Radicals on the Road: Internationalism, Orientalism, and Feminism during the Vietnam Era (The United States in the World)

I was not too familiar with this scholar, but the text was very helpful to read and to provide a much needed international feminist perspective.

I was expecting a bunch of biased socialist-lens glorification of the Black Panthers and anti-war activists, but Wu's scholarship is impeccable, helpful, and multifaceted. Her carefully constructed critiques of controversial figures like Eldridge Cleaver as well as the Indochinese Women's Conferences are beyond well-researched and fascinating to read. As I delved into the chapters on the Black Panther Party Anti-Imperialist Delegation's trip to socialist Asia, it was clear that the group, while well-intentioned, was incredibly volatile and full of conflict, much of which was sustained by Cleaver and his prejudice and chauvinism, as well as his control over the delegates in the party. Pat Sumi's story is especially fascinating, and disturbing.The accounts of the IWCs give a fascinating look into the power dynamics and disagreements of women's feminist movements in the early 70s, between the Betty Freidan-era feminists, the women's liberation movement, and the "Third World" women. It was disheartening to learn of the discontent, disagreement, and disrespect that was rampant throughout the conferences, but it was also heartwarming to see such connections as the First Nations women and their cooking for the Indochinese delegates. The text is a well-written account of early global feminist efforts, and a fresh take on "global sisterhood," a controversial and often generalized concept in feminist scholarship. Definitely worth a read.