Asian American Films

442 : live with honor, die with dignity / 442 Film Partners present a UTB Pictures and Film Voice production ; written and directed by Junichi Suzuki.  Hollywood, CA : United Television Broadcasting Systems, 2010..  1 DVD videodisc (97 min.) : sd., col. with b & w sequences ; 4 3/4 in. + 1 guide [3 pages]  D753.8 .F687 2010 VideoDVD  disc & guide : During WWII, soldiers of the 442nd Infantry Regiment, composed mainly of Japanese Americans, fought not only the enemy, but fought prejudice, facing severe racial discrimination in their homeland. In these harsh times however, the 442nd became one of the most decorated regiments for its size and length of service in the history of the United States military.  The 442nd was in an ironic predicament, fighting for a country that had branded them as enemies. However, these young men volunteered to fight and prove their loyalty as patriotic Americans, which defined their identity as they risked their lives for the cause. This film aims to reveal the history of the 442nd Infantry Regiment that is relatively unknown to not only the Japanese but also Americans. Includes interviews with Senator Dan Inouye, George Takei and narration by Lane Nishikawa.

Act of War : the Overthrow of the Hawaiian Nation / produced by Nā Maka o ka Āina in association with Center for Hawaiian Studies, University of Hawaii-Mānoa ; directors, Puhipau, Joan Lander ; writers, Haunani-Kay Trask, Lilikalā Kameeleihiwa.  [San Francisco, CA : Distributed by CrossCurrent Media, National Asian American Telecommunications Association], c1993.  1 VHS videocassette (58 min.) DU623 .A233 1993 Videocassette : This hour-long documentary is a provocative look at a historical event of which few Americans are aware. In mid-January, 1893, armed troops from the U.S.S. Boston landed at Honolulu in support of a treasonous coup d'etat against the constitutional sovereign of the Hawaiian Kingdom, Queen Lili'uokalani. The event was described by U.S. President Grover Cleveland as "an act of war." Stylized re-enactments, archival photos and film, political cartoons, historic quotes and presentations by Hawaiian scholars tell Hawaiian history through Hawaiian eyes. Produced in association with the Center for Hawaiian Studies, University of Hawai'i. Featuring historians and scholars Haunani-Kay Trask, Lilikala Kame'eleihiwa, Kekuni Blaisdell and Jonathan Osorio. Act of War - The Overthrow of the Hawaiian Nation was one of the first productions funded by the fledgling Independent Television Service in late 1991. With supplemental funding from Native American Public Telecommunications, then called the Native American Public Broadcasting Consortium, the production was completed in 1993. It was broadcast on Hawai'i Public Television during the centennial year of the overthrow of Queen Lili'uokalani, a landmark year in the Hawaiian movement for sovereignty and independence. In that same year, the U.S. Congress passed a joint resolution admitting the illegal taking of Hawai'i and formally apologizing to the Hawaiian people. President Clinton signed the resolution in November of 1993. The program has since been aired on 93 public television stations.

Adopted : We Can Do Better. A Film by Barb Lee; Nancy Kim Parsons; and Catherine Wigginton Greene.  Carbondale, CO : Point Made Films, 2008.  2 DVD videodiscs (212 min.) : sd., col. ; 4 3/4 in. HV875.64 .A36 2008 VideoDVD  1-2 :   The 5-part educational series is packed full of upfont advice from therapists, psychologists, advocates, adult adoptees, and adoptive parents.  Adopted reveals the grit rather than the glamour of transracial adoption. First-time director Barb Lee goes deep into the intimate lives of two well-meaning families and shows us the subtle challenges they face. The results are riveting, unpredictable and telling".    Trailers.  YouTube clips from film.

Agent Yellow / directed and produced by Christine Choy.  2006. 28 mins.  Streaming video from Filmakers Library : Agent Yellow is a powerful indictment of the U.S. government’s systematic prejudice against Chinese-American scientists. The film focuses on the mistreatment of Chinese scientists who contributed significantly to American military research, specifically describing the tragic cases of Dr. Wen Ho Lee and Dr. Tsien Hsue-Sher. On June 2, 2006, Dr. Wen Ho Lee, an atomic scientist once suspected of espionage, settled an invasion of privacy lawsuit against the U.S. government for $1,645,000. Dr. Lee, who worked at Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico, brought his case against the government in 1999, the year federal investigators accused him of giving nuclear secrets to China. He spent nine months in solitary confinement awaiting trial. Ultimately, he pleaded guilty to one felony count of illegally gathering and retaining national security data, and he received an apology from the judge in the case....Dr. Lee's case eerily echoes that of Dr. Tsien Hsue-sher's fifty years earlier. After coming to the U.S. from China in 1935 to study at M.I.T. and Cal Tech, Dr. Tsien worked on American government- sponsored research grants for the Navy and Air Force specifically in the development of nuclear weaponry. He worked closely with other scientists at Cal Tech known as the Suicide Squad ," whose ideas formed the basis of today's military capability. He was named Director of the Rocket Section of the U.S. National Defense Scientific Advisory Board....During the McCarthy hearings, several scientists of the Suicide Squad were accused of being Communists. Dr. Tsien's close relations with them led to the loss of his security clearance. He was then detained by the Immigration and Naturalization Service where he suffered terribly, losing thirty-three pounds and the ability to speak. In 1955 he was traded to China for several American POWs held since the Korean War. On his deportation to China, Dr. Tsien was named to China's Academy of Sciences and immediately started working on weaponry. His knowledge went a long way toward making Red China a member of the nuclear community.  Access limited to the MSU community and to other subscribers.

All-American Girl : the Complete Series.  [United States] : Shout Factory!, 2006.  4 DVD videodiscs (7.5 hr.)  PN1992.77.A44 A44 2006 VideoDVD : A television show about a very Westernized Korean-American girl delightfully at odds with her traditional but screwy family in San Francisco.  Originally broadcast by ABC 1994-1995.

Amerasians / producad 1998 av Gandini Multifilm för SVT Dokumentär Stockholm ; med stüd från Svenska Filminstitutet ; regi, Erik Gandini.  New York, NY : Cinema Guild, [1998?]  1 VHS videocassette (52 min.) DS556.45.A43 A447 1998 Videocassette : This documentary film consists of interviews with several of the more 100,000 children of U.S. soldiers born to Vietnamese mothers during the Vietnam War. The Amerasians portrayed in the film have moved to the United States under the Amerasian homecoming act of 1987, which permitted the children of American soldiers to immigrate to the United States with their immediate relatives.

American Revolutionary : The Evolution of Grace Lee Boggs / directed and produced by Grace Lee ; producers, Caroline Libresco, Austin Wilkin.  [United States] : LeeLee Films, [2013]  1 DVD videodisc (ca. 84 min.): col. with b&w sequences, 4 3/4 in.  F574.D49 C52 2013 VideoDVD : What does it mean to be an American revolutionary today? Grace Lee Boggs is a 98-year-old Chinese American writer, activist, and philosopher in Detroit. Rooted for more than 70 years in the African American movement, she has devoted her life to an evolving revolution that encompasses the contradictions of America's past and its potentially radical future. [This documentary presents] Boggs's lifetime of vital thinking and action, traversing the major U.S. social movements of the last century; from labor to civil rights, to Black Power, feminism, the Asian American and environmental justice movements and beyond.

American Sons / produced, written & directed by Steven Okazaki.  San Francisco : Farallon Films, 1995  1 VHS videocassette (28 min.) : sd., col. ; 1/2 in. E184.O6 A446 1995 Videocassette  : This film features actors performing monologues based on a series of interviews with Asian American men. The men talk about their experiences growing up and becoming adults while trying to establish their identities as people of dual cultures.  UWM description : American Sons is a provocative examination of how racism shapes the lives of Asian American men. Actors Yuji Okumoto, Kelvin Han Yee, Lane Nishikawa, and Ron Muriera tell real stories based on interviews with Asian Americans throughout the country. They express the issues of hate violence, the stereotypes placed on Asian American men, the model minority myth, and the deep psychological damage that racism causes over generations. The film presents a painful and angry view of American life never before explored in a film or television program.

Anatomy of A Springroll, directed by Kwan, Paul & Iger, Arnold, produced by Lundahl, Paul, in Springroll Triology 1 (Filmakers Library, 1994), 56:48 mins.  Streaming video :  Food is everyone's first language," says Paul Kwan, the Vietnamese-born immigrant who fashioned this film out of the rich sensory memories of his childhood. He tells his story of finding a new life in America while maintaining his cultural connection through cooking, eating and sharing the rich and varied food of his native land....This dazzling film is a gigantic stirfry of savory images - Paul and his mother cooking in his San Francisco kitchen, street vendors simmering their soups, bustling markets piled with peppers, cilantro, and chilis. In America, cooking is often a solitary experience, but in Vietnam it is a family affair, with everyone cutting, chopping, and stirring while chattering....An undercurrent of longing for the motherland runs through this nostalgic film. The death of his father in Vietnam is the occasion for his visit to Saigon. Now at last memory and reality are reconciled, and he is ready to return to his adoptive country....This film is the first in a trilogy, with Pins and Noodles and Wok in Progress. Access limited to the MSU community and other subscribers.

Ancestors in the Americas / producer, director, writer, Loni Ding.  Berkeley, Calif. : Center for Educational Telecommunications, c1997-c1998. 2 DVD videodiscs (124 min.) E184.A75 C67 2007 VideoDVD :

Pt. 1 (Coolies, Sailors, and Settlers) traces  the global forces that brought the first Asians -- Filipinos, Chinese and Asian Indians -- to the Americas and the Caribbean in the 18th and 19th centuries, and looks at their lives as sailors, coolies, and finally settlers.

Pt. 2 (Chinese in the Frontier West) portrays the large-scale immigration of Chinese during the Gold Rush, their central role in developing the American west, and their landmark legal battles to overcome discrimination and expand the definition of "American."

For a more detailed summary, images, and preview clips of both parts, click here.

And Thereafter  : A Korean "War Bride" in an Alien Land /  directed and produced by Hosup Lee.  2004.  56:45 mins.  Streaming video from Filmakers Library : A Korean "War Bride" in an Alien Land.  This multi-festival film is a portrayal of the fortitude of an immigrant "war bride" in America. Seventy-six-year-old Young-Ja Wike is one of the 10,000 Korean women who married American G.I.s. after the war. For them marriage was the only escape from the crushing poverty of post-war Korea...."Grandma" lives in South Jersey with her uncaring, rather brutish husband in a kind of domestic servitude. She has brought up three unappreciative children, working doggedly to feed the family and run the household. On her own she cultivates a colorful garden of chili peppers which she dries and sells. Never having learned English, she is isolated from the community, and from her family as well. "Grandma" opens her heart to the Korean filmmaker, revealing the pathos of forty years in exile. Access limited to the MSU community and other subscribers.

Anna May Wong ~ Frosted Yellow Willows : Her Life, Times, and Legend (2008) [Los Angeles, Calif.] : Woo Neiman Productions, c2008.  1 DVD videodisc (50 min.) : sd., b&w., col. ; 4 3/4 in.  PN2287.W56 A56 2008 VideoDVD  : With disarming sensuality and commanding presence, Anna May Wong defined the role of the exotic Asian woman in early Hollywood cinema. This documentary tells the story of a Chinese-American woman who endured many hardships and heartaches to become an international star of film, stage and television. At the young age of 16, she was handpicked to star in Technicolor’s two-color picture, The Toll of the Sea (1922). She caught the eye of Douglas Fairbanks, Sr. who would cast her as the seductive Mongol slave in his ambitious epic, The Thief of Bagdad (1924). She bewitched silent moviegoers with the mixture of sweetness, vulnerability, and sultriness that she infused into her characters. As the silent era transitioned to talking-pictures, Anna’s characters also transformed. In Shanghai Express (1932), Anna displayed keen wit and intelligence that challenged the star power of Marlene Dietrich. Anna never stopped searching for challenging film roles in Hollywood and abroad. She performed on stage and “one-woman” performance throughout England and Europe. During World War II, she used her fame to promote the China War Relief efforts. She entertained American and Allied troops, sold war-bonds, and donated her furs and jewelry. By the end of the war, the public had grown weary of Asian-themed films and even Hollywood had little need of Anna. In 1951, Anna retreated to television beginning with her own television show. Now, after many years of relative obscurity, a younger generation has begun to discover her.  More information.  Trailer.

Anna May Wong : in her own words / a film by Yunah Hong  New York : Women Make Movies, 2011  1 DVD videodisc (56 min.) : sd., col. and b&w ; 4 3/4 in.  PN2287.W56 A55 2011 VideoDVD : Anna May Wong knew she wanted to be a movie star from the time she was a young girl—and by 17 she became one. A third generation Chinese-American, she went on to make dozens of films in Hollywood and Europe. She was one of the few actors to successfully transition from silent to sound cinema, co-starring with Marlene Dietrich, Anthony Quinn and Douglas Fairbanks along the way. She was glamorous, talented and cosmopolitan—yet she spent most of her career typecast either as a painted doll or a scheming dragon lady. For years, older generations of Chinese-Americans frowned upon the types of roles she played; but today a younger generation of Asian Americans sees her as a pioneering artist, who succeeded in a hostile environment that hasn’t altogether changed. Yunah Hong’s engrossing documentary is an entertaining and imaginative survey of Wong’s career, exploring the impact Wong had on images of Asian American women in Hollywood, both then and now. Excerpts from Wong’s films, archival photographs and interviews enhance this richly detailed picture of a woman and her extraordinary life.

Another America : Documentary / by Michael Cho.  San Francisco, CA : National Asian American Telecommunications Association [distributor], 1996. 1 VHS videocassette (56 min.)  E185.61 .A56 1996 Videocassette : Both the riots in Los Angeles and the murder of an uncle at his store in Detroit forced the filmmaker to start a personal investigation to examine the relationships between the Korean-American and Afro-American communities. Through his camera and many personal interviews, Cho reveals a rarely seen portrait of life in the inner city and takes a hard look at his own uncle's murder, telling how this crime affected not only his family, but the entire city.

Asian Indians in America courtesy of PBS and WLIW21 Video. Broadcast on November 3, 2009.  57 minutes : Celebrating the cultural impact of one of America's fastest growing immigrant populations.

Becoming American : the Chinese Experience.   [Princeton, N.J.] : Films for the Humanities & Sciences, c2003.  3 VHS videocassettes (89 min. each) : sd., col. ; 1/2 in.  E184.C5 B43 2003 Videocassette : Traces the history and experiences of Chinese Americans.

•             Program 1, Gold Mountain Dreams

•             Program Two, Between Two Worlds

•             Program Three, No Turning Back

The Betrayal  = Nerakhoon / PandinLao Films presents ; a film by Ellen Kuras, Thavisouk Phrasavath ; a co-production with American Documentary/P.O.V. ; directed by Ellen Kuras, Thavisouk Phrasavath ; producers, Ellen Kuras, Flora Fernandez-Marengo ; written by Ellen Kuras Thavisouk Phrasavath.  New York, N.Y. : Cinema Guild, c2008.  1 DVD videodisc (96 min.) : sd., col. ; 4 3/4 in. + 1 booklet. E184.L25 B48 2008 VideoDVD : The epic story of a family forced to emigrate from war-torn Laos after the chaos of the secret air war waged by the U.S. during the Vietnam War, to the mean streets of New York City. Kuras has spent the last 23 years chronicling the family's extraordinary journey in this deeply personal, poetic, and emotional film.

Between Two Worlds : a Documentary / by Chul Heo.  Berkeley, CA : University of California Extension Center for Media and Independent Learning, 1998.  1 VHS videocassette (29 min.) E184.O6 B49 1998 Videocassette : This documentary examines the difficulties experienced by first generation Asian American youth who struggle with "living in two worlds"--the Asian family culture and the American culture. Chinese, Japanese, and Korean American young adults and members of their families expound upon the generational and cultural gaps existing in Asian American families and stereotypical perceptions of Asians in American society.

Beyond Barbed Wire / Go For Broke : Untold Stories of American Courage / Kit Parker Films ; a film by Steve Rosen and Terri DeBono ; National Asian American Telecommunications Association.  1 videodisc (225 min.) : sd., col. with b&w sequences ; 4 3/4 in.  D769.31 100th .B49 2001 VideoDVD : Beyond barbed wire recounts the personal sacrifices and stories of heroism displayed by the Japanese American soldiers of the 100th Infantry Battalion and the 442nd Regimental Combat Team and Military Intelligence Service who fought for the United States during World War II while their families were held in internment camps.  The feature film, Go for broke! is set during World War II which depicts Lt. Michael Grayson, a bigoted Texan, who is assigned to train and lead the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, which is composed mostly of Japanese-Americans.

Black hair and black-eyed  / a film by Julie Whang.  San Francisco, CA : Frameline, 1995.  9 minutes.  Streaming video from LGBT Studies in Video. : From what sources does a young Korean-American woman draw her sense of identity? From her mother, who provides the kim chee recipe and offers to pick up what she needs from the Price Club? From fashion magazines, or her own short haircut, which brings her the berating of her entire extended family? From the boy she dances with, the girl she sleeps with, or her own barren apartment? Black Hair and Black Eyed may raise more questions than it answers. In its own quirky way it asks the questions that matter.

Bolinao 52  (2007) / a co-production of Duc Nguyen and the Independent Television Service (ITVS), produced in association with the Center for Asian American Media (CAAM) and KTEH Public Television ; produced by RHIMP Productions ; directed, written, and produced by Duc Nguyen.   [United States?] : Bolinao52.com, [2009?]  1 DVD videodisc (58 min.) : sd., col. and b&w ; 4 3/4 in.  HV640.5.V5 B655 2009 VideoDVD :  Following the end of the Vietnam War in 1975, millions refugees took the perilous escape across South China Sea to find freedom. Many died of drowning or starvation and thirst. Other lost at sea for days while some were pillaged, robbed and raped by pirates. However, more than 30 years after, no major film or television program tells their stories. Bolinao 52 is a long-silenced voice, an unspoken legacy of the Vietnam War - the story of the Vietnamese Boat People....When Tung Trinh, a survivor of the Bolinao 52, stepped foot onto a crowded boat one night in May 1988, she did not know it was a trip that forever changed her life. After leaving Vietnam the Bolinao 52 engine died. They were ignored by passing ships. 19 days later, a US Navy ship stopped. But the captain refused to pick up the dying refugees. Facing death, they resorted to cannibalism. After 37 days at sea, 52 of 110 survived. Two decades later, this Bolinao 52 survivor returned to her past to close off the unresolved chapters.  Discussion Guide.

Bontoc Eulogy / a film by Marlon Fuentes.  New York, NY : Cinema Guild, 1995.  1 VHS videocassette (56 min.) : sd., b&w ; 1/2 in.  E184.F4 B66 1995 Videocassette :  A personal and poignant docudrama that examines the Filipino experience at the 1904 St. Louis World's fair. The film focuses on the filmmaker's grandfather, an Igorot warrior, one of the 1,100 tribal natives displayed as anthropological 'specimens' in the Philippine village exhibit. A unique fusion of rare archival images, verite, and carefully orchestrated visual sequences shot in the present, the film is an innovative investigation of history, memory and the spectacle of the "other" in the turn-of-the-century America.

Selected Documentary Films, C-E

Camp Amache : the story of an American tragedy / Wolf River Productions ; produced and directed by Don Dexter. [Colorado?] : Wolf River Productions, 2006.   1 DVD videodisc (57 min.) : sd., col. ; 4 3/4 in.  57 minutes.  PN769.8.A6 C36 2006 VideoDVD : In February of 1942, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, which forced more than 110,000 Japanese Americans and people of Japanese ancestry living on the west coast to be removed to ten internment camps in isolated areas. One such camp was called Camp Amache, located in southeastern Colorado. For three years, internees were confined behind barbed wire and watched by military police from guard towers with machine guns, “pointed in—not out.”  The story of Camp Amache is a story of survival of more than 7,000 people who lost everything and were unjustly incarcerated by the United States. In spite of the harsh circumstances and curtailment of their freedom, they remained loyal to the United States government.

The Caretaker plus The Mayor.  [New York] : New Day Films, [2014]  1 DVD (approximately 18 min.) : sound, color ; 4 3/4 in..  JV6475 .C37 2014 VideoDVD : The Caretaker and The Mayor are two powerful short films that explore contemporary immigration issues in the U.S. through intimate portraits of relationships between recent immigrants, and those who came to the U.S. generations ago.  "The Caretaker (7 minutes) is a short film about the relationship between an immigrant caretaker and an elderly woman in the last months of her life.... The Mayor (11 minutes) is an intimate portrait of a small-town Southern Republican Mayor and his profound and unexpected connection to a mixed-status family of Mexican immigrants.... These short films are part of a larger interactive storytelling project called Immigrant Nation."  The short films are an invaluable tool for the classroom, providing a unique way to start difficult conversations through the power of documentary storytelling.  The two films come closed captions, Spanish subtitles, and a robust 60-page discussion guide to use in classrooms. Trailer.

Casting Calls / produced by Running Down Dreams Productions for Discovery Times Channel ; producer/writer, Lauren F. Cardillo.  Princeton, NJ : Films for the Humanities & Sciences, c2004.  1 DVD videodisc (47 min.) : sd., col. with b&w sequences ; 4 3/4 in.  PN1995.9.V47 C37 2003 VideoDVD: "Does Hollywood's portrayal of villains reinforce racial stereotypes or does the industry give the public what it wants? This program explores the history of film's ethnic 'bad guy,' looking at sociopolitical and economic forces that create, perpetuate, and rehabilitate these characters. Special attention is paid to current depictions of Muslims onscreen [along with an historical survey of film depictions of African-Americans, Asians, and Native Americans]. A wide range of ilm clips from 'Birth of a Nation' to 'The Sopranos' provides many examples, along with commentary from critics, directors and actors ..."

The cats of Mirikitani  / director, Linda Hattendorf ; producers, Masa Yoshikawa, Linda Hattendorf ; produced by Lucid Dreaming, Inc. in association with the Independent Television Serivice (ITVS) and the Center for Asian American Media (CAAM).  [United States] : Arthouse Films : Distributed by New Video, c2009.  1 DVD videodisc (ca. 74 min.) : sd., col. with b&w sequences ; 4 3/4 in.  N6537 .C38 2009 VideoDVD : Eighty-year-old Japanese American Jimmy Mirikitani survived the trauma of WWII internment camps, Hiroshima and homelessness by creating art. But when 9/11 threatens his life on the New York City streets and a local filmmaker brings him to her home, the two embark on a journey to confront Jimmy s painful past. An intimate exploration of the lingering wounds of war and the healing power of community and art, this film has won awards at some 20 festivals, including prizes at Tribeca, Tokyo, Quito, Bologna, Durban, Galway, Seoul and Lyon.

Caught in Between  : What to Call Home in Times of War / IEEHA ; directed and produced by Lina Hoshino.  [San Francisco, Calif. : IEEHA], c2004.  1 DVD videodisc (25 min.) : sd., col. with b&w sequences ; 4 3/4 in.  D769.8.A6 C384 2004 VideoDVD  : Film documents Japanese American communities revisiting the time period of the incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II. It compares that time period to the time period post-9/11 "War on Terrorism," when Muslims were detained and many immigrants were deported.  More info.

The Changing University : an Asian-American Perspective / [Michigan State University, Asian Pacific American Faculty and Staff Association].  1994.  : 6 VHS videocassettes (ca. 8 hrs.) : sd., col., 1/2 in.  LC2631 .C43 1994 Videocassette  : Includes speakers and 3 panel discussions from a conference held at Michigan State University on March 17-18, 1994.  Contents : tape 1-2. Panel discussion #1, pt.1-2, Why consider the diversity of Asian Americans? -- tape 3-4. Panel discussion #2, pt. 1-2, Changing images in Asian American literature -- tape 5. Panel discussion #3, Breaking the glass ceiling -- tape 6. Keynote speaker, Ronald Takaki; Summary/conclusion.

Children of the Camps  : a Documentary and Educational Project / produced by Satsuki Ina.  San Francisco, CA : National Asian American Telecommunications Association [distributor], 1999.  1 VHS videocassette (57 min.) D769.8.A6 C55 1999 Videocassette : During World War II more than half of the 120,000 Americans of Japanese descent who were "evacuated" to American concentration camps were children. In this documentary six Japanese Americans who were incarcerated as children in the camps reveal their experiences, cultural and familial issues during incarceration, the long internalized grief and shame they felt and how this early trauma manifested itself in their adult lives.

Chinatown Files / Second Decade Films presents a documentary by Amy Chen ; director, Amy Chen ; producers, Ying Chan, Amy Chen ; writers, Andrea Weiss, Martin Toub.  New York, N.Y. : Filmakers Library, Inc., [c2005?]  1 DVD videodisc (57 min.) : sd., col. with b&w sequences ; 4 3/4 in.  E184.C5 C44 2005 VideoDVD : "The Chinatown Files is the first video documentary to explore the legacy of McCarthyism on the Chinese American community. For the first time, seven men and women speak out on how they and their friends were investigated and persecuted by government agents during the McCarthy witch-hunts of the fifties. At the height of the hysteria, thousands of Chinese immigrants and American citizens of Chinese descent were investigated because of their ethnicity and alleged risk to national security. As China remains an enigma to many Americans, the prejudice and jingoism that traumatized the lives of Chinese Americas for decades has rarely been examined."  Also available asstreaming video from Filmakers Library.

The Chinese Americans courtesy of PBS and WLIW21 Video. Broadcast on November 3, 2009.  56 minutes : The program tells an inspiring success story of amazing achievement built on a 5,000 year-old legacy of tradition, integrity, and familial honor.

Cho Revolution / written by Margaret Cho ; produced and edited by Lorene Machado ; directed by Lorene Machado ; Cho Taussig Productions.  New York, NY : Wellspring Media, c2004.  1 DVD videodisc (85 min.) : sd., col. ; 4 3/4 in. PN1969.C65 C47 C56 2004 VideoDVD : A stand-up comedy performance by comedian Margaret Cho.

The Color of Honor  San Francisco, CA : distributed by NAATA Distribution, c1996. 1 VHS videocassette (90 min.) D753.8 .C64 1996 Videocassette : A vivid, collective portrayal of Japanese Americans during World War II. Three distinct stories are told: the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, the most decorated military unit in U.S. history; M.I.S.(Military Intelligence Service), linguists who decoded Japanese military plans; and the thousands of draft resisters and army protesters who challenged the constitutionality of the internment camps.

Conscience and the Constitution  / Resisters.com produced in association with the Independent Television Service ; produced, directed and written by Frank Abe.  Hohokus, NJ : Transit Media, c2000.  1 VHS videocassette (57 min.) : sd., col. with b&w portions ; 1/2 in.  D769.8.A6 C667 2000 Videocassette : Americans, organized as the Fair Play Committee, refused to be drafted from the concentration camp at Heart Mountain, Wyoming. Ready to fight, but not before their rights as U.S. citizens were restored and families released. The largest organized resistance to incarceration, leading to the largest trial for draft resistance in U.S. history. Prosecuted as criminals, Japanese American leaders and veterans ostracized them as traitors. The resisters served two years in prison, and for the next 50 were written out of the official history of Japanese America.

Crossing Lines / produced, directed, and written by Leena Jayaswal & Indira Somani.  Harriman, NY : New Day Films, c2007. 1 DVD videodisc (32 min.): sd., col. ; 4 3/4 in.  E184.E2 C76 2007 VideoDVD : This documentary is about an Indian American woman’s struggle to stay connected to India after the loss of her father.  Like most second-generation ethnic Americans, Indira Somani has struggled with identity issues, since her parents migrated to the U.S. in the 1960s.  Being born and brought up in the U.S. Indira led an American life, but at home, her world was Indian because of her father’s immense love for India and Indian culture.   This film takes you on a journey to India, where Indira visits her father’s extended family for the first time after his death.  The film explores how Indira tries to stay connected to Indian culture and her extended family, despite the loss of her father.  It is the story of how one daughter pays tribute to her father in all that he’s taught her about India, Indian culture and family.

Crossover  / director, Justin Lin.   [San Francisco] : Media Arts Center, Japanese American National Museum, [2000]  1 VHS videocassette (26 min.) : sd., col. with b&w sequences ; 1/2 in. GV885.72.C2 C76 2000 Videocassette : A fast-breaking journey into the Japanese American basketball leagues. Established in the 1930s to overcome racial discrimination and provide an outlet for boys and girls, there are over 20,000 players today. Many ethnic groups are represented but a rule that requires a minimum number of Japanese-American members on a team has become controversial.

Cruisin' J-Town  / Visual Communications production ; Asian American Studies Central, Inc. ; directed by Duane Kubo.  San Francisco, CA : Distributed by NAATA, 1995.  1 VHS videocassette (30 min.) sd., col. ; 1/2 in.  E184.J3 C787 1995 Videocassette : Japanese American musicians discuss their feelings and thoughts about ethnic identity and assimilation into main stream American society. They have worked these ideas into their music by using Asian instruments in combination with popular American music such as improvisation to create a new sound called jazz fusion.

Cut Sleeve : Lesbians & Gays of Asian/Pacific Ancestry / N. A. Diaman.  San Francisco, CA : Persona Video, 1991.  1 VHS videocassette (24 min.) : sd., col. ; 1/2 in.  HQ76.25 .C8 1991 Videocassette : Gay and lesbian individuals fromAsian and Pacific Island backgrounds discuss their attitudes and experiences as homosexuals.   

Days of waiting  : the life and art of Estelle Ishigo / a Mouchette Films production ; produced, written & directed by Steven Okazaki.  Ho-Ho-Kus, N.J. : Farallon Documentary Films, c1990.  1 VHS videocassette (27 min.) : sd., col. with b&w sequences ; 1/2 in. + 1 study guide (10 p. ; 29 cm.) which includes 3 overhead transparencies.  D769.8.A6 D39 1990 Videocassette : Documentary about artist Estelle Peck Ishigo, a Caucasian woman interned during World War II with her Japanese American husband at Heart Mountain Relocation Center, Wyoming. Portrays through her words and drawings and through photographs, of the deprivations and humiliations of camp life, and the difficulties of readjustment at war's end.

The Delano Manongs : forgotten heroes of the United Farm Workers Movement / written & directed by Marissa Aroy ; produced by Niall McKay.  [New York?] : Media Factory, c2014.  1 DVD  videodisc (28 min.) : sd., b&w, color ; 4 3/4 in.  HD5325.A29 D453 2014 VideoDVD : The Delano Manongs tells the story of farm labor organizer Larry Itliong and a group of Filipino farm workers who instigated one of the American farm labor movement’s finest hours – The Delano Grape Strike of 1965 that brought about the creation of the United Farm Workers Union (UFW). While the movement is known for Cesar Chavez’s leadership and considered a Chicano movement, Filipinos played a pivotal role. Filipino labor organizer, Larry Itliong, a cigar-chomping union veteran, organized a group of 1500 Filipinos to strike against the grape growers of Delano, California, beginning a collaboration between Filipinos, Chicanos and other ethnic workers that would go on for years.

Diamonds in the rough : Zeni and the legacy of Japanese-American baseball / Chip Taylor Communications ; produced by Kerry Yo Nakagawa, Chip Taylor ; written by Kerry Yo Nakagaw, Noriyuki "Pat" Morita ; directed by Gan Hanada. Derry, NH : Chip Taylor Communications, [1999]  1 DVD videodisc (33 min.) : sd., col. with b&w sequences ; 4 3/4 in. GV863.A1 D53 1999 VideoDVD : Discusses the role of Kenichi Zenimura, the 'Dean of the Diamond,' in the development of Japanese American baseball, especially at the internment camps during World War II.

Dollar a Day, Ten Cents a Dance : a Historic Portrait of Filipino Farmworkers in America /executive producer, George Ow, Jr. ; produced by Geoffrey Dunn & Mark Schwartz ; photographed, directed & edited by Mark Schwartz ; directed & written by Geoffrey Dunn.  New York, NY : The Cinema Guild, Inc., c2007.  1 DVD videodisc (30 min.) : sd., col. with b&w sequences ; 4 3/4 in. E184.F4 D658 2007 VideoDVD  :  Presents a portrait of Filipino farm laborers who came to the United States in the 1920s and 1930s expecting a more prosperous life-style. Voicing their recollections these now elderly men reveal the poverty and social and cultural difficulties they experienced. Because few Filipino women settled in the United States the social life of the men centered around common law marriages, athletic clubs, illegal cock fights and dance halls.

Double Solitaire / a film by Corey Ohama.  San Francisco, CA : National Asian American Telecommunications Association [distributor], 1997. 1 VHS videocassette (20 min.) : sd., col. ; 1/2 in. D769.8.A6 D63 1997 Videocassette : This documentary looks at how the Japanese American internment during World War II affected the lives of two "ordinary" people. Third generation JapaneseAmericans Norm and Stan are "all American" guys who were placed in the Amache internment camp as children. They don't feel the experience affected them much, but the film reveals connections between their lives now and the history that was left behind.

A Dream in Doubt  / directed and produced by Tami R. Yeager ; produced by TRY Productions.  San Francisco, CA : Independent Television Service ; distributed by Center for Asian American Media, c2007.  1 DVD videodisc (ca. 57 min.) : sd., col. ; 4 3/4 in  E184.S55 D74 2007 VideoDVD :  An immigrant story of survival as a wave of deadly hate crimes terrorizes the Sikh American community in Phoenix, Arizona. The film features Rana Sodhi, an Indian immigrant whose life is forever altered by the 9/11 terror attacks, not because he knew someone who died in the rubble, but because Rana’s turban and beard—articles of his Sikh faith—now symbolize America’s new enemy....A Dream in Doubt follows Rana Singh Sodhi, Balbir’s brother, as he attempts to fight the hate threatening his family and community. The Sodhis had fled ethnic violence in India to pursue their version of the American dream. But less than a year after Balbir’s murder, Sukhpal Sodhi, Rana’s next-eldest brother, is killed in mysterious circumstances while driving a cab in San Francisco. Nine months later, Rana’s friend Avtar Chiera is shot by three men who yell, “Go back to where you came from!” Three weeks after Avtar’s shooting, another friend, Inderjit Singh, is physically assaulted and threatened with death while working at a convenience store. These incidents receive little to no coverage in the U.S. media, and a national dialogue concerning post-9/11 hate crimes and ethnic profiling is sorely missing. Wanting justice for his brothers’ murders, Rana is motivated towards social action. He demands that America live up to its ideals of equality....A Dream in Doubt explores the complexities of race, religion, immigration, and the American Dream. In the end, the film demonstrates that hope and courage have the power to overcome hate.

The Empire's New Clothes / a Witness production.  New York, N.Y. : Witness, [2000]  1 DVD videodisc (10 min.) : sd., col. ; 4 3/4 in.  HD2337 .E565 2000 VideoDVD : Investigates the situation in sweatshops in New York City where thousands of women, primarily recent immigrants from Chinese and Latino communities, are sewing garments under dangerous and unfair labor conditions, which often lead to psychological exhaustion, permanent disability and even death.  Narrator : Susan Sarandon.

Every day is a holiday  / directed and produced by Theresa Loong. New York, NY : FORM360, c2013.  1 DVD videodisc (57 min.) : sd., col. with b&w sequences ; 4 3/4 in.  E184.C5 E94 2013 VideoDVD :  Chinese-American filmmaker Theresa Loong creates an intimate portrait of her father, a man fifty years her senior. In this documentary, we explore the bonds of the father-daughter relationship and place themes of growing older, immigration and racism in the context of “living history.” Paul Loong talks of his experiences as a POW in Japan and his subsequent quest to become an American. We discover why, despite much suffering, “Every Day Is a Holiday.”  More info.   Trailer  Note: The MSU Library has purchased performance rights.

Experiences of operation babylift adoptees  / C-SPAN.  West Lafayette, IN. : C-SPAN Archives, c2009.  1 DVD-R videodisc (89 min.) : sd., col. ; 4 3/4 in.  HV875.58.V5 E974 2009 VideoDVD : Vietnamese adoptees talked about their experiences following Operation Babylift near the end of the Vietnam war, their upbringing in America, and their views of being Vietnamese American. Following their remarks they answered questions from the audience.

Selected Documentary Films, F-H

A Family Gathering  / produced by Lise Yasui ; WGBH Educational Foundation.  [Alexandria, Va.]: PBS Video, 1990, c1989.  1 VHS videocassette (58 min.) : sd., b&w with color sequences ; 1/2 in. D769.8.A6 F3 1990 Videocassette : Tells the dramatic story of the consequences of the U.S. internment policy and the Yasui family's long battle to reclaim their place as Americans.  Part of the American Experience series.

Fighting Grandpa / Pak Man Productions.  San Francisco, CA : National Asian American Telecommunications Association : Distributed by NAATA Distribution, c2000.  1 VHS videocassette (21 min.)  E184.K6 F544 2000 Videocassette : A sensitive and probing portrayal of Korean immigrant grandparents and their marriage. Grandma, left alone with four children for ten years in Korea, while her husband studied in America, was finally brought to Hawaii where she endured new hardships. Now, after 70 years of marriage, when grandpa dies, grandma's stoicism gives way to a piercing grief which surprises and confounds her family.

Filipino Americans : Discovering Their Past For the Future / produced by Filipino-American National Historical Society ; National Video Profiles, Inc. ; JF Wehman & Associates/MoonRae ; producer/director, John F. Wehman.  San Francisco, CA : Center for Asian American Media, 1994.  1 VHS videocassette (54 min.) : sd., col. ; 1/2 in  On E184.F4 F555 1994 Videocassette  : Documentary about Filipino Americans, who are the oldest and one of the largest Asian-American ethnic populations in the United States.

First Battle : the Battle for Equality in War-Time Hawaii / [a project of the Hawaii Council for the Humanities] ; writer, producer & director, Tom Coffman.  San Francisco, Calif. : Distributed to PBS by the Center for Asian American Media, c2006.  1 DVD videodisc (60 min.) : sd., col. with b&w sequences ; 4 3/4 in.   PN1995.9.A77 F577 2006 VideoDVD  : "With war fears rising, a Council for Inter-racial Unity [was] organized in Honolulu in 1939 in support of Hawaii's large Japanese-ancestry community. On December 7, 1941, they sprang into action. Where 120,000 people of Japanese ancestry were relocated from the west coast and interned, a behind-the-scenes battle for justice and equality--reaching as far as the White House -- set Hawaii on a different course".

First Person Plural / written, directed and produced by Deann Borshay Liem ; produced in collaboration with the Center for Independent Documentary ; a co-presentation of the Independent Television Service (ITVS) and the National Asian American Telecommunications Association (NAATA).  San Francisco, CA : NAATA [distributor], c2000.  1 VHS videocassette (56 min.)  E184.K6 F578 2000 Videocassette :  A personal and political film about the filmmaker's experiences being adopted from South Korea and raised by an American family.  Trailer.

Forbidden City U.S.A.  / a DeepFocus production, producer, director, writer, Arthur Dong.  Alexandria, Va. : PBS Video, c1989.  1 VHS videocassette (57 min.) : sd., col. ; 1/2 in. + 1 guide sheet. F869.S39 F67 1989 Videocassette : Documents the Forbidden City, a San Francisco nightclub of the 1930's and 1940's which featured Chinese American entertainers. Contains film clips of acts at the Forbidden City and interviews with performers and club owner Charlie Low.  Part of the American Experience series.

From a different shore  : the Japanese-American experience.  Princeton, N.J. : Films for the Humanities & Sciences, c2000.  1 DVD videodisc (videodisc) (50 min.) : sd., col. ; 4 3/4 in. E184.J3 F76 1996 VideoDVD : Japanese-Americans are often deemed to be a model ethnic community who have achieved their "success" by virtue of their own efforts. However, the road to success was a difficult one and, as a result, the Japanese-American experience has been very distinct from that of other immigrants. This program explores this experience, starting with the first immigrants from Japan, the Nisei, who were confined in camps during World War II, and their grandchildren.

From Bullets to Ballots.  [Los Angeles, Calif.] : Japanese American National Museum, [1997]  1 VHS videocassette (24 min.) : sd., col., with b&w sequences ; 1/2 in.  DT624.7.J3 F76 1997 Videocassette : Japanese American World War II veterans from Hawaii tell of their experiences during and after the war and how they worked through the Democratic Party to improve access to the political process in Hawaii.

From Hawaii to the Holocaust : a shared moment in history / a production of the Hawaii Holocaust Project ; producers, Judy Weightman and Wayne Weightman ; director, Ryan Sexton.  Santa Monica, CA : Direct Cinema Ltd., 1993. 1 streaming video file (53 min.). from America History in Video. :The moving and powerful story of the 522nd Field Artillery Battalion of the 100th/442nd Regimental Combat Team, a fighting force comprised of Asian-American soldiers that helped liberate the Dachau concentration camp and was a part of the most highly decorated unit of its size in U.S. history. It is also the story of two very different peoples -- Jews and Americans of Japanese Ancestry (AJA's) -- who shared common experiences as victims of government-sanctioned oppression, racism and prejudice during World War II.

Fumiko Hayashida : the woman behind the symbol / Stourwater Pictures ; producer, director, writer, Lucy Ostrander.  [Bainbridge Island, Wash.] : Stourwater Pictures, c2009.  1 DVD videodisc (15 min., 11 sec.) : sd., col. with b&w sequences ; 4 3/4 in  D769.8.A6 F86 2009 VideoDVD : In February 1942, two months after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, the U.S. government issued Executive Order 9066 authorizing the relocation of 110,000 people of Japanese ancestry living on the West Coast in order to incarcerate them in isolated and desolate concentration camps. The government’s justification was to protect the country against espionage and sabotage by Japanese Americans....Exclusion Order No. 1, authorizing the first relocation, targeted the Japanese Americans living on Bainbridge Island, Washington. One of them was 31-year-old Fumiko Hayashida, a pregnant mother of two. She was one of 227 members of her community who, dressed in their best clothes, assembled at the Eagledale ferry landing on March 30th, 1942. As they waited to be taken off the Island by armed military escorts, Fumiko, holding her 13 month old daughter Natalie Kayo, was photographed by a Seattle Post-Intelligencer photographer. The photograph has since become a lasting iconic symbol of the internment experience.  More information.

George Takei Video Collection.  Streaming video : A collection of short films about and by the actor George Takei (Sulu of Star Trek Fame), including: From Segregation to Screen to Service, George Takei : The Twilight Zone Convention, Japanese American National Museum, George Takei in Hollywood, and Star Trek Convention.

Go for Broke (1951)   92 minutes.  Streaming video via Internet Archive : Directed by Robert Pirosh.  Cast: Van Johnson and Lane Nakano.  A tribute to the U.S. 442nd Regimental Combat Team, formed in 1943 by Presidental permission with Japanese-American volunteers. We follow the training of a platoon under the rueful command of Lt. Mike Grayson, who shares many of the common prejudices of the time. The 442nd serve in Italy, then France, distinguishing themselves in skirmishes and battles. Gradually and naturally Grayson's prejudices evaporate with the dawning realization that his men are better soldiers than he is.

Going For Broke  / Go for Broke Educational Foundation presents ; written & directed by Rolf Forsberg ; produced by Questar, Inc.  Chicago : Questar, c2005.  1 DVD videodisc (ca. 75 min.) : sd., col. and b&w ; 4 3/4 in. D753.8 .G65 2005 VideoDVD : An historical account of the Japanese-American combat units in World War 2, whose decorated men are credited for saving countless lives and shortening the war in the Pacific. The majority of these men's families were held in relocation camps in the U.S. while they fought ever-loyally for their country.

Golden Venture  / New Day Films ; writer, producer, director, Peter Cohn ; Hillcrest Films LLC.  [New York, N.Y.] : Hillcrest Films, c2006.  1 DVD videodisc (70 min.) : sd., col. ; 4 3/4 in. JV6483 .G65 2006 VideoDVD : The film chronicles the ongoing struggles of passengers who were aboard the Golden Venture, an immigrant smuggling ship that ran aground near New York City in 1993. Passengers had paid at least $30,000 to be brought to the U.S. from China's Fujian Province, expecting to arrive indebted but unnoticed. But a seemingly golden opportunity quickly evolved into a hellish descent through the cruel whims of U.S. immigration policy. The Golden Venture crash fed a media circus and became a symbol of a growing national concern over illegal immigration. Many passengers were deported over a two-year period, while others were detained for up to four years. "Golden Venture" is a global epic, a story of stoic perseverance and unexpected grace, played out in the shadow of national politics and the continuing failure of ever-harsher US immigration policies. At a time when the immigration issue has led to furious debate and high stakes political maneuvering, the fate of the Golden Venture passengers is more relevant than ever.

The Grace Lee Project   Lee Lee Films ; produced and directed by Grace Lee ; written by Grace Lee and Amy Ferraris.  New York, NY : Women Make Movies, 2005.  1 DVD videodisc (68 min.)  E184.A75 G73 2005 VideoDVD : Pursuing the moving target of Asian-American female identity, filmmaker Grace Lee, in a clever, highly unscientific investigation visits with Asian American women named "Grace Lee," from a fiery social activist to a rebel who tried to burn down her high school. With wit and charm, the film puts a hilarious spin on the eternal question "What's in a name?"

Heart Mountain : Three Years in a Relocation Center / a KCSM Television production.  San Francisco, CA : National Asian American Telecommunications Association [distributor], 1997.  1 VHS videocassette (27 min.) D769.8.A6 H43 1997 Videocassette : Documentary of the World War II incarceration in Wyoming of more than 10,000 Pacific Coast Japanese and Japanese American's for "military necessity." The hastily-built barracks which housed them were surrounded by barbed wire while winter temperatures reached 28 below zero and summer brought dust storms. These interviews with those interned reveal additional ordeals such as questions about their loyalty to the U.S. and the imprisonment of 63 who resisted the draft after their military status was changed.

Here, in America? : the Assembly on Wartime Relocation & Internment of Civilians, April 8-9, 2005 / produced by Peek Media in association with the AWRIC Consortium.  [Berkeley, Calif.] : Peek Media ; c2006.  1 DVD videodisc (ca. 14 min.) : sd., col. with b&w sequences ; 4 3/4 in.  D805.U5 A8 2006 VideoDVD :  Overview and highlights of Assembly on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians, a historic public testimonial event held in Apr. 2005 in San Francisco. This historic gathering served to document and perserve the little known World War II stories of immigrants of German, Italian and Japanese ancestry as well as the experiences of the Arab, Muslim and South Asian American communities targeted as "the enemy" today.

History and Memory / by Rea Tajiri.  New York : Electronic Arts Intermix, Inc. [distributor], 1991.  1 VHS videocassette (30 min.) : sd., col. with b&w sequences ; 1/2 in. PN1992.95.T36 A4 1991 Videocassette : After Pearl Harbor Attack in 1941, 100,000 Japanese living in the States were asked to move to a concentration camp. With family stories and some documentaries, videomaker Tajiri describes haunting impacts of this ordeal on American Japanese for generations thereafter.

History and Memory : For Akiko and Takashige / Rea Tajiri Akiko Productions ; written & directed by Rea Tajiri with Noel Shaw & Sokhi Wagner.  New York : Distributed by Women Make Movies, c1991.  1 VHS videocassette (32 min.) : sd., col. with b&w ; 1/2 in.  D753.8 .H57 1991 Videocassette  : Tells the story of the filmmaker's search for her family's history and experience as Japanese Americans during the Second World War.

A History of Chinese American Achievement in the United States.  Ambrose Video, 2009.  4 DVD videodiscs (240 min)  E184.C5 H57 2009 VideoDVD :

Hito Hata : Raise the Banner / Visual Communications ; directed by Duane Kubo and Robert A. Nakamura ; producer, Duane Kubo.  San Francisco, CA : NAATA, 1995.  1 VHS videocassette (90 min.) : sd., col. ; 1/2 in.  PN1997 .H586 1995 Videocassette : An elderly Issei looks back on his life in Los Angeles' Little Tokyo, and the changes through the years for Japanese Americans.

Hollywood Chinese: The Chinese in American Feature Films.  Ho-Ho-Kus, N.J.] : DeepFocus Productions, c2008.  1 DVD videodisc (89 min.) : sd., col. and b&w ; 4 3/4 in. + 1 discussion guide (31 leaves : ill. ; 28 cm.) + 1 scene guide  PN1995.9.A78 H6559 2008 VideoDVD  :  Sundance award-winning director Arthur Dong traces the history of the Chinese-American influence in Hollywood cinema in this insightful documentary. Highlights include footage from more than 90 movies, ranging from 1890s paper prints to modern films. Also featured is the newly discovered 1916 movie The Curse of the Quon Gwon, directed by Marion Wong and believed to be the first Chinese-American film made. Interview Outtakes from PBS.

Home from the Eastern Sea / produced by Elizabeth Clark, KCTS/TV & Lucy Ostrander.  1990. 58:05 mins.  Streaming video from Filmakers Library : This is the story of the immigration of the Chinese, the Japanese and the Filipinos to America. The documentary explores the history of each nationality through the personal stories of representative families....The film begins with the story of the Yee family of Seattle, who represent four generations of Asian-Americans in the United States. Their roots go back to the building of the transcontinental railway, and there are fascinating archival photographs of these events. The Hondas of Spokane are a lively testament to the resilience of Japanese-Americans. Having suffered discrimination during the war, they display a strength of character engendered by their wartime experiences. Lorena Silva lives in a close-knit Filipino-American community, where extended family ties give support....Intercut with family stories and rare archival footage are the observations of scholars, community activists, and writers. Access limited to the MSU community and to other subscribers.

Honor & sacrifice : the Roy Matsumoto story / a film by Lucy Ostrander and Don Sellers ; produced by Stourwater Pictures in association with the Bainbridge Island Japanese American Community ; producer-director, Lucy Ostrander & Don Sellers ; cinematographer, editor & writer, Don Sellers   [Bainbridge Island, WA ]: Stourwater Pictures, [2013]    1 DVD videodisc (28 minutes) : sound, color and black and white sequences ; 4 3/4 in.  D769.8.A6 H66 2013 VideoDVD : Tells the complex story of a Japanese immigrant family ripped apart by WWII. The Matsumoto family included five sons; two who fought for the Americans and three who fought for the Japanese. The eldest, Hiroshi (Roy), became a hero, fighting against the Japanese with Merrill’s Marauders, an American guerrilla unit in Burma. He was born near Los Angeles, educated in Japan, and became a hero when he used his Japanese language skills and military training to save his surrounded, starving battalion deep in the Burmese jungle. At the same time his parents and sisters were living in their family’s ancestral home, Hiroshima. The story is told by Roy’s daughter Karen as she discovers her father’s work in military intelligence, kept secret for 50 years. More information

Honor Bound : a Personal Journey / Flower Village Films.  New York, NY : Filmakers Library, [1996]  1 VHS videocassette (55 min.) : sd., col. with b&w sequences ; 1/2 in. D753.8 .H66 1966 Videocassette  : During the Second World War, while America was fighting the Japanese, a unit of second generation Japanese-Americans was fighting bravely on the European front. These sons of Japanese immigrants proved their courage and loyalty on the fiercest battlefields, as they fought to overcome the stigma of Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor. The 100/442nd Regiment suffered the highest rates casualty and became the most decorated unit in American history. Meanwhile back at home, their families were in desolate internment camps, forced to leave their homes, farms and businesses....This film, made by the daughter of one of the soldiers, tells their story through remembrances and archival footage. With pride the veterans recall how they rescued the" Lost Battalion" of 211 Texans about to be annihilated by the enemy. Eight-hundred soldiers were wounded or killed in this operation which the U.S. Army has called one of the top ten battles of all time. The veterans also remember the friendly rivalry between the exuberant Hawaiian-Japanese, who had never faced discrimination, and the reserved American Nisei who had the double burden of fighting prejudice at home as well as the enemy abroad....This heartfelt documentary will be welcomed in programs on multiculturalism, Asian American history, immigration and military history.  Also available as streaming video from Filmakers Library.

How to Make Kimchi :  According to My Kun-Umma (2002) 18 minutes, Streaming video : Fun, family and food are the focus of this witty yet informative look into Korean culture. Bong Ja Lee is the filmmakers Kun-Umma (Aunt) and she make for a delightful subject in this short digital documentary. The film delivers not only a recipe for kimchi, but also tells the story of an immigrant women juggling with being a grandmother, a leader in the Canadian- Korean community and an aunt to her pestering nephew that is attempting to document her life.  Courtesyof HotDocs DocLibrary.

Selected Documentary Films, I-L

I Told You So / produced by Visual Communications ; directed by Alan Kondo.   San Francisco, CA : CrossCurrent Media, NAATA, distributors, 1974.  1 VHS videocassette (18 min.) : sd., b&w ; 1/2 in.PS3559.N3 I28 1974 Videocassette : Scenes of the life of, and interwoven with poems by, Lawson Fusao Inada during a family reunion in Fresno, California.

In The Matter of Cha Jung Hee / co-production of MU Films and the Independent Television Service in association with Center for Asian American Media, Katahdin Productions and American Documentary/P.O.V. ; director and writer, Deann Borshay Liem. [Harriman, NY] : New Day Films, c2010. 1 DVD videodisc (62 min.) : sd., col ; 4 3/4 in.  HV1315.5 .I5 2010 VideoDVD : Her passport said she was Cha Jung Hee. She knew she was not. So began a 40-year deception for a Korean adoptee who came to the US in 1966. Told to keep her true identity a secret from her new American family, this eight-year-old girl quickly forgot she was ever anyone else. But why had her identity been switched? And who was the real Cha Jung Hee? In the Matter of Cha Jung Hee is the search to find the answers....It follows acclaimed filmmaker Deann Borshay Liem as she returns to her native Korea to find her “double,” the mysterious girl whose place she took in America. Traversing the landscapes of memory, amnesia and identity, while also uncovering layers of misinformation in her adoption, this moving and provocative film probes the ethics of international adoptions and reveals the cost of living with someone else’s identity. Part mystery, part personal odyssey, it raises fundamental questions about who we are…and who we could be but for the hands of fate.  Trailer.

The insular empire  : America in the Mariana Islands : a film / by Vanessa Warheit.  [Vancouver, B.C.] : Vanessa Warheit/Horse Opera Productions, c2009.  1 DVD videodisc (59 min.) : sd., col. with b&w sequences ; 4 3/4 in. DU643 .I57 2009 VideoDVD : The first film to document the United States’ historical – and ongoing – role as a colonial power. Six thousand miles west of California, the Mariana Islands are American territory; but after generations of loyalty, the people of Guam and the Northern Marianas still remain second-class US citizens. Following the personal stories of four indigenous island leaders, this provocative film explores the history of American colonization in the Pacific. It is a moving story of loyalty and betrayal, about a patriotic island people struggling to find their place within the American political family.  Watch trailer.

Japanese American Women : A Sense of Place / a documentary by Rosanna Yamagiwa Alfaro, Leita Hageman ; directed by Leita Hagemann ; written and narrated by Rosanna Yamagiwa Alfaro.  New York, NY : Distributed by Women Make Movies, c1991.  1 VHS videocassette (27 min.) : sd., col. with b&w sequences ; 1/2 in. E184.J3 J344 1991 Videocassette : Japanese American women describe their experiences of growing up in America and being neither Japanese nor American and their search for a sense of ethnic identification.

Japanese Americans in World War II / produced by New Dimension Media in cooperation with Go for Broke Educational Foundation ; executive producers, Christine Sato-Yamazaki, Diane Tanaka.  1 DVD videodisc (25 min.) : sd., col. with b&w sequences ; 4 3/4 in. + 1 teacher's guide.  D769.8.A6 J373 2006 VideoDVD : Documents the story of the Japanese American soilders, the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, who fought the World War II for the United States under the prejudice and racial discrimination against them by the government and the mainstream society.

Kelly Loves Tony / a production of the National Asian American Telecommunications Association, in association with the Independent Television Service ; produced and directed by Spencer Nakasano ; produced and edited by Debbie Lum.  San Francisco, CA : NAATA Distribution, c1998.  1 VHS videocassette (57 min.) : sd., col. and b&w ; 1/2 in.  E184.Y36 K45 1998 Videocassette : Seventeen year-old Kelly Saeteurn has a dream--she calls it her "American dream." As a fresh high school graduate on her way to college she envisions a rosy future for herself, full of exciting opportunities granted by a college education. Kelly is the first in her family of Iu Mien refugees from Laos to have accomplished as much as she already has, but her dreams exist in sharp contrast to her reality. She is also pregnant. Her boyfriend Tony is a junior high drop out and ex-con whom she had met three months earlier at a shopping mall in Oakland, California. The honesty of this film's footage and dialogue offers viewers a rare glimpse into the lives of two young people struggling to make their relationship work in the face of overwhelming obstacles like parenthood, gender, culture and education.

Korean-Americans in Chicago / the Board of Governors Universities in cooperation with Governors State University ; a production of Communications Services.  Shawnee Mission, Kan. : Distributed by RMI Media Productions, c1993.  1 VHS videocassette (60 min.) : sd., col. ; 1/2 in. E184.K6 K62 1993 Videocassette : Discusses the problems of Korean Americans in the Chicago area through interviews with community members and business persons.

Lawson Fusao Inada  : what it means to be free / producers, directors, Michael Markee, Vincent Wixon.  Ashland, OR : TTTD Productions, [2004]  1 DVD videodisc (25 min.) : sd., col. w/ b&w sequences ; 4 3/4 in. + 1 guide. PS3559.N3 Z75 2004 VideoDVD  1 disc, 1 guide : Lawson Inada reads ten poems from his books Legends from camp and Drawing the line. An internee in Japanese American internment camps in the United States, Inada discusses his experiences and poems about growing up in the camps.

The Living Tree: Chinese American Identity / directed and produced by Flora Moon.  2006.  27 mins.  Streaming video from the Filmakers Library  : Filmmaker Flora Moon was born in Indiana of parents who had fled Red China. Because of her family's efforts to avoid scrutiny during the Cold War era of the 1950's they tried hard to blend in with their surroundings and little mention was made at home of their Chinese past. Light -hearted letters which would pass the scrutiny of censors on both sides of the Bamboo Curtain were the only way family ties were maintained...It was not until Flora's Aunt Ping immigrated to America in the late eighties that Flora learned about her ancestors and the intertwining of Chinese history and family history. She also learned about the recent past, when her "capitalistic" family was subject to attack during the Cultural Revolution. The silence her parents had maintained about their past hardships and the loneliness experienced as immigrants was finally revealed...

The thoroughly westernized Flora Moon once identified with ancient Rome, not ancient China. She had been labeled a "banana" -- yellow outside but white inside Now a new dimension--her Chinese roots-- has been revealed and absorbed . A charming film for use in multicultural studies. Access limited to the MSU community and other subscribers.

Long Story Short / directed by Christine Choy.  2009.  53:36 mins. Streaming video from Filmakers Library : Combining a poignant family story with the stigma of racism, this film gives insight into the Asian-American experience, including the trauma of internment....The latest film from Academy Award-nominated director Christine Choy (Who Killed Vincent Chin?) tells the fascinating story of Larry and Trudie Long, a popular husband-and-wife nightclub act of the ‘40s and ‘50s. Narrated by their daughter, actress Jodi Long, the film traces the couple’s rise from the Chinatown nightclub circuit to a coveted appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show. Known as “The Leungs,” (a more Chinese-sounding name), they performed a mix of tap dancing, witty repartee and “Chinaman” caricatures that both played to and undermined the racist attitudes of the day. Trudie Long, born Kimiye Tsunemitsu, was actually not Chinese but of Japanese descent, which made her the target of discrimination during the war....Because of the limited opportunities for Asian Americans in the Broadway theater, Larry mourned the fact that he lost his role in the original production of Flower Drum Song. Although he went on to perform in the show’s traveling company, his career never fully recovered. Redemption of a sort came when daughter Jodi appears on Broadway in a revival of the same musical, re-written by Chinese-American playwright David Henry Hwang. Access limited to the MSU community and other subscribers.

Looking Like the Enemy / by Robert A. Nakamura and Karen L. Ishizuka.  Los Angeles, Calif. : Japanese American National Museum, 199?  1 VHS videocassette (52 min.) E184.O6 L666 Videocassette : Interviews with eighteen veterans who discuss the predicaments faced by American soldiers of Asian descent who fought in World War II, the Korean and Vietnam Wars.

Selected Documentary Films, M-N

Mah Jong Orphan, directed by Fisher, Honey, produced by Fisher, Honey (Filmakers Library, 1996), 45:22 mins.  Streaming video from Filmakers Library :  Reminiscent of Amy Tan's Joy Luck Club, this real life film focuses on the widening chasm between a Chinese mother, Suzan, a first generation immigrant, and her daughter Lilly, eager to assimilate. The mother and her friends are all avid mah jong players, which serves to connect them to their old country. Lilly, like most children of immigrants, wants to fit in with her Caucasian friends and rejects her mother's values. Their conflicts are both generational and cultural....In this fresh and spontaneous film, the audience has the rare privilege of simultaneously sharing in the women's poignant and sometimes humorous discoveries about themselves and each other. Suzan talks of her disappointment at Lilly's choice of a non-Chinese husband. Lilly, to her own surprise discovers a deep need to pass on her cultural heritage to her son. Having a grandchild heals the rift between the generations....The universality of the issues and the difficulties seen in this mother/daughter relationship transcend any particular race, culture or class and strike a collective nod of recognition among us all.  Access limited to the MSU community and to other subscribers.

Mai's America (2002) / an Independent Television Service (ITVS) Production ; produced by Marlo Poras Productions, Inc. ; producer, writer, director, Marlo Poras.  New York, NY : Distributed by Women Make Movies, c2002.  1 DVD videodisc (72 min.) : sd., col. ; 4 3/4 in.  LB1696.3.V5 M35 2002VideoDVD : Mai's America is an intimate portrait of Mai — a spunky, mini-skirted daughter of Ho Chi Minh's revolution. We meet Mai and her cosmopolitan family in communist Hanoi . Mai is proud that her father fought in the American War, defeating both the U.S. and “their pawns,” the South Vietnamese. More than anything, she wants to make her family proud of her. So, fueled by the opportunity for a better education and enticed by MTV inspired visions of America , Mai travels to the United States for her senior year of high school....Nothing in her wildest imagination prepares Mai for her crash landing in rural Mississippi …where her relationships with white Pentecostal and black Baptist host-families, self-proclaimed red-necks, transvestites, and South Vietnamese immigrants challenge her long-held ideas about America , about herself, about freedom, and even about Vietnam.  Trailer.

Margaret Cho. Assassin / A2TV ; Here! ; Cho Taussig Productions ; open and close sequences directed & produced by Konda Mason ; written by Margaret Cho ; director, Kerry Asmussen.  Port Washington, NY : KOCH Vision, c2005.  1 DVD videodisc (84 min.) : sd., col. ; 4 3/4 in.  PN1969.C65 C47 A77 2005 VideoDVD : Features fresh doses of the comedians groundbreaking and controversial brand of humor.

Margaret Cho. I'm the One That I Want / Cho Taussig Productions presents ; written by Margaret Cho ; produced by Lorene Machado ; photographed and directed by Lionel Coleman. New York : Fox Lorber CenterStage : Distributed by Winstar TV & Video, c2001.  1 DVD videodisc (96 min.) : sd., col. ; 4 3/4 in.  PN1969.C65 C47 I6 2001 VideoDVD : A stand-up comedy performance by comedian Margaret Cho.

Maya Lin, A Strong Clear Vision / a film by Freida Lee Mock ; director, producer, and writer, Freida Lee Mock ; producer, Terry Sanders ; production, Sanders & Mock Productions, and the American Film Foundation ; released by Ocean Releasing.  New York, NY : Docurama, 1994.  1 DVD videodisc (ca. 83 min.) : sd., col. ; 4 3/4 in.  NA737 .L48 1994 VideoDVD : Reveals the origins of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial and tells the story of its 21 year old creator, a Yale architecture student. Lin's plan was selected from over 1,000 different designs. And what began as one of the country's most bitterly disputed monuments became one of the world's most inspirational and frequently visited memorials.

Manzanar.  [S.l. : Cross Currents Media ; San Francisco : Distributed by NAATA, 1971]   1 VHS videocassette (16 min.) : sd., col. ; 1/2 in. D769.8.A6 M32 1971 Videocassette : Documentary by Robert Nakamura which depicts a Nisei's memories of boyhood spent in a U.S. concentration camp during World War II.

Meeting at Tule Lake / San Francisco, CA : National Asian American Telecommunications Association [distributor], c1995. 1 VHS videocassette (33 min., 7 sec.) : sd., col. with b&w sequences ; 1/2 in. D769.8.A6 M44 1995 Videocassette : A group of surviving Japanese Americans who were interned at the Tule Lake (Calif.) Relocation Center during World War II travel back to the site of the relocation center and dedicate a memorial to the 50th anniversary of their internment there. Some of them also tell of their memories of being interned there. Also included are historic black-and- white footage and photographs of various aspects of life there.

Memory of Forgotten War / a production of Mu Films and The Channing & Popai Liem Education Foundation present ; a film by Deann Borshay Liem and Ramsay Liem ; directed and produced by Deann Borshay Liem and Ramsay Liem.  Berkeley, CA : Mu Films and The Channing & Popai Liem Education Foundation, 2013.  1 DVD videodisc (49 min.) : sound, color ; 4 3/4 in.  DS9216 .M456 2013 VideoDVD : Conveys the human costs of military conflict through deeply personal accounts of the Korean War (1950-53) by four Korean-American survivors. Their stories take audiences through the trajectory of the war, from extensive bombing campaigns, to day-to-day struggle for survival, and separation from family members across the DMZ. Decades later, each person reunites with relatives in North Korea, conveying beyond words the meaning of family loss. These stories belie the notion that war ends when the guns are silenced and foreshadow the future of countless others displaced by ongoing military conflict today.  These personal accounts interweave with thoughtful analysis and interpretation of events by historians Bruce Cumings and Ji-Yeon Yuh who situate these stories in a broader historical context. Additional visual materials, including newsreels, U.S. military footage, archival photographs, propaganda posters, and news articles, bring to life the political, social and historical forces that set in motion the tumultuous events of the War and its aftermath.  More information  Cover

The Mischievous Ravi, directed by Shah, Byron (Filmakers Library, 2001), 13:28 mins. Streaming video from Filmakers Library : With gentle humor, this short fiction film captures the plight of a young man caught between the traditional ways of his immigrant Indian parents and the freer lifestyle of his American peers. Working in his parent's convenience store, Ravi flirts with a seductive classmate all the while his parents are hatching a proper arranged marriage for him. But Ravi's high spirits are not to be cramped by his austere parents. This charming film captures the experience of second generation immigrants in our multicultural society.  Access limited to the MSU community and other subscribers.

Modern Day Slaves / GTC Films presents ; a film by Ted Unarce ; produced by Gracie Suzara ; co-writer, Wylie Sawyer.  [San Jose, Calif.] : GTC Films, c2010.   1 DVD videodisc (50 min.) : sd., col. ; 4 /34 in.  HD8716.5 .M63 2010 VideoDVD : The film depicts the story of Filipino Overseas Workers who leave their home country to find work in another country. Many of them work as domestic helpers and are known to be called Modern Day Slaves. They earn a few dollars to support themselves and send the rest of their earnings back home by way of remittances. They seek higher wages and hope to multiply their earnings by a factor of 300% to 500% compared to what they will earn back home...These remittances of hard currency represents a critical lifeline to their home country, providing an influx of critical buying power. They often sleep in densely packed housing units after doing a backbreaking work six or seven days a week. OFW's are vulnerable to abuse and mistreatment. They are easy targets for exploitations enduring long hours of works, low pay and poor living conditions. They usually exists in a legal gray zone were they have no way of protecting their rights...The film follows the story of several Filipino OFW of different socio-economic backgrounds. Stories of rape, severe physical and mental torture and beheading outlines how laws on human rights are violated and the awful consequences of human trafficking. OFW's live as outsiders in their host country, among unfamiliar languages and cultural traditions. They are unprotected and unrecognized by the laws of their host countries such as Hong Kong, Saudi Arabia, Japan, China, the U.S. and the U.K. among others....The film will explore how the Philippine government, a third world country actively encourages citizens to leave their country as foreign workers. OFW's repatriated nearly $18B back to the Philippines in 2008. This creates a huge opportunity for corruption among its politicians and legislators. The story of Modern Day Slaves are of extreme sacrifice. The result of the global Financial collapsed have brought many countries to its knees....This film will also raise provocative questions about certain ominous economic, political and social trends that vast section of first world countries maybe in danger of falling back into 2nd or 3rd world status if remained unchecked. This film will hopefully spark a wake up call among American citizens and leaders of the free world to take necessary actions that protect American and European prosperity from slipping away.

Monkey Dance / a film by Julie Mallozzi in association with ITVS, NAATA, and WGBH ; directed, shot and edited by Julie Mallozzi.  Berkeley, CA : Berkeley Media, [2005]  1 DVD videodisc (65 min.)E184.K45 M66 2005 VideoDVD : Explores the lives of three Cambodian American teenagers as they come of age in the United States while holding on to some aspects of their Cambodian culture such as Cambodian dance.

Monkey King Looks West / Directed by Christine Choy Produced and written by Renee Tajima.  1992.  42 minutes.  Streaming video from Filmakers Library : This colorful production contrasts the rich heritage of Chinese opera with the day-to-day realities of its emigréperformers in New York's Chinatown. It depicts the efforts of three classically-trained opera artists to keep alive their revered art form for the generation of young Chinese-Americans who would otherwise not be exposed to their tradition....In the time-worn pattern of immigrant life, they spend their days grinding out a living. In their spare time each performs and teaches Chinese opera. Scenes from the classic work Monkey King Looks West stand as a metaphor for cultural survival.  Access available to the MSU community and other subscribers.

Most Honorable Son : a production of KDN Films ; co-produced with NET Television and the Independent Television Service ; produced in association with the Center for Asian American Media ; director/writer, Bill Kubota ; co-producer and writer, Ed Moore ; producer, Joel Geyer.  [Alexandria, Va.] : Distributed by PBS Home Video, c2007.  1 DVD videodisc (ca. 60 min.)D769.8.A6 M67 2007 VideoDVD : After the Pearl Harbor attack, Ben Kuroki would be the first Japanese-American war hero, surviving 58 missions as an aerial gunner. But he found himself at the center of controversy, as the lone spokesman against the racism faced by the thousands of Japanese-Americans.  Portions of the video are available currently via the Internet, see

Most Honorable Son   Streaming video : "Most Honorable Son" follows Ben Kuroki from his childhood through his distinguished military career and on to his long-overdue honoring with the Distinguished Service Medal in an August 2005 ceremony.

A Most Unlikely Hero, directed by Okino, Steve, produced by Okino, Steve (Filmakers Library, 2006), 57:10 mins.  Streaming video from Filmakers Library : This inspiring film chronicles Capt. Bruce Yamashita's fight against racial discrimination in the Marine Corps. A third-generation American of Japanese ancestry, he grew up in Hawaii and was a graduate of Georgetown law school, and a delegate to the Hawaii Constitutional Convention. In 1989 he joined the Marine Corps and sought to qualify as an officer....Bruce was subjected to humiliating slurs from the moment he entered officer's training. During the nine -week training program, he was continually taunted by both his peers and the officers in charge, who told him in no uncertain terms he should go back to Japan. Two days before graduation, he was "disenrolled," along with three other minority candidates....Although he had never been a civil rights activist, this injustice nagged at him. He wrote a complaint to the Marine commandant. After looking into Bruce's allegations, the commandant maintained that racial discrimination was not in evidence. Bewildered and outraged, Yamashita decided to pursue the issue. It was to be a fiveyear battle before he won his case....A second Marine investigation admitted that serious racial incidents had occurred and offered Yamashita the option of repeating the "nine weeks of hell,"-- the training course for commission. The "offer" was declined and Bruce pressed on with his charges. Through the Freedom of Information Act, it was revealed that there was a significantly higher rate of "disenrollment" among minorities. An eight-hour hearing brought national news coverage. When interviewed on 60 Minutes the Marine Corps Commandant let slip, "minorities don¹t shoot that well, they don¹t swim that well and they dont use a compass that well."...Bruce¹s courageous and tenacious efforts revealed that racial discrimination was rampant in the Marine Corps. His success showed that one individual can make a difference! Access is limited to the MSU community and other subscribers.

Mountains that take wing : Angela Davis & Yuri Kochiyama : a conversation on life, struggles & liberation : a film / by C.A. Griffith & H.L.T. Quan. New York : Women Make Movies, 2009. 1DVD videodisc (97 min.) : sd., col. ; 4 3/4 in. HN57 .M679 2009 VideoDVD : Internationally renowned scholar, professor and writer Angela Davis, and 89-year-old grassroots organizer and Nobel Peace Prize nominee Yuri Kochiyama share intimate conversations about personal histories and influences that shaped them and their shared experiences in some of the most important social movements in 20th century United States

Moving Memories / Japanese American National Museum ; producer, writer, Karen L. Ishizuka ; created and edited by Robert A. Nakamura.  United States : Japanese American National Museum, 1993.  1 VHS videocassette of  (31 min.) : sd., b&w and col. ; 1/2 in.  E184.J3 M68 1993 Videocassette : Features restored and edited home movies taken by Japanese American immigrants in the 1920s and 1930s. The footage was mainly taken in California, Oregon, and Washington.

Moving Mountains: The Story of The Yiu Mien, directed by Velazquez, Elaine, produced by Velazquez, Elaine (Filmakers Library, 1991), 58:35 mins. Streaming video from Filmakers Library : This film is an intimate and caring look at the Yiu Mien, Southeast Asian refugees who originally settled in the Pacific Northwest. In their ancient society in the mountains of Laos, this hill tribe had no electricity, cars, or any other twentieth century technology. Their involvement with the CIA during the Vietnam War forced the Mien to lose their homeland. Coming here, they were catapulted from one century into another....Moving Mountains dramatically portrays a people caught between two worlds. Through the words of the elders and rare archival footage of the Mien in their mountain homeland, their ancient culture is brought to light. Moving Mountains vividly portrays the complex realities of adapting to American life with its shopping malls, freeways, and apartment living .  Access limited to the MSU community and other subscribers.

Mr. Cao Goes to Washington / a Center for Asian American Media Production ; in association with Walking Iris Media ; producer [and] director, S. Leo Chiang. [New York] : New Day Films, c2012.  1DVD  videodisc (72 min.) : sd., col. ; 4 3/4 in.   E184.V53 M57 2012 VideoDVD : Republican Joseph Cao’s victory in a U.S. congressional race in a predominantly African American district in New Orleans was an upset. Cao, the first Vietnamese American elected to Congress, knew that his chance of reelection was slim, but the idealistic congressman thought his honesty and hard work would carry him through. This intriguing documentary follows Cao as he begins his term in Congress, following the 2008 election. The former priest staunchly opposes abortion, but in other issues, he leans toward the feelings of his constituents and fights for his district, still reeling in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Following the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill, Cao represents the needs of Louisiana fishermen. He is open and approachable in interviews, and as the lone Republican to support Obama’s health-care bill, he votes his conscience. Viewers will root for the personable congressman to win a second term in this inside look at Washington politics.

Multicultural Peoples of North America Video Series / Fabian-Baber Communication Production ; executive producer, Andrew Schlessinger ; [produced and directed by Rhonda Fabian & Jerry Baber] ; script writers, Tamara Tiebel, Steve Saylor.  Bala Cynwyd, PA. : Schlessinger Video Productions, c1993. 30 minute videocassettes.  GN550 .M85 1993 Videocassette :  "This series, designed for juveniles in grades 4-10, celebrates the heritage of fifteen different cultural groups by tracing the history of their emigration to North America, showing the unique traditions they brought with them, and who they are today. Each volume discusses when and why each group emigrated, where they settled, which occupations they engaged in, and who the important leaders are within each community."  The MSU Libraries owns [3.] Arab Americans; [5.] Chinese Americans;  [12.] Korean Americans; and [15.] Puerto Ricans.

My America  : --or honk if you love Buddha / a film by Renee Tajima-Pena ; produced, written & directed by Renee Tajima-Pena ; producer, Quynh Thai.  [Ho-Ho-Kus, NJ : Sai Communications, 2007?]  1 DVD-R videodisc (87 min.) : sd., col. ; 4 3/4 in.  E184.A75 M9 2007 VideoDVD : On a road trip across the U.S. filmmaker Renee Tajima-Pena records the voices and personalities of Asian Americans from Chinatown, New York to a debutante ball in Anaheim, California. Tajima-Pena's metaphorical guide along this journey is the film's "road guru," Victor Wong.

My Mother Thought She Was Audrey Hepburn, produced by Jue, Sharon (Filmakers Library, 1992), 18 mins. Streaming video from the Filmakers Library : In this funny and sometimes irreverent journey through San Francisco's Chinatown, Suzanne comes to terms with her own ethnic identity. This film is a personal statement about growing up Asian-American in a white society. Suzanne was brought up "not to be Chinese." All traces of her family's Chinese culture and traditions were to be left in China. Her mother was proud to dress like Audrey Hepburn or Jackie Kennedy, thinking she had attained the American dream if she modeled herself after them. Though she never became an active member of white society, she unwittingly fostered a "Chinese self-hatred" in her daughter....The film suggests that racial stereotypes are imprisoning whether the minority person rebels against them or conforms. Thus Suzanne, after mindlessly alternating between a series of different self images, goes full circle, accepting, at last, her ethnic heritage.  Access limited to the MSU community and other subscribers.

A nation of immigrants :  the Chinese-American experience / Agency for Instructional Technology ; producer and director, Felice McGliney.  Princeton, NJ : Films for the Humanities, c1999.  1 VHS videocassette (20 min.) : sd. col. with b&w sequences ; 1/2 in. E184.C5 N38 1999 Videocassette : Discusses immigration to the United States during the 19th and 20th centuries, with particular emphasis on movement to the western region by immigrants from China.

National salute to Japanese American veterans, November 8, 1995, Los Angeles Convention Center / sponsored by Japanese American National Museum. Los Angeles, CA : The Museum, c1995.  1 VHS videocassette (120 min.) : sd., col. with b&w sequences ; 1/2 in.  D753.8 .N33 1995 Videocassette : Features a gala event organized by the Japanese American National Museum in collaboration with the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs to pay tribute to the Japanese American veterans who served in the military especially during World War II. The heroic deeds and sacrifices of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team and 100th Battalion are showcased.

Neverperfect.   New York, N.Y. : Cinema Guild, 2007.  1 DVD videodisc (65 min.) : sd., col. ; 4 3/4 in  Directed by Regina Park.    RD119 .N383 2007 VideoDVD : How are ideals of beauty influenced by race, history, and geopolitics? With a rich selection of film clips and archival footage, Never Perfect examines the dramatic rise in popularity of cosmetic surgery among Asian-American women. In 2006, there were 11 million cosmetic plastic surgery procedures performed in the United States, constituting an $11.4 billion industry. Most Asian women, in particular, experience acute cultural and social pressure to strive for extremely high standards of achievement and flawlessness. Among ethnic patients, the number of Asian-Americans seeking plastic and cosmetic surgery has risen 55% from 2004 to 2006. Never Perfect follows the complex journey of a young Vietnamese-American woman -- raised against a backdrop of American malls, movies, fashion magazines and makeover shows -- as she struggles with her decision to undergo a cosmetic procedure known as double eyelid surgery. In the process, this incisive documentary considers historical and contemporary examples of beauty, stereotypes and iconography within Asian and popular cultures in exploring the factors that influence body image and self-perception - as well as what it means to be an ever-evolving, multi-faceted woman living in today's global society.

New Year Baby / directed by Socheata Poeuv ; producer/writer, Charles Vogl ; producer/director of photography, Jason Bolling ; editor, Sandra Christie ; original score by Gil Talmi ; animation by Paul & Sandra Fierlinger.  [New York] : Broken English Productions, c2008.  1 DVD  videodisc (74 minutes) : sd., col. with b&w sequences ; 4 3/4 in.  E184.K45 N49 2008 VideoDVD : Born on Cambodian New Year in a refugee camp, Socheata grew up in the United States not knowing about her family's past. In New Year Baby, she journeys to Cambodia to discover the secrets of how her family came together during the Khmer Rouge period. She finds that what her parents hid in shame also proves their great heroism.

North of 49 / A film by Richard Breyer and David Coryell.  2003.  43 minutes.  Streaming video from Filmakers Library : North of 49 examines the aftermath of the Nov. 18, 2001 arson at Gobind Sadan U.S.A., a Sikh temple in upstate New York. The four teenagers found guilty of the Gobind Sadan attack claim they burned down the converted farmhouse because they thought the turbaned Sikhs who worshiped there were rejoicing in the terrorism of 9/11. The teens say they believed the temple's name meant "Go Bin Laden." Two were sentenced for four to twelve years in prison; two others received ninety days in county jail. North of 49 focuses on one perpetrator's transformation from an ignorant and confused teenager to a young woman prepared to accept and respect those different from herself....Designated as a hate crime (a federal offense), the Gobind Sadan arson made international headlines and brought Oswego Coounty the kind of publicity no area wants. The region might well have represented all of America following the 9/11 attacks. "The attacks prompted widespread suspicion and distrust of those different from the mainstream...the Sikhs have not been alone as targets of arson or other forms of discrimination," says the filmmaker and Syracuse University professor, Richard Breyer.  Access available to the MSU community and other subscribers.

Not a Simple Story : Out in silence / a Fear of Disclosure Production.  San Francisco, CA : National Asian American Telecommunications Association [distributor], c1994.  1 VHS videocassette (37 min.) : sd., col. with b&w sequences ; 1/2 in.  RA644.A25 N68 1994 Videocassette : Presents two stories of Asian Pacific Americans, gay and straight, male and female who have gone public about being HIV positive.

Selected Documentary Films, O-S

Of Civil Wrongs & Rights : the Fred Korematsu Story / written, directed & produced by Eric Paul Fournier. [San Francisco, Ca : National Asian American Telecommunications Assoc. ; distributed by NAATA distribution, c2000.  1 VHS videocassette (60 min.) : sd., col. with b&w sequences ; 1/2 in.KF7224.5 .O4 2000 Videocassette :   : Fred Korematsu was probably never more American than when he resisted, and then challenged in court, the forced internment of Japanese Americans during World War II. Korematsu lost his landmrk Supreme Court case in 1944, but never his indignation and resolve. This is the untold history of the 40-year legal fight to vindicate Korematsu -- one that finally turned a civil injustice into a civil rights victory.

Old man river / written and performed by Cynthia Gates Fujikawa ; directed by Allan Holzman.  [S.l.] : Visual Communications, 2004, c1999.  1 DVD videodisc (74 min.) : sd., col. ; 4 3/4 in. E184.J3 O44 2000 VideoDVD : In a one-woman performance Cynthia Fujikawa memorializes her father, the actor Jerry Fujikawa. Beginning in 1948 Jerry Fujikawa played supporting roles in many television programs and motion pictures, but it was many years before his daughter learned about his previous family and experiences during World War II as a Japanese American living in California. It was only after he died that she found her half-sister.

Our India story  : amity, diversity and sovereignty / executive producer & director, Keith Famie.  Wixom, Mich.] Visionalist Entertainment Productions, c2009.  1 DVD videodisc (59 min.) : sd., col. ; 4 3/4 in. + 1 booklet (24 p. : ill., ports. ; 18 cm.) F574.D49 E25 2009 VideoDVD : Captured in faith, family and fortune, Michigan's Indian American population is explored in colorful detail throughout Our India story. The film features interviews with prominent Indian Americans and follows their footsteps through challenges and boom times and celebrates their assimilation into the world of medicine, business and religion. Some segments were filmed during a visit to India to rejoice in the essential Indian zest for life.

Patsy Mink : ahead of the majority / ITVS ; Center for Asian American Media ; PBS Hawaii [present] ; a Making Waves Films production ; produced, directed and written by Kimberlee Bassford.    [Honolulu] : Making Waves Films ; [New York, N.Y.] : Women Make Movies [distributor], c2008.   1 DVD videodisc (56 min) : sd., col. with b&w sequences ; 4 3/4 in.  E840.8.M554 P38 2008 VideoDVD  : In 1965, Patsy Takemoto Mink became the first woman of color in the United States Congress. Seven years later, she ran for the US presidency and was the driving force behind Title IX, the landmark legislation that transformed women’s opportunities in higher education and athletics....Mink was an Asian American woman who fought racism and sexism while redefining US politics. Her tumultuous, often lonely political journey reveals what can be at stake for female politicians that defy expectations, push limits and adhere to their principles. Mink encountered sexism within her own party, whose leaders disliked her independent style and openly maneuvered against her. And her liberal views, particularly her vocal opposition to the Vietnam War, engendered intense criticism....A compelling portrait of an iconoclastic figure that remains seldom spotlighted in history books, this film illuminates how Mink’s daring to remain “ahead of the majority” in her beliefs enabled groundbreaking changes for the rights of the disenfranchised. A woman of the people as well as a pioneer, a patriot and an outcast, Patsy Mink’s intriguing story embodies the history, ideals and spirit of America.

A Personal matter : Gordon Hirabayashi versus the United States / National Commission on the Bicentennial of the United States Constitution ; producer/editor, John DeGraaf ; writer, John DeGraaf and William Mandis.  Washington, DC : The Constitution Project, Distributed by National Asian American Telecommunications Association ; c1997, 1992.  1 videocassette (VHS) (30 min.) : sd., col. ; 1/2 in.  D769.8.A6 P37 1992 Videocassette : This program presents a profile of a man who not only had the courage to take his stand at a time when anti-Japanese hysteria was high, but insisted on doing so in order to defend American freedom and the Constitution.

Pins and Noodles, directed by Kwan, Paul & Iger, Arnold, in Springroll Triology 2 (Filmakers Library, 1997), 55:52 mins.  Streaming video : Co-director Paul Kwan (Anatomy of A Springroll) once again takes us on a journey back to his roots, this time in a search to regain his health. Food, which was the love of his life and nourished both his palate and his cultural roots, became the source of major discomfort. Allergies to shellfish and other rich, spicy foods provoked uncomfortable reactions....When traditional Western doctors could not help, he visits Asian doctors in San Francisco's Chinatown, and then goes on to Saigon, Taiwan and Hong Kong. As East meets West he meets physicians who practice traditional acupuncture and herbal therapies-- some palatable, some unpalatable. One practitioner of Chinese medicine uses a computer and modern technology to update his diagnosis....Kwan's odyssey turns into a life theatening ordeal when midway through the filming he suffers a debilitating stroke, unusual in a young man. His hospitalization and the process of recovery lend special drama to Kwan's preoccupation with food, medicine, culture and health....Ranging from playful to serious, Pins and Noodles uses a spectrum of storytelling styles, including documentary verite, animation, puppetry, historical photographs, and ancient medical charts. Once again the artistic collaboration of producers Kwan and Iger has generated a unique fusion of East and West....This film is part two of the Springroll Trilogy, along with Anatomy of a Springroll and Wok in Progress.  Access limited to the MSU community and other subscribers.

Plantation roots.  [Los Angeles, Calif.] : Japanese American National Museum, [1997]  1 VHS videocassette (30 min.) : sd., col., with b&w sequences ; 1/2 in. DU624.7.J3 P58 1997 Videocassette : Sugar plantations recruited Japanese, Chinese, Filipino, and other ethnic groups as laborers beginning in the late 1800s, making Hawaii the multicultural state it is today. A century later, vestiges of the plantation experience can be seen in the community, culture and business.

The Politics  of Plate Lunch [Los Angeles, Calif.] : Japanese American National Museum, [1997]  1 VHS videocassette (20 min.) : sd., col., with b&w sequences ; 1/2 in. DU624.7.J3 P64 1997 Videocassette : Explores the inter-ethnic and multi-generational complexities of life in Hawaii.

Precious Cargo: Vietnamese Adoptees Discover Their Past, directed by Gardner, Janet, produced by Gardner, Janet & Pham, Thai Quoc (Filmakers Library, 2001), 57 mins.  Streaming video from the Filmakers Library :  When the U.S. withdrew from Vietnam in 1975, one of its last acts was the dramatic transport of 2,800 South Vietnamese children into American homes almost overnight. This film reveals the complex story of Operation Babylift. For the military it seemed like a final act of redemption; to the Hanoi government, a propaganda ploy; and for most Americans, a final compassionate gesture in a war they wanted to forget....Those least able to forget are the babies -- now in their mid-20s to early 30s. A small group of them met each other for the first time, bonded, and journeyed back to Vietnam. Raised in relative affluence, they confront the overcrowding and poverty as well as the beauty and culture of their homeland, wrestling with their identity and complex feelings of loss and gratitude, connection and detachment. Seeking clues to their past, none blame their mothers for giving them up for adoption, understanding how dangerous Vietnam was at the time. The program includes an exclusive interview with the pilot and chief flight nurse of the first flight which tragically crashed shortly after takeoff, casting a shadow over Operation Babylift....Also featured are the pioneering adoptive parents of the 1970s who embraced these biracial and sometimes handicapped children as their own. They began a movement that has grown to redefine the American family.  Access limited to the MSU community and other subscribers.

Rabbit in the Moon / a Wabi-Sabi production ; producers, Emiko Omori, Chizuko Omori ; director, writer, Emiko Omori.  [United States] : Furumoto Foundation, [2004]  1 DVD videodisc (85 min.) : sd., col. and b&w ; 4 3/4 in.  D769.8.A6 R33 2004 VideoDVD : A documentary about the lasting effects of the World War II internment on the Japanese American community. The film examines issues that ultimately created deep rifts within the Japanese American community. Looks at the racist loyalty oath, and the practice of drafting for the US military within the camps. Relies on testimony of camp survivors and families to show individual traumas, these are then placed into an overall perspective.

Red Pines : Japanese Americans on Bainbridge Island (2003) / producer/director, Lucy Ostrander ; Islandwood. [Bainbridge Island, Washington] : IslandWood ; [s.l.]: National Geographic Education Foundation, 2009. 1 DVD videodisc (12 min.) : sd., col. with b&w sequences ; 4 3/4 in  F897.K5 R43 2009 VideoDVD : The Red Pines" tells an enormously important story. Bainbridge Island was the first Japanese American community forcibly removed by the US Government during WWII. All the injustice, the irony, the support, the tragedy, and the courage are evident in this short, accessible video. Franklin Odo, Director, Asian Pacific American Program, Smithsonian Institution.  Watch trailer.

Remembering Manzanar : A Documentary.  DVD.  22 minutes.  on order  :  Through the use of rare historic footage and photographs, and personal recollections of a dozen former internees and others,Remembering Manzanar explores the experiences of more than 10,000 Japanese Americans who were incarcerated in a remote desert facility during World War II.  Created for use at the Interpretive Center at Manzanar National Historic Site, Remembering Manzanar gives viewers a sense of the place and its past, and a glimpse into a time when American citizens were exiled because of their ancestry.  Original score by Kazu and Keiko Matsui.

Resilience / produced by KoRoot in association with Nameless Films ; produced by Do-Hyun Kim [and 3 others] ; directed by Tammy Chu.  [Los Angeles, California] : 7AR, Seventh Art Releasing, [2012]   1 DVD (approximately 74 min.) : sound, color ; 4 3/4 in.  HV875.58.K6 R46 2012 VideoDVD : Resilience takes a look at a side of adoption rarely told: what happens after the reunion? Following a Korean birth mother and her American son as they reunite and attempt to build a relationship amidst cultural clashes and unable to speak each others' language, the film follows mother and son as they struggle to become a family again....As a young mother, Myung-ja found herself on the verge of poverty and desperation. Leaving her son in the care of relatives, she went to another city for work. When she returned, her baby was taken away and put up for adoption....Living in South Dakota, Brent had an all-American upbringing, hardly questioning his Korean identity, but he had always wondered why he was put up for adoption. He never thought he would get an answer, and especially not on national Korean TV where, for the first time, he meets his birth mother...Myung-ja and Brent's reunion after 30 years changes their lives forever. Resilience follows mother and son as they navigate their delicate path towards reconciliation and understanding.  Trailer.

Sa-i-gu : From Korean Women's Perspectives / Producers: Christine Choy, Elaine Kim & Dai Sil Kim-Gibson; Writer & Director: Dai Sil Kim-Gibson; Co-Director: Christine Choy.  San Francisco, CA : CrossCurrent Media ; National Asian  American Telecommunications Association, 1993, c1995. 1 VHS videocassette (36 min.) : sd., col. ; 1993, c1995.  F869.L89 K675 1993 Videocassette : Explores the embittering effect the Rodney King verdict and riot had on Korean American women shopkeepers who suffered more than half of the material losses in the conflict. Film underscores the shattering of the American dream while taking the media to task for playing up the "Korean-Black" aspect of the rioting.

Searching for Asian America / co-produced by NAATA and KVIE-TV, Sacramento ; series producer, Donald Young.  San Francisco, CA : National Asian American Telecommunications Association, 2003.  1 DVD videodisc (approximately 90 min.) : sound, color ; 4 3/4 in. E184.A75 S43 2003 VideoDVD : Through intimate profiles of individuals and communities from across the country, these three 30-minute programs offers fresh perspectives on how Asian Americans continually redefine and empower themselves in contemporary society. The three programs are:

•             Oklahoma Home.  Director: Sapana Sakya. Martin Bautista and Jeffrey Lim are Filipino immigrant doctors who practice in the predominantly Caucasian, hog-farming American heartland of Guymon, Oklahoma. Tempered by both pride in their heritage and the pressure to assimilate, their daily lives brim with the challenges and rewards of being pioneers on a new frontier.

•             Angry Little Asian Girl.   Director: Kyung Yu. Creator of the underground comic and website “Angry Little Girls,” Lela Lee also enjoys a successful acting career in film and television. The same fiery attitude and unyielding principles that distinguish her graphic projects fuel her on-screen pursuits, testifying to the ambitions and hopes of a Korean American talent expressing her identity every way possible.

•             The Governor.  Director: Donald Young. The highest elected official of Asian descent on the mainland, Gary Locke has blazed a unique trail marked by the benefits and burdens of being “the first.” From his inauspicious beginnings as the son of Chinese immigrants to his becoming the governor of his home state, Washington, this segment chronicles the unprecedented rise to power of Asian America’s most visible political leader.

Seeking Asian Female : a documentary / by Debbie Lum ; produced, directed, and filmed by Debbie Lum ; written and edited by Tina Nguyen, Amy Ferraris, Debbie Lum ; a co-production of Debbie Lum, the Independent Television Service (ITVS) and KQED ; a co-presentation of Center for Asian American Media. [Harriman, N.Y.] : New Day Films, 2012. 1 DVD videodisc (83 min.) : sound, color ; 4 3/4 in  HQ1032 .S44 2012 VideoDVD : Steven is a 60-year-old white American man who works as a cashier in a garage and dreams of marrying a young Asian woman. Debbie, a Chinese American filmmaker, documents his obsessive search for potential brides over the Internet because she hopes to make an exposé about his "yellow fever." When Jianhua, or "Sandy," a 30-year-old woman from Anhui, China, agrees to Steven's online proposal and moves to California to be his fiancé, unexpected complications arise for all three: bride, groom and filmmaker. From one surprising turn to the next, as the two online pen pals attempt to overcome vast differences in age, language and culture for the sake of a real-life marriage, the filmmaker gets pulled deeper into their story. With comic and poignant twists and turns, this roller coaster relationship documentary becomes a challengingly honest love story for the ages.  Cover.

Seoul II Soul, directed by Chung, Hak J., produced by USC School of Cinema & Television (Filmakers Library, 1999), 25 mins.  Streaming video : Korean American filmmaker Hak J. Chung explores his own identity by taking a close look at a very engaging family. The Yates' household consists of the father, a black Korean war veteran, his war bride and their three grown children. This love match has endured for thirty-five years because of the couple's intellectual and spiritual unity. When they first settled in America, they faced discrimination and misunderstanding....We learn how their children felt growing up as mixed race kids in a home where both cultures were valued. However, it is a surprise to learn that this seemingly well-adjusted family cannot escape the pain of cultural miscommunication. The beloved eldest son is estranged from his parents because his blonde wife and his mother are at odds. His wife does not understand the nuances of her in-laws expectations. His mother is offended that his wife won't eat kimchi and addresses her by her first name....This candid film makes a valuable contribution to resources on multiculturalism and diversity.  Access limited to the MSU community and other subscribers.

Sewing Woman / a film by Arthur Dong ; writen by Lorraine Dong ; produced and directed by Arthur Dong.  San Francisco, Calif. : Deep Focus Productions, Inc., c2006. 1 DVD videodisc (14 min.) : sd., b&w ; 4 3/4 in. + 1 guide ([4] p. : ill. ; 28 cm folded to 18 x 11 cm.)  CT1828.D66 S49 2006 VideoDVD VideoDVD & Guide : Chronicles the bittersweet journey of one woman's determination to survive: from an arranged marriage in old China to working class comforts in modern America. Based on the story of the filmmaker's mother, Sewing Women is now considered a classic and was an early prototype for the personal-diary genre made popular today by the handi-cam explosion. Winner of over 20 film awards including an Academy Award® nomination for best short documentary.

The Shot Heard Round the World, directed by Choy, Christine & Lampros, Spiro, produced by Choy, Christine (Filmakers Library, 1997), 67:30 min. Streaming video available from Filmakers Library : When Yoshi Hattori, a Japanese high school exchange student, was shot to death one October night by a suburban homeowner, the whole world was shocked once again at America's gun culture. Christine Choy, director of the multi-award -winning film Who Killed Vincent Chin?, spent three years researching the event and the ensuing criminal and civil trials. The result is this searing study in the pathology of urban fear, gun violence, criminal justice and cultural miscommunication....Yoshi had approached the Baton Rouge home of Rodney and Bonnie Peairs seeking directions to a Halloween party. Bonnie feared the stranger walking up her driveway and summoned her husband. Gun in hand, Rodney shouted "freeze" to which Yoshi, unfamiliar with the idiom, did not comply. Rodney then pulled the trigger....Hattori's parents, who had raised their son to admire America, suffered their loss with dignity. They recall their son as an honor student who enjoyed life with his host family and was well liked by his new class mates. Rodney Peairs had an extensive gun collection which neighbors remembered he used when animals wandered on his property. The film does not take sides regarding his claim that he was defending his rights as a homeowner. Avoiding simple answers, it serves up a complex picture, letting the audience draw their own conclusions about one of the most controversial criminal cases in recent years.  Access limited to the MSU community and other subscribers.

The Slanted Screen / Asian American Media Mafia Productions presents ; written, directed and produced by Jeff Adachi.  [San Francisco] : AAMM Productions, c2006.  1 DVD videodisc (62 min.)  PN1995.9.A78 S52 2006 VideoDVD  : Explores the portrayals of Asian men in American cinema, chronicling the experiences of actors who have had to struggle against ethnic stereotyping and limiting roles. The film presents a critical examination of Hollywood's image-making machine, through a fascinating parade of 50 film clips spanning a century. Segments focus on the career arcs of playwright Frank Chin ("The Year of the Dragon"); producer Terence Chang (Bulletproof Monk); actors Dustin Nguyen ("21 Jump Street") and James Shigeta (Flower Drum Song); and comedian Bobby Lee ("Mad TV").

Slaying the Dragon / produced by Pacific Productions ; a special project of Asian Women United in association with KQED ; produced and directed by Deborah Gee.  New York : Women Make Movies, 1988.  1 VHS videocassette (60 min.) PN1995.9.A78 S53 1988 Videocassette : Describes racial and gender stereotyping of Asian women in U.S. motion pictures, television programs, commercials, newsreels, and news broadcasts. Includes interviews with Asian historians, sociologists, actors and actresses, and broadcasters.

Slaying the dragon reloaded / producer, director & writer, Elaine H. Kim ; Asian Women United of California.  [California] : Asian Women United of California, 2011.  1 DVD videodiscs (30 min.) : sd., col. ; 4 3/4 in.  PN1995.9.A78 S533 2011 VideoDVD :  A 30-minute video documentary that examines visual representations of Asian women made by commercial media as well as independent Asian American artists. The story picks up where "Slaying the Dragon: Asian Women in U.S. Television and Film" (1988) ends, with Hollywood representations of Asian women from 1984 to 2009 to explore how these images reflect the significant social and demographic changes that have occurred during the last quarter of the 20th century. The sequel also showcases Asian American media makers as the proliferation of alternative media creates more opportunities to challenge and broaden perspectives of women.  Trailer.

So Far from India, directed by Nair, Mira, produced by Nair, Mira (Filmakers Library, 1983), 49:35 mins.  Streaming video available from Filmakers Library : Viewers will be caught up in this poignant portrait of a family split between two worlds. Ashok Sheth is an Indian immigrant who has come to New York to seek a better life for his family. Once here, he postpones sending for them. Money is scarce and he is growing away from the traditional life he left behind. Meanwhile, his despairing wife has lost face, dependent as she is on her in-laws for sustenance. The tension mounts when Ashok journeys to India to confront the situation....Beautifully photographed, So Far from India makes a universal statement about uprooting, starting a new life, and the pain of those left behind. Access limited to the MSU community and other subscribers.

Something Strong Within : Home Movies From America's Concentration Camps / a film by Robert A. Nakamura.  Los Angeles, CA : Japanese American National Museum, c1994.  1 VHS videocassette (40 min.) : sd., col., b&w ; 1/2 in.  D769.8.A6 S668 1994 Videocassette : Something Strong Within is a new video production created for the exhibition, "America's Concentration Camps: Remembering the Japanese American Experience," featuring never-before-seen home movies of the forced removal and incarceration of Japanesse Americans during World War II.

Somewhere Between / Long Shot Factory and Ladylike Films ; directed by Linda Goldstein Knowlton  [United States] : New Video, [2013]   2 DVD videodiscs (88 min.) : sd., col. ; 4 3/4 in. HV875.64 .S66 2013 VideoDVD : Somewhere Between tells the intimate stories of four teenaged girls united by one thing - all four were adopted from China because they had birth parents who could not keep them, due to personal circumstances colliding with China's "One Child Policy."  Disc 2 contains a supplemental program: Beyond somewhere between  : a guide for parents, educators and adoptees (43 min.)

The Split Horn : the Life of a Hmong Shaman in America / Alchemy Films ; produced in association with the Independent Television Service and NAATA ; produced by Taggart Siegel, Jim McSilver, Sarita Siegel ; directed by Taggart Siegel ; written and adapted from interviews by Jim McSilver and Taggart Siegel.  [Portland, OR? : Collective Eye], c2008.  1 DVD videodisc (56 min.) : sd., col. ; 4 3/4 in.  E184.H55 S65 2001 VideoDVD : Shows the life and culture of the Thao family, Hmong Americans in Appleton, Wisconsin, and a shaman's struggle to maintain his ancient traditions.

Starting Over  : Japanese Americans After the War / KCSM ; producer/director, Dianne Fukami ; executive producer, David H. Hosley.  San Mateo, CA : Distributed by NAATA, c1996.  1 videocassette (VHS) (60 min.) : sd., col. with b&w sequences ; 1/2 in.  D769.8.A6 S737 1996 Videocassette : Documents the struggle of Japanese Americans as they resettled throughout the U.S. following their incarceration in relocation camps during World War II.

The Stories of Maxine Hong Kingston  / a presentation of Films for the Humanities & Sciences ; from WNET/New York, WTTW/Chicago, WTVS/Detroit ; produced by Leslie Clark.  Princeton, N. J. : Films for the Humanities & Sciences, c2004.  1 DVD-R videodisc (52 min.) : sd., col. ; 4 3/4 in. PS3561.I52 S76 2004 VideoDVD : Videodisc release of a 1990 setment of the PBS television series, A World of Ideas with Bill Moyers. Maxine Hong Kingston, in conversation with Bill Moyers, talks about her writing, her published works, and the interaction of East Asian and American consciousness.

Surname Viêt, Given Name Nam : Film / by Trinh T. Minh-ha ; directed, written, edited and translated by Trinh T. Minh-ha.  [New York, N.Y.] : Women Make Movies, c1989.  1 VHS videocassette (108 min.) : sd., col. with b&w sequences ; 1/2 in.  HQ1750.5 .S875 1989 Videocassette : UWM description - Vietnamese-born Trinh T. Minh-ha's profoundly personal documentary explores the role of Vietnamese women historically and in contemporary society. Using dance, printed texts, folk poetry and the words and experiences of Vietnamese women in Vietnam-from both North and South and the United States, Trinh's film challenges official culture with the voices of women. A theoretically and formally complex work, Surname Viet Given Name Nam explores the difficulty of translation, and themes of dislocation and exile, critiquing both traditional society and life since the war."

Selected Documentary Films, T-Z

Tanforan: Race Track to Assembly Center  / San Mateo County Community College District.   San Francisco, CA : CrossCurrent Media ; National Asian American Telecommunications Association [distributor], 1995.  D769.8.A6 T364 1995 Videocassette : The Tanforan Race Track was the site of an assembly center, in 1942, where thousands of Japanese Americans lived for as long as six months, while the more permanent WWII concentration camps were being built inland. This is the first in-depth study of an assembly center and the beginnings of new cultural and social systems, which were developed and then transferred to the permanent camps. Includes examples of propaganda against Japanese-Americans in 1942.

Tea & Justice : NYPD's 1st Asian Women Officers / A film by Ermena Vinluan.  Women Make Movies, 2010.  DVD.  55 minutes.  HV8023 .T433 2010 VideoDVD :This documentary chronicles the experiences of three women who joined the New York Police Department during the 1980s—the first Asian women to become members of a force that was largely white and predominantly male. In this award-winning documentary, Officer Trish Ormsby and Detectives Agnes Chan and Christine Leung share their fascinating stories about careers and personal lives, as well as satisfactions and risks on the job, the stereotypes they defied, and how they persevered. ...Intrigued by the image of Asian women in a non-traditional profession, filmmaker Ermena Vinluan explores her own mixed feelings about cops while honoring the challenges Ormsby, Chan and Leung embraced, and the far-reaching changes they helped bring about. Interviews with ordinary New Yorkers, leading advocates of law enforcement reform, and anti-police abuse activists consider proposed changes in police culture and explain how women’s preventive policing style, based on communication, contrasts with more reactive, physically forceful methods used by men. Humorous cartoons, lively graphics depicting cultural icons of strong Asian women, and original music enhance this nuanced study of race, gender, and power. Cover.

Thai Girls (Canadian streaming video) / Sun-Kyung Yi : The highest rated show of CBC Witness, reaching close to a million viewers, and broadcast around the world in more than 35 countries, the film tells the story of two best friends who work as prostitutes in Toronto to support their families back in Bangkok - Winner of the Best Cultural Documentary at Hot Docs.

Then there were none / directed by Elizabeth Lindsey.  Honolulu, HI : Pacific Islanders in Communications, 1996. 1 streaming video file (27 min.) via Ethnographic Video Online  :  More than half a million native Hawaiians were living in the islands at the time of European contact in 1778. Within 50 years, that population was cut in half as Western diseases claimed thousands of lives. A litany of events followed: American missionaries preached unfamiliar ideas and customs; sugarcane and pineapple plantations absorbed individual farmlands; waves of immigrant workers arrived, making Hawaiians a minority in their own land; and WWII brought a lasting military presence. University of Hawai'i sociologists estimate that the extinction of full-blooded Hawaiians could come within the next 45 years. To millions of travelers the world over, Hawai'i is an alluring picture postcard paradise. But to its Native Hawaiian people, nothing could be further from the truth. Their compelling story, of a race displaced and now on the verge of extinction, is brilliantly told in this award-winning documentary created by the great-granddaughter of Hawaiian high chiefs and English seafarers.

Time of Fear / written & directed by Sue Williams ; produced by Kathryn Dietz ; a film by Ambrica Productions in association with the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.  [Alexandria, Va.] : PBS Home Video, [2005].  1 DVD videodisc (ca. 60 min.) : sd., col. & b&w ; 4 3/4 in.  D769.8.A6 T56 2005 VideoDVD : In World War II, more than 110,000 Japanese-Americans were forced into relocation camps across the US. This film traces the lives of the 16,000 people who were sent to two camps in southeast Arkansas, one of the poorest and most racially segregated places in America. It explores the reactions of the native Arkansans who watched in bewilderment as their tiny towns were overwhelmed by this huge influx of outsiders. Through interviews with the internees and local citizens, the program explores how it affected the local communities, and the impact this history had on the issues of civil rights and social justice in America then and now.

Top of their game  / a production of the Media Arts Center, Japanese American National Museum.  Los Angeles, Calif. : The Museum, c2000. 1 VHS videocassette (62 min.) : sd., col. ; 1/2 in. GV697.A1 T67 2000 Videocassette : Profiles Japanese American athletes from three generations and nine different sports. Interviews, historical images and action footage reveal the behind-the-scenes stories of those who have risen to the "top of their game."

Toyo's Camera : Japanese American History During WWII / Film by Junichi Suzuki.  Los Angeles, Calif. : Toyo's Camera Film Partners, c2009.  1 DVD videodisc (98 min.) : sd., col. and b&w ; 4 3/4 in. D769.8.A6 H68 2009 VideoDVD : Through Toyo's camera, it portrays the stories and history of Japanese Americans in Manzanar War Relocation Center during WWII.

Uncommon Courage : Patriotism and Civil Liberties / a production of Bridge Media, Inc. ; a presentation of KVIE Public Television ; produced, directed, and written by Gayle K. Yamada.  Davis, CA : Bridge Media, Inc., c2001.  1 VHS videocassette (ca. 1 hr., 27 min.) : sd., col. with b&w sequences ; 1/2 in.  D753.8 .U53 2001 Videocassette : Tells the story of the Military Intelligence Service (MIS) during World War II and the Occupation of Japan. Thousands of MIS soldiers, primarily Japanese American, fought for the United States in the Pacific interrogating Japanese prisoners, translating documents, intercepting communications, and infiltrating enemy lines. Ironically, at the same time, many of their families back in America were locked in isolated imprisonment camps, stripped of their civil rights.

Unfinished business  : the Japanese-American internment cases / Mouchette Films presents ; produced and directed by Steven Okazaki ; written by Steven Okazaki ... [et al.].  [New York] : Docurama : Distributed by New Video, [2005]  1 DVD videodisc (ca. 58 min.) : sd., col. and b&w ; 4 3/4 in.  D769.8.A6 U54 2005 VideoDVD : In the spring of 1942, more than 110,000 American citizens of Japanese ancestry were uprooted from their lives and incarcerated in relocation camps. Their stories, along with those who refused to go, are told in this Oscar nominated film.

U.S. v. Narciso, Perez & the Press.  On order.   A documentary filmed and produced by Michigan State University Journalism Professor Geri Zeldes along with three Communication Arts and Sciences students.about the trial of two Filipina nurses who were charged, thirty-seven years ago, with injecting patients with the muscle relaxant Pavulon. These injections caused 27 respiratory arrests and 11 deaths during the summer of 1975 at the Veteran’s Administration Hospital in Ann Arbor. The nurses, Filipina Narciso and Leonora Perez, were found guilty, but later the case was dismissed on appeal, citing prosecutorial misconduct.  Trailer.

Vietnamese Americans  : the new generation / produced by Howard Mass.  Princeton, N.J. : Films for the Humanities & Sciences, c2001.  1 DVD videodisc (33 min.) : sd., col. ; 4 3/4 in.  E184.V53 N49 2001 VideoDVD : Through candid interviews with first- and second-generation Vietnamese Americans, this program documents the process of assimilation into American culture of refugees from the former Republic of Vietnam. Topics includes stresses on the family unit caused by cultural and generational differences, gang membership and drug abuse among the young, anti-Vietnamese racial bias, and feelings about relations between the U.S. and Vietnam.

Vincent Who? / written & produced by Curtis Chin ; directed by Tony Lam.  Los Angeles, Calif.] : Asian Pacific Americans for Progress, c2009 + 1 research guide ([6] p. ; 19 cm.)  1 DVD videodisc (40 min.) : sd., col. ; 4 3/4 in.  HT1521 .V56 2010 VideoDVD : In 1982, Vincent Chin was beaten to death in Detroit by two white autoworkers at the height of anti-Japanese sentiments. The culprits received a $3,000 fine and 3 years probation, but no jail time. Outraged by this injustice, Asian Americans around the country galvanized to form a pan-Asian identity and civil rights movement....VINCENT WHO? explores this important legacy through interviews with the key players at the time as well as a new generation of activists impacted by Vincent Chin. It also looks at the case in relation to the larger Asian American narrative, in such events as Chinese Exclusion, Japanese American Internment, the 1992 L.A. Riots, anti-Asian hate crimes, and post-9/11 racism....Ultimately, the film asks how far Asian Americans have come since the Chin case, and how far they have yet to go.  Trailer.

Voices of Challenge : Hmong Women in Transition / a production of Academic Innovation Center, California State University, Fresno ; producer, Katsuyo Howard ; director, Candace Lee Egan.  San Francisco, CA : National Asian American Telecommunications Association, [1999]  1 VHS videocassette (39 min.) E184.H55 V64 1999 Videocassette : Their stories began when they were young girls in Laos. Their families were forced to flee after the end of the Vietnam War in 1975. Surviving hunger and disease, they eventually settled in the United States. Through their stories, these women provide insight into the Southeast Asian refugee experience and the changes challenging them as they break from a patriarchal family structure and assimilate into American society.

We Served With Pride : the Chinese American Experience in WWII / Waverly Place Productions presents a film by Montgomery Hom.  San Francisco, CA : NAATA [distributor], 2000.   1 videocassette (57 min.) DS70.88 .C6 2000 Videocassette : The untold story of Chinese Americans who have served in the U.S. military, especially during World War II. Twenty eight men and women share their stories, representing the 20,000 Chinese Americans who served their country in a wide variety of wartime assignments. Also covers the involvement of Chinese Americans in the American Civil War, Spanish American War and World War I.

When East Meets East / a Calipix Production ; produced, written and directed by Kalli Paakspuu.  Princeton, NJ : Films for the Humanities & Sciences, c2000.  1 VHS videocassette (53 min.) : sd., col. ; 1/2 in. PN1995.9.C48 W44 2000 Videocassette : When an aspiring Chinese actress is told in an audition "You should be more Chinese," she is confused. What exactly does it mean to be "more Chinese" for people of Asian descent who have relocated to or were born in North America? This genre-breaking documentary explores the issues of ethnic and cultural identity through interviews with some of today's most prominent Asian and Chinese American filmmakers, actors and actresses in the United States, Canada, Taiwan and China.

Who Killed Vincent Chin? / a production of Film News Now Foundation & WTVS Detroit ; producer, Renee Tajima ; director, Christine Choy.  New York : Filmakers Library, c1988.  1 VHS videocassette (83 min.) : sd., col. ; 1/2 in.  HT1521 .W476 1988 Videocassette : This film recounts the murder of Vincent Chin, an automotive engineer mistaken as Japanese who was slain by an assembly line worker who blamed him for the competition by the Japanese auto makers that were threatening his job. It then recounts how that murderer escaped justice in the court system.  Also available as streaming video from Filmakers Library.

Who's Going to Pay For These Donuts, Anyway?/ Fo Fum Productions ; producer/director, Janice Tanaka.  San Francisco : Distributed by NAATA Distribution, c1999.  1 VHS videocassette (58 min.) D769.8.A6 W56 1999 Videocassette : Chronicles the filmakers' personal search for her father, whom she had not seen since age three. She finds him in a half-way house for the chronically mentally ill in Los Angeles' Skid Row. As a young man, he had been arrested by the FBI for opposing the Japanese-American internment and diagnosed as a schizophrenic. Film provides clear evidence of the profound effect of the Japanese American internment on generations of individuals.

With us or against us : Afghans in America / by Kenneth Krauss and Mariam Jobrani.  New York, NY : Filmakers Library, 2002.  1 streaming video (27 min.) via Filmakers Library Online : When the Soviets invaded Afghanistan in the late 1970s, many Afghans fled leaving behind homes, possessions and sometimes family members. Those Afghans who took refuge in the United States came to treasure the freedom and economic opportunities offered by their new country. Many settled in Fremont, CA, which became the center of a community of 15,000 exiled Afghans. After September 11th, these Afghan-Americans found themselves caught in a cultural crossfire as their adoptive homeland was at war with their native land.As we learn from the film, American citizens reacted with hostility to these "enemy aliens" in their midst. Individual Afghans and businesses were targeted and attacked. Schoolgirls were afraid to be seen on the streets with their heads covered. Ironically, in 1996, most of the Fremont community had rejected the Taliban and a fist fight had broken out when Taliban representatives tried to take over the Fremont mosque with their brand of fundamentalism. With Us or Against Us follows several Afghan-Americans as they struggle to cope with the anti-Afghan sentiments In America, and indeed the world. We meet some compelling characters from all walks of life from them what it means to be an Afghan in America today.

Without due process : Japanese Americans and World War II / by Gerald and Misha Griffith.  Eugene, Oregon : New Dimension Media, Inc. [distributor], 1992.  1 VHS videocassette (52 min.) : sd., col. and b&w ; 1/2 in. + guide.  D769.8.A6 W5 1992 Videocassette : Describes the violation of the Fifth Amendment to the Constitution, which insists on due process of law. Tells of the race prejudice, war hysteria, and failure of political leadership which resulted in the evacuation of Japanese Americans, and their placement in internment camps in California, Utah, Arizona, Idaho, and Arkansas.

Wo Ai Ni Mommy  = I Love You Mommy / director, producer, and cinematographer, Stephanie Wang-Breal ; consulting producers, Judith Helfand and Jean Tsien. [New York, NY] : New Day Films, c2009.  1 videodisc (75 min.) : sd., col. ; 4 3/4 in. HV875.64 .W63 2009 VideoDVD  : A verite documentary that explores Chinese adoption through the eyes of eight-year old, Fang SuiYong. In 2008, SuiYong was adopted by Donna and Jeff Sadowsky, a Jewish family from Long Island, New York. Over the next 17 months, we witness SuiYong struggle and adapt to her new life as Faith Sadowsky, and we learn from the adoptive family that what matters most is "family" not "race." This film will get your students to consider the re-socialization and assimilation process that 70,000 Chinese children go through when they become adopted into an American family.  Trailer.  Another trailer.

A Wok in Progress, directed by Kwan, Paul & Iger, Arnold, in Springroll Triology 3 (Filmakers Library, 2001), 56:42 mins. Streaming video from the Filmakers Library : The third film in the Springroll Trilogy interweaves a love of food with cultural and psychic survival. Paul Kwan, who was uprooted from his family and native country by the fall of Saigon, finds comfort in recreating his native foods in San Francisco, his new home (Anatomy of A Springroll). He faced the physical impairment imposed on him by a debilitating stroke (Pins and Noodles)....In A Wok in Progress, Paul triumphs over the demons with his sense of whimsy, lyricism, and of course, his enjoyment of food and family. A Wok in Progressis a joyous romp through memory; a touch of personal philosophy; a distillation of sensory perceptions surrounding food and its preparation. Identity and a sense of well being are re-created in the kitchen. The co-producer's Jewish mother adds her latkes to the culinary mix. The film is a celebration of the powers of recovery on many different levels....This is the third film in the Springroll Trilogy, along with Anatomy of a Springroll and Pins and Noodles.  Access limited to the MSU community and other subscribers.

Wong flew over the cuckoo's nest  / Flying Wong Productions presents ; written by Kristina Wong ; directed by Michael Closson ; produced by Michael Closson, J. Elizabeth Martin.  [Los Angeles, CA] : Flying Wong Productions, c2010.  1 DVD videodisc (80 min.) : sd., col. ; 4 3/4 in.  PN1995.9.C55 W66 2010 VideoDVD : After playing sold out houses from Alaska to Los Angeles to New York City, to Yale, Kristina Wong’s unforgettable one woman tour de force performance of “Wong Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” is finally captured in her first ever concert film through the agressive & dynamic direction of Michael Closson....In this hilarious and whip-smart performance, Kristina takes a surprisingly raucous approach to addressing the high rates of depression and suicide among Asian American women—she tries to single-handedly save them all with her show!   She fails fantastically at the task, creating hysterical laughter that descends into a sobering coda. It’s one hell of a roller coaster ride! But don’t worry… it’s all fiction.  Trailer available.

Yellow Tale Blues : Two American Families / a film by Christine Choy and Renee Tajima.  New York, N.Y. : Filmakers Library, 1990.  1 VHS videocassette (30 min.) : sd., col. ; 1/2 in.  E184.O6 Y45 1990 videocassette : The producers of Who Killed Vincent Chin? turned the camera on their own families to make this innovative documentary on ethnic stereotypes. Clips from Hollywood movies, from a vintage silent film to Breakfast at Tiffany's, reveal nearly a century of disparaging images of Asians. These images are juxtaposed with portraits of the Choys, an immigrant, working class family, and the Tajimas, a fourth-generation middle class California family. Seeing the efforts of these families to establish themselves in America makes the celluloid images seem both laughable and sad.  Also available as streaming video from the Filmakers Library.

You Don't Know Jack Soo (2009) / AAMM Productions/Slanted Screen Films presents a film by Jeff Adachi.  1 videodisc (69 min., 24 sec.) : sd., col. with b&w sequences ; 4 3/4 in. PN2287.S64 Y65 2011 VideoDVD : Tells the fascinating story of a pioneering American entertainer Jack Soo, an Oakland native who became the first Asian American male to be cast in the lead role in a regular television series Valentine's Day (1963), and later starred in the popular comedy show Barney Miller (1975-1978)....Featuring rare footage and interviews with Soo's co-stars and friends, including actors George Takei, Nancy Kwan and Max Gail, comedians Steve Landesberg and Gary Austin, and producer Hal Kanter, the film traces Jack's early beginnings as a nightclub singer and comedian, to his breakthrough role as Sammy Fong in Rogers and Hammerstein's Broadway play and film version of The Flower Drum Song. Directed by Jeff Adachi, whose award-winning film The Slanted Screen premiered at SFIAAFF in 2006, You Don't Know Jack reveals how Jack Soo's work laid the groundwork for a new generation of Asian American actors and comedians. Music extras and director interview; 69 min theatrical version of film included.

Source: libguides.lib.msu.edu