100 Objects #10: Nunchaku

In the early nineteen seventies, Bruce Lee transformed nunchaku from ancient weapon into a cultural phenomenon—kids were building and buying them in record numbers. But per 99% Invisible, this martial arts craze coincided with something far deeper: the emergence of a radical new Asian American identity. The nunchucks became a symbol of resistance, uniting Asian Americans in the fight for their own rights while also connecting them to every other marginalized group pushing back against the status quo.

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