Revolutionary Friendship of Malcolm X and Yuri Kochiyama

Malcolm X and Yuri Kochiyama are both American civil rights icons. But while you probably learned about Malcolm X’s lasting legacy in school, Kochiyama remains one of American history’s unsung heroes. (And until recently, their friendship was even more of a mystery.) Despite the obscurity of their relationship, Yuri and Malcolm’s unique bond forever changed the course of history.

An Unlikely Activist

In the spring of 1920, Mary Yuri Kochiyama was born to immigrant parents in San Pedro, California. Kochiyama described herself as “totally apolitical” in her teens and early-twenties, enjoying the comforts of small town life. After the 1942 bombing of Pearl Harbor, Kochiyama’s world was uprooted as she and her family were transported to Jerome, Arkansas, where 120,000 Japanese Americans were imprisoned during WWII.

By the early 1960’s, Kochiyama’s politics were changing. After being released from internment, Kochiyama and her family moved to a low-income housing project in New York City. Fueled by the injustices she witnessed during Japanese internment, and influenced by her Black and Puerto Rican neighbors, Yuri began her explore her own ideology, spending time learning from Black activists and intellectuals at the Harlem Freedom School.

At this time, Malcolm X was already a household name in the civil rights movement. He was the national representative for the Nation of Islam, a prominent role which took him around the nation, lecturing, debating, and making high-profile media appearances. Malcolm was also frequently invited to speak at college campuses like Harvard and Oxford University about the emerging Black Power movement.

Despite their vastly different trajectories, Malcolm and Yuri’s paths would soon cross.

A Friendship Is Born

Yuri Kochiyama and Malcolm X met on October 16, 1963 at the Brooklyn criminal court. As Malcolm was flooded by a crowd of young supporters, Kochiyama was hesitant to approach him, unsure how he would respond to an Asian-American woman. Eventually, Yuri gained the courage to approach Malcolm, asking to shake his hand. She was immediately “overwhelmed by his charisma and his warmth.”

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