FBI and Asian political organizations in the ending of 1960s – beginning of the 1970s (using the example of Asian-American Political Alliance)

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Abstract

The article examines the FBI's way of working with radical and civil opposition among Asian political organizations in the context of the Vietnam War and the political situation in general during the end of the 1960s and the beginning of the 1970s. Using the Bureau's archives of the Asian-American Political Alliance, work's methods of the intelligence agency related to non-radical and obeying the law groups are made. The main threat that such groups considered was the influence of communists' parties and the Black Panther Party, which was far more radical and against them. As a result, the FBI applied anti-constitutional methods of actions. The non-uniformity of the COINTELPRO program, within which the FBI investigations took place, is traced by the conducted research. At this period, most of the Asian political organizations were non-violent and legal in nature. Also, many delegates were professors in universities and its students. Hence, the Bureau acted carefully while working with that kind of organizations because they didn't want to get in an «awkward position». Based on made analyses, the conclusion can be made that the FBI's activity in relation to Asian political organizations was considerably different from their methods for other political organizations of the same kind in a considerable period of history.

About the authors

Polina Dmitrievna Tokmakova

Samara State Technical University

Email: tokmakovapolya@mail.ru

 laboratory assistant of research sector of Philosophy, Social Sciences and Humanities Department

Russian Federation, Samara

Yaroslav Alexandrovich Levin

Samara State Technical University

Author for correspondence.
Email: yaroslavlevin1992@mail.ru

candidate of historical sciences, associate professor of Philosophy, Social Sciences and Humanities Department

Russian Federation, Samara

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Copyright (c) 2024 Tokmakova P.D., Levin Y.A.

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