Lesson Objective

Connect local labor struggles to broader historical movements while reflecting on the role of youth and community in social activism. The 1995 Chinatown Student Hunger Strike In 1995, restaurant union workers and labor advocates from the Chinese Staff and Workers’ Association (CSWA) picketed against Jing Fong, Chinatown’s largest restaurant at the time. The management allegedly violated labor laws by stealing workers’ tips and refusing to pay minimum wage and overtime. Jing Wong's waiters and workers voiced opposition to the protests, stating that they were hurting the restaurant’s business and feared these disputes would lead to unemployment. Over 200 demonstrators, led by Chinese American students, marched through Chinatown, inspired by the Tiananmen Square massacre in Beijing, where hundreds of students were killed in a movement that the government crushed. The protests culminated in five Chinese American students going on a week-long hunger strike, camped in front of the restaurant. Eventually, the NY State Attorney General’s office found the restaurant violated the law and settled for $1.13 million in back wages.