama
Remembering Civil Rights Activist Yuri Kochiyama, 1921-2014
Sept. 27: Yuri Kochiyama Memorial Service at First Corinthian Baptist Church in New York
AsAmNews: Civil Rights Activist Yuri Kochiyama Dead at 93
The Independent: Yuri Kochiyama Dead: Japanese American Human Rights Activist and Close Malcolm Ally Dies Aged 93
SFGate: Yuri Kochiyama dies: activist got reparations for interned Japanese
Apex Express:Remembering Yuri Kochiyama (part 1 of 2)
Apex Express: Occupation of the Statue Of Liberty in 1977
NPR: Civil Rights Champion Yuri Kochiyama Dies at 93
NPR: Yuri Kochiyama: Passing it on
latimes.com: Yuri Kochiyama dies at 93; civil rights activist, friend of Malcolm X
Washingtonpost.com:Yuri Kochiyama, ’60s civil rights activist and friend of Malcolm X’s, dies at 93
New York Times: Yuri Kochiyama, Rights Activist Who Befriended Malcolm X, Dies at 93
Chicago Sun-Times.com: Yuri Kochiyama, 93, activist held Malcolm X after shooting
smithsonianapa.org: Folk Hero Yuri Kochiyama
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Lia Chang is an actor, a performance and fine art botanical photographer, and an award-winning multi-platform journalist. Lia starred as Carole Barbara in Lorey Hayes’ Power Play at the 2013 National Black Theatre Festival in Winston-Salem, N.C., with Pauletta Pearson Washington, Roscoe Orman, and made her jazz vocalist debut in Rome Neal’s Banana Puddin’ Jazz “LADY” at the Nuyorican Poets Cafe in New York. She is profiled in Jade Magazine.
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