A Grain of Sand: Music for the Struggle by Asians in America

A Grain of Sand: Music for the Struggle of Asians in America, a 1973 Paredon Records release, is widely recognized as the first album of Asian American music. Chris Kando Iijima, Joanne Nobuko Miyamoto, and William “Charlie” Chin deliver their activist message through simply–recorded acoustic guitars and vocals, with the occasional accompaniment of bongos, bass, and di zi, a Chinese flute. Soul, jazz, and blues elements are interwoven in the American folk style of the songs. The artists were also influenced by their solidarity with African American and Latin American social movements; for example, their musical collaboration with Puerto Rican duo Flora y Pepe and exposure to Latino artists while living in New York. The liner notes include a political statement by the musicians, lyrics, and a list of Asian American publications from the era.

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Track Listing

101	Yellow Pearl	Chris Kando Iijima, Joanne Nobuko Miyamoto, "Charlie" Chin	03:02
102	Wandering Chinaman	Chris Kando Iijima, Joanne Nobuko Miyamoto, "Charlie" Chin	03:48
103	Imperialism Is Another Word for Hunger	Chris Kando Iijima, Joanne Nobuko Miyamoto, "Charlie" Chin	03:23
104	Something about Me Today	Chris Kando Iijima, Joanne Nobuko Miyamoto, "Charlie" Chin	03:33
105	Jonathan Jackson	Chris Kando Iijima, Joanne Nobuko Miyamoto, "Charlie" Chin	03:19
106	We are the Children	Chris Kando Iijima, Joanne Nobuko Miyamoto, "Charlie" Chin	02:54
201	Warriors of the Rainbow	Chris Kando Iijima, Joanne Nobuko Miyamoto, "Charlie" Chin	04:11
202	Foolish Old Man Who Removed the Mountains	Chris Kando Iijima, Joanne Nobuko Miyamoto, "Charlie" Chin	03:52
203	Somos Asiaticos (We Are Asians)	Chris Kando Iijima, Joanne Nobuko Miyamoto, "Charlie" Chin	03:34
204	War of the Flea	Chris Kando Iijima, Joanne Nobuko Miyamoto, "Charlie" Chin	03:20
205	Divide and Conquer	Chris Kando Iijima, Joanne Nobuko Miyamoto, "Charlie" Chin	02:54
206	Free the Land	Chris Kando Iijima, Joanne Nobuko Miyamoto, "Charlie" Chin	03:35