Google honors Asian/American civil rights hero

Today's Google Doodle

IF YOU USED the Google search engine today, you might be wondering what today's Google doodle is all about.

Today’s Google doodle pays homage to human rights activist Yuri Kochiyama on what would have been her 95th birthday.

Raised in San Pedro, California, Kochiyama was imprisoned in a Japanese-American internment camp in Arkansas for two years during World War II when she was in her twenties. She would later move to Harlem and dedicate her life to fighting for the rights of African/Americans, Latinos and Asian/Americans.

There and through her work, she formed a close bond with Malcolm X. In a Life photo spread about Malcolm X's assassination, Kochiyama is shown cradling the civil rights icon's head (See below).

She's one of this country's unsung civil rights heroes that bridged the gap between the Asian/American and African/American communities, two communities that have been at odds recently over the fatal shooting of Akai Gurley by former NYPD police officer Peter Liang.

RELATED: Justice is not just a black-and-white issue

Kochiyama passed away in 2014.

From the Google Doodle blog:

Kochiyama left a legacy of advocacy: for peace, US political prisoners, nuclear disarmament, and reparations for Japanese Americans interned during the war. She was known for her tireless intensity and compassion, and remained committed to speaking out, consciousness-raising, and taking action until her death in 2014.

Google Doodle Blog

Unfortunately for my international readers, this doodle only shows up in the U.S., but you can still find out more about Yuri Kochiyama by using the link below

Learn more about this Asian/American heroine.

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For more news about Asian/Americans and Pacific Islanders, read AsAm News. which contributed to this report.