U.S. Capitalism, Empire, and Anti-Asian Violence
From KPFA - Against the Grain by KPFA
May 4, 2026 · 60 min
About this episode
Historian Scott Kurashige discusses the historical context of anti-Asian violence in the U.S. and its ties to capitalism and empire.
Recessions, trade wars, labor unrest — in moments of societal crisis in the United States, Asian-Americans have been perennially targeted, from the destruction of Chinatowns by white mobs, to the mass internment of Japanese-Americans during WW2, to attacks against Asians during Covid. Historian Scott Kurashige reflects on more than 175 years of anti-Asian violence and its connection to U.S. empire abroad and a divided working class at home. Scott Kurashige, American Peril: The Violent History of Anti-Asian Racism UC Press, 2026 Photo by Jason Leung on Unsplash The post U.S. Capitalism, Empire, and Anti-Asian Violence appeared first on KPFA.
People in this episode
Guest: Scott Kurashige
Topics covered
- anti-Asian violence
- U.S. capitalism
- empire
- labor unrest
- historical racism
Keywords
- anti-Asian violence
- U.S. empire
- Scott Kurashige
- labor unrest
- historical racism
- Chinatowns
- Japanese-Americans
- Covid
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: UC Press
Books & works: American Peril: The Violent History of Anti-Asian Racism
More episodes of KPFA - Against the Grain
- The Anti-Defamation League and the Left · June 10, 2026 · 60 min
- AI, the Media, and the Billionaire Class · June 9, 2026 · 60 min
- Fighting Surveillance · June 8, 2026 · 60 min
- Triumph of the Yuppie · June 3, 2026 · 48 min
- Sex and Strength · June 2, 2026 · 60 min
- Controlling Workers · June 1, 2026 · 60 min
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the KPFA - Against the Grain podcast page.