How Acupuncture Came to the US
The story of acupuncture in this country begins with two coinciding world events: the California Gold Rush, which set off a massive wave of western migration beginning in 1848; and the Taiping Rebellion, a bloody war in Guangxi, China, beginning in 1851 that killed close to 20 million people. The Gold Rush (and the resulting westward expansion) spurred the construction of the Transcontinental Railroad, and the Taiping Rebellion led to an influx of 12,000 Chinese immigrants willing to work on the railroad at low wages, along with their families, many of whom practiced Chinese medicine in some form. The economic depression and labor shortages following the Gold Rush, combined with xenophobia, led to anti-Chinese sentiment and eventually the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882.
During this time of legalized discrimination, several doctors of Chinese medicine made impactful health contributions to their frontier communities. Though Chinese medicine was considered illegal, doctors like Ing Hay and Huie Pock treated hundreds of patients in their communities or nearby mining camps from Montana to Oregon. “Doc Hay” became famous in the Northwest for keeping all his Spanish Flu patients alive.
Half a century later, Miriam Lee, an acupuncturist and nurse midwife, immigrated to California from China. Because acupuncture was still illegal, she quietly practiced out of her home for church friends. Her practice spread by word of mouth, and by the time the bill legalizing the practice of acupuncture in California was up for a vote in 1974, she was seeing 75 patients per day! Ronald Reagan’s veto of that bill precipitated her arrest, but also spurred the people’s movement to demand health sovereignty.
Linking Acupuncture with Radical Social Movements of the 1960s and 1970s
Acupuncture gained significant attention in the United States in the late 1960s and early 1970s, when it became linked with radical social movements. Acupuncture became a way to provide essential healthcare and drug addiction treatment to struggling communities overlooked by mainstream medical care. This movement was rooted in the belief that healing required community control and self-empowerment, challenging established medical power structures. The NADA protocol, a five-point ear-based acupuncture treatment for addiction and trauma, emerged from this era.
In 1970, members of the Black Panthers and Young Lords took over Lincoln Hospital in the South Bronx to establish a drug treatment program called “The People’s Drug Program,” which became known as the Lincoln Detox Center. Acupuncture treatment, in particular NADA, was a core component of this program.
After the forced shutdown of Lincoln, Mutulu Shakur, assistant director and acupuncturist, went on to co-found the Black Acupuncture Advisory Association of North America (BAAANA). BAAANA opened clinics in Harlem and trained the lay community to use the NADA protocol. The five points ease cravings and the emotional ups and downs of withdrawal and provide potent relief for PTSD, often achieving instant results.
The NADA protocol is still very much linked to people-centered, community-empowered health care. PMP likes to think that the Acupuncture Access Program, a collaboration with Greenfield Community Acupuncture, is a modern-day example of “radical,” self-empowered health care. For other current examples, check out Crossroads Acupuncture in New Mexico.
Further, one of PMP’s volunteer acupuncturists, Zia Sadeghian, is involved with a local “street acupuncture” group in Northampton, giving NADA treatments to passersby. Look for a post that details their work, their philosophy, and the current radical roots of acupuncture.
Support the Radical Roots of Acupuncture
While grants help support programs like our Acupuncture Access Program, ongoing donor support is what keeps these free, community-centered clinics running. Your gift ensures that people in early recovery, those facing trauma, and community members who are underserved by traditional healthcare can continue to access acupuncture, herbal medicine, and holistic care.
Please consider making a donation today to help us sustain this vital work.
