Yuri Kochiyama

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Yuri Kochiyama

Born	May 19, 1921 (1921-05-19) (age 87) San Pedro, California
Occupation	Activist

Yuri Kochiyama (born May 19, 1921) is a Japanese American human rights activist.

Kochiyama was born Mary Nakahara in San Pedro, California. After the attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941, Kochiyama's father was imprisoned the same day. Her family, sent to a camp in Jerome, Arkansas, were among the 120,000 Japanese Americans interned during the second world war. Two of her brothers joined the US Army.

In 1960, Kochiyama and her husband Bill moved to Harlem, New York City, and joined the Harlem Parents Committee. She became acquainted with Malcolm X and became a member of his Organization of Afro-American Unity, following his departure from the Nation of Islam. She was present at his assassination on February 21, 1965 at the Audubon Ballroom in Harlem, and held him in her arms as he lay dying.

In 1977, Kochiyama joined the group of Puerto Ricans that took over the Statue of Liberty to draw attention to the struggle for Puerto Rican independence.

Over the years, Kochiyama has dedicated herself to various causes, such as the rights of political prisoners, freeing Mumia Abu-Jamal, nuclear disarmament, and reparations to Japanese Americans who were interned during the war.

Kochiyama was the subject of the documentary film, Yuri Kochiyama: Passion for Justice (1999), from Japanese American filmmaker Rea Tajiri. She is also the subject of a play, Yuri and Malcolm X, by Japanese American playwright, Tim Toyama.

In 2005, Kochiyama was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize through the “1,000 Women for the Nobel Peace Prize 2005” project.