Videos on the U.S. and American Studies

The aggressives c2005

Daniel Peddle, Secret Gallery, inc, Seventh Art Releasing (Firm), and Image Entertainment (Firm)

Features intimate interviews with 6 transgendered lesbians (5 African American, 1 Asian) living in New York City who define themselves as "aggressives." They exhibit masculine appearances and behaviors, but do not aspire to be men.  Shows their daily lives and their participation in the underground lesbian "ball" scene, where cross-dressers compete for trophies. 1 videodisc (73 min.)

MEDIA 10-684

 

Aoki c2009

Chronicles the life of Richard Aoki, "a third-generation Japanese American who became one of the founding members of the Black Panther Party. Filmed over the last five years of Richard's life, this documentary features extensive footage with Richard and exclusive interviews with his comrades, friends, and former students"--Container. 1 videodisc (95 min.)

MEDIA 10-3993

 

Arumdaun sijol Spring in my hometown 1999?

Kwang-mo Yi, Song-gi An, Yu-jong Pae, and Ok-suk Song

Set in the early 1950s when the US military presence was predominant in Korea, Spring in My Hometown depicts the life of an older generation from a child's perspective. Two children peep through the hole in the fence of an abandoned mill and chance upon the scene of one child's mother having sex with an American soldier. Now the world could never be the same. The film combines historical facts and the recreated life of hard but beautiful times with a rigorous formalism of long takes and long shots. 1 videodisc (120 min.)

MEDIA 10-122

 

Becoming American the Chinese experience c2003

Bill D Moyers, Thomas Lennon, Joe Angier, Mi Ling Tsui, Steve Cheng, Films for the Humanities & Sciences (Firm), Public Affairs Television (Firm), Thomas Lennon Films (Firm), and WNET (Television station : New York, N.Y.)

Traces the history and experiences of Chinese Americans; also includes personal journeys of AIDS researcher Dr. David Ho, market reserch pioneer Shirley Young, author Gish Jen, physicist Samuel Ting, and architect Maya Lin. 3 videodiscs (366 min.)

MEDIA 10-659 v.1-3

 

The best place to live 1982

Peter O'Neill, Ralph Rugoff, and Skylight Films (Firm)

A documentary about the changing lives and feelings of members of a Hmong community living in Providence, Rhode Island in 1980-81. 1 videocassette (53 min.)

MEDIA 10-3614       2-7710

 

The best place to live 2011

Peter O'Neill, Ralph Rugoff, and Skylight Films (Firm)

A documentary about the changing lives and feelings of members of a Hmong community living in Providence, Rhode Island in 1980-81. 1 videodisc (54 min.) :

MEDIA 10-3614

 

Can c2012

"Can Truong, a war refugee who was among the millions of boat people who fled Vietnam in the 1970's, was a model student, aspiring to become a doctor, when he was diagnosed with depression and bipolar disorder. After years of unsuccessfully trying conventional medical treatments for his mental illnesses, Can becomes involved in the mental health consumer movement, a social and political effort by people labeled with mental illnesses who believe in recovery through self-determination and peer support. Inspired by his peers, he embarks on a healing journey of a different kind -- trying to reconcile cultural differences with his very traditional Confucian father and attempts to make sense of his childhood wounds. He serves as a volunteer on numerous mental health organizations that promote recovery and explores spiritual and holistic healing modalities." -- amongourkin.org web site. 1 videodisc (65 min.)

MEDIA 10-4496

 

The cats of Mirikitani c2009

"Eighty-year-old 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 powers of community and art ..."--Container. 1 videodisc (73 min.)

MEDIA 10-4958

 

The color of honor the Japanese American soldier in WW II c1996

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. 1 videocassette (90 min.)

MEDIA 10-5120

 

Crossing lines c2007

Leena Jayaswal, Indira S Somani, Kathryn Barnier, Mareena Daredia, and New Day Films

"Crossing Lines is a film about an Indian American woman's struggle to stay connected to India after the loss of her father.... This film takes you on a journey to India, where Indira [Somani] visits her father 's extended family for the first time after his death."--Container. 1 videodisc (32 min.):

MEDIA 10-2038

 

Dirty laundry a history of heroes 1996

Richard Fung, Anthony B Chan, Dora Nipp, Sky Lee, Nayan Shah, Fungus Productions, Banff Centre for the Arts Television/Video Program, Art Institute of Chicago, and Video Data Bank

Dirty Laundry speculates upon the buried narratives of gender and sexuality in Chinese-Canadian history of the 19th century, when Chinese communities were almost exclusively male.  1 videodisc (31 min.)

MEDIA 10-2206

 

Eat a bowl of tea 1989

Tom Sternberg, Wayne Wang, Cora Miao, Russell Wong, Judith Rascoe, and Louis Chu

In New York's Chinatown of the late 1940's, young Ben Loy, fresh out of the service, has his whole life spread out before him--including a job, an apartment and a marriage arranged by his father. 1 videocassette (104 min.)

DANA    MEDIA 511            10-1490

 

A family gathering 2006?

Lise Yasui, Katherine Kline, Ann Tegnell, Long Bow Group, and Center for Asian American Media

Lise Yasui, a third-generation Japanese-American woman, searches for her family history and for understanding of their internment. Focuses on her grandfather Masuo Yasui of Hood River Valley, Oregon, who, after living in the United States for thirty years, was arrested by the FBI as a potentially dangerous alien five days after the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. 1 videodisc (ca. 53 min.)

MEDIA 10-1259

 

First person plural c2000

Deann Borshay Liem, Center for Independent Documentary, Independent Television Service, National Asian American Telecommunications Association, and Center for Asian American Media

"In 1966, Deann Borshay Liem was adopted by an American family and was sent from Korea to her new home. Growing up in California, the memory of her birth family was nearly obliterated until recurring dreams led Borshay Liem to discover the truth: her Korean mother was very much alive. Bravely uniting her biological and adoptive families, filmmaker Borshay Liem's heartfelt journey makes FIRST PERSON PLURAL a poignant essay on family, loss, and the reconciling of two identities"--Container. 1 videodisc (60 min.)

MEDIA       MEDIA 10-722              2-5495

 

From a silk cocoon  2005

Tells the story of a young couple, Shizuko and Itaru Ina, who responded to the loss of their civil liberties by renouncing their American citizenship during their four and a half year internment during World War II, who committed their hopes for their children's future to a better life in Japan. Based on personal documents that detail a daily accounting of life and private emotional upheaval during incarceration, separation and reunification. Interviews with other Japanese speaking former internees who ultimately sought refuge from their imprisonment by declaring their loyalty to Japan present disturbing disclosures of unjustified treatment and suffering. 1 videodisc (57 min.)

MEDIA 10-4316

 

Grace Lee Boggs c2007

Kae Halonen, University of Michigan--Dearborn, and Campus Media Services

Grace Lee Boggs  was interviewed by Kae Halonen as part of the Motor City Voices Project. She was one of the  most significant activist intellectuals to participate in the turbulent late 1960s in Detroit. She became an editor for the Correspondence, a publication exploring the limits of Marxist theory. She met Jimmy Boggs, a prolific political writer himself. They were married in 1953 and moved to Detroit where they collaborated on the Manifesto for a Black Revolutionary Party, which was presented at the National Black Economic Conference, and was an influential document for the League of Revolutionary Black Workers. Convinced that it was not sufficient to organize only at the point of production, Boggs expanded the scope of her political work through groups like Gardening Angels, which works with inner-city youth in Detroit. Working together with members of the Boggs Center, she actively promotes alternative models for sustainable economies. 1 videodisc (90 min.)

MEDIA 10-4343

 

The Grace Lee project 2005

Grace Lee, Women Make Movies (Firm), and Lee Lee Films

Growing up, award-winning Korean-American filmmaker Grace Lee was the only Grace Lee she knew. Moving to New York and California, however, everyone she met seemed to know "another Grace Lee." But why did they assume that all Grace Lees were nice, dutiful, piano-playing bookworms? THE GRACE LEE PROJECT puts a hilarious spin on the eternal question "What's in a name?" as she persued those who broke the mold. 1 videocassette (68 min.)

MEDIA 10-3596           2-7632

 

The Grace Lee project 2005

Grace Lee, Amy Ferraris, LeeLee Films (Firm), and Women Make Movies (Firm)

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?". 1 videodisc (68 min.) :

MEDIA 10-3596

 

Haven from shame 2009

Interview with present and past Seabrook residents at the 50th reunion of their relocation to southern Jersey. 1 videodisc (16 min.)

MEDIA 10-4579

 

History and memory (for Akiko and Takashige) 2008

Rea Tajiri and Women Make Movies (Firm)

Through collective history and personal memory, the impact of the evacuation and relocation of Japanese Americans in the United States during World War II is examined. 1 videodisc (32 min.)

MEDIA 10-1851

 

Honor & sacrifice the Roy Matsumoto story c2013

A documentary about the Japanese American men who were incarcerated in concentration camps, enlisted in the U.S. military, and volunteered to become linguists in the Military Intelligence Service in the Pacific Theater of WWII. The film focuses on the experience of Roy Matsumoto and his personal journey -- from being born an American, raised in Japan, sent to the Jerome, Arkansas concentration camp as a young man, to enlisting in the U.S. Army and becoming a hero in fighting the Japanese Army in Burma as part of the U.S. military unit known as Merrill's Marauders. As part of the project, a classroom-based curriculum to accompany the film was developed by Karen Matsumoto. The film and curriculum were disseminated in California public schools. Film showings in California and Washington were organized. 1 videodisc (28 min.)

MEDIA 10-4825

 

The Joy Luck Club 1993

Amy Tan, Oliver Stone, Wayne Wang, Amy Tan, Rosalind Chao, Kieu Chinh, Lisa Lu, and France Nuyen

Juxtaposes scenes from the lives of four Chinese women in pre-1949 China and the lives of their American-born daughters to show how the mothers' experiences in China and as immigrants in the United States shaped their dreams for their daughters' lives. 1 videocassette (139 min.)

MEDIA 10-3820       2-2611

 

Linsanity Linsanity is a moving and inspirational portrait of Jeremy Lin. It chronicles his path to international stardom, the adversities he faced along the way, his struggles to overcome stereotypes, and how he drew strength from his faith, family and culture. 1 videodisc (89 min.)

MEDIA 10-4733

 

Memory of forgotten war "Explores the human costs of military conflict through personal accounts of the Korean War by four Korean-American survivors"--Container. 1 videodisc (37 min.)

MEDIA 10-5182

 

Motherland Cuba Korea USA 2006

Dai Sil Kim-Gibson, Martha Lim Kim, and Women Make Movies (Firm)

From her adopted U.S. homeland, documentarian Dai Sil Kim-Gibson travels to Cuba to meet another Korean emigrant, Martha Lim Kim, member of a small community of Koreans who made Cuba their own adopted homeland. Listening to Martha's stories of her own life in Cuba, the filmmaker gains a better understanding of how to live in a world where "home" is a transient value. 1 videodisc (41 min.) :

MEDIA 10-3595

 

Mountains that take wing Angela Davis & Yuri Kochiyama : a conversation on life, struggles & liberation 2009

C. A Griffith, H. L. T Quan, Angela Y Davis, Yuri Kochiyama, Quad Productions, and Women Make Movies (Firm)

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"--Container. 1 videodisc (97 min.) :

MEDIA 10-3573

 

Mulberry child  c2011

"During the Chinese Cultural Revolution, millions had their lives destroyed...their reputations ruined. Mulberry Child is the story of the persecution and survival of Jian Ping's family during this difficult period. After growing up in Socialist China, Jian must learn to assimilate to a Capitalist world when she migrates to the United States. In pursuit of the American dream, Jian develops an emotional disconnect between her and her privileged American-born daughter, Lisa. Will a trip to the 2008 Beijing Olympics and a journey into the past forge a healthier relationship between mother and daughter? The film teaches us the human capacity for courage and endurance, and shows how the events of the past will affect our future."--IMDb. 1 videodisc (85 min.)

MEDIA 10-4319

 

My mother's place 2005?, c1990

Richard Fung, Rita Fung, Himani Bannerji, Ramabai Espinet, Art Institute of Chicago, and Video Data Bank

Through interviews, chiefly with his mother, and the use of memorabilia, the producer creates a unique family history and portrait of immigrant and ethnic minority life in colonial Trinidad and Tobago. 1 videodisc (50 min.)

MEDIA 10-2211

 

Neverperfect 2007

Regina Miyoung Park,  Edward Robinson, and Cinema Guild

Most Asian women experience particular 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. Along with other Asian American women seeking plastic surgery, this film follows the complex journey of one young Vietnamese-American woman's struggle with popular perceptions of beauty and body image in her decision to undergo cosmetic surgery. Traversing historical and contemporary notions of beauty, stereotypes and iconography within Asian and popular cultures, this film incorporates a rich selection of archival footage and commentary from numerous voices which ignites lively debate on the phenomena as they pertain to race and gender identity. 1 videodisc (65 min.)

MEDIA 10-1266

 

Of civil wrongs and rights the Fred Korematsu story 2006

Eric Paul Fournier, Dorka Keehn, Shirley Nakao, Ken Korematsu, Bond Bergland, Michael Becker, Fred Korematsu Film Project, Docurama (Firm), and New Video Group

In 1942, Fred Korematsu was an average 23-year-old California native working as a shipyard welder. But when he refused to obey Executive Order 9006, which sent 120,000 Americans of Japanese ancestry into internment camps, he became something extraordinary -- a civil rights champion. This film follows Korematsu's story from the moment he first resisted confinement to the hard-won victory he finally achieved 39 years later, with the help of a new generation of Japanese-American activists seeking vindication and the assurance that such a terrible injustice would never occur again. This is the striking story of an ordinary man's courageous actions, which demonstrates the power of ordinary citizens to rise up against injustice. 1 videodisc (ca. 70 min.) :

MEDIA 10-3374

 

Open season c2011

Mark Tang, Lu Lippold, and Passionfruit Films

A Hmong immigrant is convicted of killing six white hunters in a violent confrontation during deer hunting season in northwestern Wisconsin. Was it a racial incident? Was it the random act of madman? Part courtroom drama, part intimate portrait, this hour-long documentary looks at the root causes and the reverberating impacts of this tragedy, seeking to bring understanding to the racial, cultural, and economic tensions in America's heartland. Winner at the 2011 San Francisco Asian Film Festival for Achievement in Citizen Journalism, the jury said, "A nuanced approach to an urgent contemporary issue - that of refugee and migrant struggles to find a home and justice in 21st-century America." Synopsis provided by filmmakers. 1 videodisc (57 min.) :

MEDIA 10-3238

 

Out of infamy Michi Nishiura Weglyn c2009

Nancy Kapitanoff, Sharon Yamato, Sandra Oh , Michi Weglyn, and Synk

Documentary about Japanese American costume designer, Michi Nishiura Weglyn, who wrote about the forced incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II and advocated for their redress. 1 videodisc (17 min., 16 sec) :

MEDIA 10-2669

 

Precious cargo  c2001

Tells the story of Operation Babylift, the U.S. transport of 2,800 South Vietnamese children to American homes in 1975. Includes interviews with the adoptees and their adoptive parents. Shows a group of adoptees traveling back to Vietnam to discover their past. 1 videodisc (57 min.)

MEDIA 10-5367

 

Rabbit in the moon c2004

Emiko Omori, Chizuko Omori, and Wabi-Sabi Productions (Firm)

A documentary/memoir about the 120,000 Japanese American who were imprisoned in the Japanese American internment camps during WWII. 1 videodisc (85 min.)

MEDIA         MEDIA 10-1462             2-6412

 

Sentenced home c2006

David Grabias, Nicole Newnham, Sentenced Home Productions, Independent Television Service, and Center for Asian American Media

The video portrays 3 immigrant men, Many Uch, Loeun Lun, Kim Ho Ma, who arrived in the United States as refugees from Cambodia in the '80s. After fleeing the Khmer Rouge and settling in Seattle as children, each was drawn into gang life, and ultimately jail. According to U.S. law they should have been deported, but Cambodia did not accept deportees at the time of their sentences.  After September 2001, the U.S. pressured Cambodia into changing its policy.  As a result, thousands of individuals were separated from their families and returned to a land that many barely knew.  Many deportees faced the prospect of paying a double penalty: having already served their original prison sentences and moved on with their lives, they now faced deportation. 1 videodisc (76 min.)

MEDIA 10-1177

 

The slanted screen Asian men in film and television c2007, c2006

Jeff Adachi and Daniel Dae Kim

"Explores portrayals of Asian men in American cinema, chronicling the experiences of actors who have struggled against Hollywood's ethnic stereotyping and discriminatory practices ... drawing upon a wealth of materials, including 50 rare film clips spanning a century." -- Container. 1 videodisc (55 min.) :

MEDIA 10-2431

 

Slaying the dragon 2011

Deborah Gee, Elaine H Kim, Pamela Porter, Herb Wong, Pacific Productions, Asian Women United of California, and KQED-TV (Television station : San Francisco, Calif.)

Describes racial and gender stereotyping of Asian women in U.S. motion pictures as well as other filmic media, with "Reloaded"  updating the original documentary by noting the effects of globalization and a changing population within the past 25 years. Includes interviews with actresses and other Asian American women who describe their experiences of such stereotyping. 2 videodiscs (88 min.) :

MEDIA 10-3239

 

Speaking in tongues c2009

Marcia Jarmel, Ken Schneider, Jon Jang, PatchWorks Films, Independent Television Service, Center for Asian American Media, and Latino Public Broadcasting (Firm)

"Closely following four very different local public-schoolers through an academic year, [the producers] draw on subtle nuances of the kids' stories to illustrate the complex shades and permutations of bilingual schooling. Two children are placed in immersion programs to retain their native tongues while learning English, and the other two are in the reverse situation. Their parents list both familiar and surprising reasons for enrolling their children, but each remains a strong proponent of the programs despite criticism from extended family, friends and a loud chorus of English-only activists. Even while dismissing common barbs, the families must confront unique challenges both humorous and serious."--PatchWorks Films website. 1 videodisc (57 min.)

MEDIA 10-1736

 

Tea & justice the life & times of NYPD's 1st Asian women officers 2010

Ermena Vinluan, Touch Base Productions, and Women Make Movies (Firm)

"Tea & Justice 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"--Container. 1 videodisc (55 min.) :

MEDIA 10-3582

 

Turbans c1999

Erika Andersen, Carol Ruiz, Kavi Raz, Juhi Dudani, Neil Merchant, Yogananda Touzene, Meera Simhan, Kartar Dhillon, Different Drum Productions, National Asian American Telecommunications Association, and Filmakers Library, inc

Based on the memoirs of the film-maker's grandmother, this film explores the inner struggles of an Asian Indian immigrant family torn between their cultural traditions and a desire for social acceptance. Members of one of the first East Indian families to settle on the West Coast of America, the Singh boys are taunted for the turbans they wear, a tradition sacred to their Sikh ancestors. In the prejudiced landscape of 1918 Astoria, Oregon, however, the turbans serve only to identify them as outsiders. 1 videodisc (29 min.)

MEDIA 10-1775

 

A village called Versailles c2009

S. Leo Chiang, Joel Goodman, Walking Iris Films, Independent Television Service, Center for Asian American Media, and New Day Films

"A documentary about Versailles, a community in eastern New Orleans first settled by Vietnamese refugees.  After Hurricane Katrina, Versailles residents impressively rise to the challenges by returning and rebuilding before most neighborhoods in New Orleans, only to have their homes threatened by a new government-imposed toxic landfill just two miles away.  [It] recounts the empowering story of how this group of people, who has already suffered so much in their lifetime, turns a devastating disaster into a catalyst for change and a chance for a better future"--Container. 1 videodisc (67 min.)

MEDIA 10-1820

 

The way to my father's village 2005?

Richard Fung, Shalhevet Goldhar, Tim McCaskell, Rita Fung, Tony Fong, Lloyd L Wong, Michelle Mohabeer, Dorothy Yap-Chung, Trinity Square Video, Art Institute of Chicago, and Video Data Bank

Richard Fung, a young Chinese-Canadian tries to define himself and establish his roots by searching out information about his father's life and the village in southern China where his father was born. His search is complicated by the fact that his father immigrated first to Trinidad and years later with his family to Ontario, Canada. The young man first interviews two cousins in Canada, asking them about his family and about their trip to China as children in the 1930's. Although he speaks no Chinese, he then makes his own pilgrimage to China and visits his father's home village in 1987. 1 videodisc (38 min.)

MEDIA 10-2207

 

The wedding banquet Xi yan 2004

Ang Lee, Neil Peng, James Schamus, Ted Hope, Yalei Gui, Sihung Lung, May Chin, Winston Chao, Mitchell Lichtenstein, Zhong yang dian ying shi ye gu fen you xian gong si, Good Machine (Firm), and MGM Home Entertainment Inc

A Taiwanese gay man living in Manhattan agrees to a marriage of convenience with a mainland Chinese woman in need of a green card.  His parents are thrilled, and fly to the States to help him plan a lavish wedding banquet. 1 videodisc (108 min.)

MEDIA 10-1833

37 stories about leaving home c1997

Shelly Silver and National Asian American Telecommunications Association

This documentary examines the relationships among grandmothers, mothers and daughters in Japan through interviews. Interwoven throughout is a Japanese folk tale. 1 videocassette (52min.)

MEDIA 2-6818

 

After silence c2003

Frank Kitamoto, Lois Shelton, Susan Buster Thomas, Washington State Civil Liberties Program, Bainbridge Island Historical Society, Foxglove Films, and Bullfrog Films, inc

Based a personal story by Dr. Frank Kitamoto of Bainbridge Island, Washington, who was among the first of 110,000 West Coast Japanese Americans forced from their homes. 1 videocassette (30 min.)

MEDIA 2-6618

 

The aggressives c2005

Daniel Peddle, Secret Gallery, inc, Seventh Art Releasing (Firm), and Image Entertainment (Firm)

Features intimate interviews with 6 transgendered lesbians (5 African American, 1 Asian) living in New York City who define themselves as "aggressives." They exhibit masculine appearances and behaviors, but do not aspire to be men.  Shows their daily lives and their participation in the underground lesbian "ball" scene, where cross-dressers compete for trophies. 1 videodisc (73 min.)

MEDIA 10-684

 

Ancestors in the Americas Chinese in the frontier west, an American story 1998

Loni Ding and Pat Morita

Chronicles the arrival of the Chinese during the 1850s to 1880s in California during the Gold Rush period and their subsequent settlement in the Western states of Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming and South Dakota. Includes the history of their labor, community building and activism for justice and equality in the courts of mid-19th century America. 1 videocassette (60 min.)

DANA. MEDIA 1547 2-5070

 

Ancestors in the Americas coolies, sailors, settlers 1996

Loni Ding and Sab Shimono

The untold story of how Asians--Filipino, Chinese, Asian Indian--first arrived in the Americas. The film crosses centuries and oceans from the 16th century Manila-Acapulco trade, to the Opium War, to the 19th century plantation coolie labor in South America and the Caribbean. 1 videocassette (64 min.)

DANA. MEDIA 757 2-5605

 

And thereafter c2003

Hosup Lee, Hyun-Ock Im, Filmakers Library, inc, and Docu-Eye Production

Seventy-six year-old Young-Ja Wike is one of 10,000 Korean women who married American G.I.'s after the Korean War. For these women marriage was the only escape from the crushing poverty of post-war Korea. Now "Grandma" lives in south New Jersey with her husband. Never having learned to speak English fluently, she is isolated from the community and her family as well. 1 videocassette (56 min.)

MEDIA 2-6963

 

Arumdaun sijol Spring in my hometown 1999?

Kwang-mo Yi, Song-gi An, Yu-jong Pae, and Ok-suk Song

Set in the early 1950s when the US military presence was predominant in Korea, Spring in My Hometown depicts the life of an older generation from a child's perspective. Two children peep through the hole in the fence of an abandoned mill and chance upon the scene of one child's mother having sex with an American soldier. Now the world could never be the same. The film combines historical facts and the recreated life of hard but beautiful times with a rigorous formalism of long takes and long shots. 1 videodisc (120 min.)

MEDIA 10-122

 

As seen by both sides American & Vietnamese artists look at the war 1995

Mark Biggs and Larry Rottmann

This program examines the history and tour of the remarkable exhibit of the same name, and features paintings, rare Vietnamese and American archival footage, and interviews with artists, writers, scholars, veterans and students.  The program offers insight into the role which the arts play in chronicling and shaping popular and historical interpretations of the war. 1 videocassette (58 min.)

MEDIA 2-3250

 

Asian-American cultures in the U.S.A  1993

J. Q Adams, Tony Labriola, and Ngoan Le

Discusses the diverse cultures in the U.S. grouped under the label Asian-American: Filipino, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Asian Indian, etc. 1 videocassette (60 min.)

DANA 222

 

The Asianization of America 1988

Michael Rosenblum and Tony Marshall

Describes the increasing role of Asians in American business and in society. Examines how this trend is affecting American society. 1 videocassette (26 min.)

MEDIA 2-3001

 

Becoming American 1983

Ken Levine, Ivory Waterworth Levine, and Ted D'Arms

Follows a Hmong refugee family from northern Laos awaiting resettlement in a remote refugee camp in northern Thailand, from the time its members learn of their acceptance as immigrants, to the time they are settled in Seattle, Washington. 1 videocassette (59 min.)

MEDIA 2-2964

 

Becoming American the Chinese experience c2003

Bill D Moyers, Thomas Lennon, Joe Angier, Mi Ling Tsui, Steve Cheng, Films for the Humanities & Sciences (Firm), Public Affairs Television (Firm), Thomas Lennon Films (Firm), and WNET (Television station : New York, N.Y.)

Traces the history and experiences of Chinese Americans; also includes personal journeys of AIDS researcher Dr. David Ho, market reserch pioneer Shirley Young, author Gish Jen, physicist Samuel Ting, and architect Maya Lin. 3 videodiscs (366 min.)

MEDIA 10-659 v.1-3

 

The best place to live 1982

Peter O'Neill, Ralph Rugoff, and Skylight Films (Firm)

A documentary about the changing lives and feelings of members of a Hmong community living in Providence, Rhode Island in 1980-81. 1 videocassette (53 min.)

MEDIA 2-7710

 

Between two cultures Japan in America 1994

Peter Argentine

Discusses the history of Japanese and their descendants living in the United States.  Examines the economic alliances and competiton between Japan and the United States. 1 videocassette (ca. 58 min.)

DANA 687

 

Between two worlds the Hmong Shaman in America 1985

Taggart Siegel and Lorne Dwight Conquergood

Describes the art of Shamanism and the role of the Shaman in Hmong society.  Examines the conflict between the ancient religion and traditions of the Hmong and their new way of life in the United States. 1 videocassette (30 min.)

MEDIA 2-5201

 

Bharati Mukherjee : conquering America 1994

Bharati Mukherjee, Bill D Moyers, and Gail Pellet

Writer Bharati Mukherjee discusses America's newest Asian immigrants like herself, as well as the tension, struggles, and dreams in the enculturation process. 1 videocassette (30 min.)

MEDIA 2-2584

 

Blue collar and Buddha a documentary  1996

Taggart Siegel, Kati Johnston, Charles Hallisey, and Ajaan Xamonphry Per

Explores the dilemma of Laotian refugees living in Rockford, Illinois who are torn between preserving their cultural identity and adapting to their new life in America. Re-settlement is complicated by rising tensions with neighbors, many of whom resent the Laotians' economic gains and view their Buddhism with hostility. 1 videocassette (57 min.)

MEDIA 2-3995

 

The bracelet c2001

Yoshiko Uchida, Joanna Yardley, John Esaki , Jennifer Kim, Patty Nagano, University of California, Los Angeles, Asian American Studies Center, and Japanese American National Museum (Los Angeles, Calif.)

A video presentation of Yoshiko Uchida's children's book about a gift from the heart and friends separated by war. Joanna Yardley's original illustrations are intercut with rare home movies and historic photographs to tell this heartwarming story of emotional growth and understanding. Teacher Patty Nagano conducts a discussion and activities with a 2nd grade class after the story. 1 videocassette (25 min.)

MEDIA 2-6356

 

Bui do`i life like dust c1995

Ahrin Mishan, Rick Rothenberg, Urban Nomad Productions, National Asian American Telecommunications Association, and NAATA Distribution (Firm)

A young adult Vietnamese immigrant, currently serving time in prison for armed robbery, recounts his evolution from a 13 year old immigrant to a life of crime. He relates his immigration from a Vietnamese refugee camp to California, his entry into American schools, his subsequent involvement with Asia American gangs followed by criminal activity and prison. 1 videocassette (30 min.)

MEDIA 2-7392

 

Camp Arirang 1996

Diana S Lee, Grace Yoonkung Lee, Amy Hill, Camp Arirang Productions, and National Asian American Telecommunications Association

Filmmakers explore prostitution near American bases in South Korea and examine the lives of the sex workers and their Amerasian children who live in U.S. camp towns throughout South Korea. 1 videocassette (28 min.)

MEDIA 2-6537

 

Carved in silence Felicia Lowe

Documentary about Chinese immigration to the United States and the discriminatory U.S. immigration policy toward Asians. Tells the dramatic story of Angel Island where Chinese Americans were detained and vigorously questioned for sometimes up to three years before being allowed to enter the country. 1 videocassette (45 min.)

MEDIA 2-3913

 

The cats of Mirikitani c2006

Linda Hattendorf, Masa Yoshikawa, Lucid Dreaming (Firm), Independent Television Service, and Center for Asian American Media

"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 powers of friendship and art."--Producers. 1 videodisc (74 min.)

DANA 365

 

Children of the camps a documentary and educational project 1999

Satsuki Ina, Stephen Holsapple, and Lawson Fusao Inada

Part of the Children of the camps educational project, this video shares the experiences, cultural and familial issues, and the long internalized grief and shame felt by six Japanese Americans who were incarcerated in internment camps as children during World War II. 1 videocassette (57 min.)

MEDIA 2-219

 

The Chinatown files c2001

Amy Chen, Ying Zhan, Andrea Weiss, Martin D Toub, Michael Chin, Amy Hill, Second Decade Films, Filmakers Library, inc, and Second Decade Films (Firm)

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. 1 videocassette (57 min.)

MEDIA 2-6396

 

The color of fear 1994

Mun Wah Lee, Richard C Bock, Roberto Almanza, David Christensen, and Gordon Clay

Eight North American men of Asian, European, Latino, and African descent describe the pain and anguish that racism has caused in their lives, and the defense mechanisms they use to survive. 1 videocassette (90 min.)

MEDIA 2-3126

 

The color of honor the Japanese American soldier in WW II c1996

Loni Ding, Joe Miksak, National Asian American Telecommunications Association, and Vox Productions

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. 1 videocassette (90 min.)

MEDIA 2-7283

 

Days of waiting the life and art of Estelle Ishigo 1990

Steven Okazaki and Dorothy Stroup

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 film and photographs, the deprivations and humiliations of camp life, and the difficulties of readjustment at war's end. 1 videocassette (28 min.)

MEDIA 2-3935

 

Dear Miss Breed c2001

Veronica Ko, Jennifer Kim, Karen Ishizuka, Marcus Toji, University of California, Los Angeles, Asian American Studies Center, and Japanese American National Museum (Los Angeles, Calif.)

The real life story of how San Diego children's librarian Clara Breed became an unlikely hero to Japanese American youth in one of America's concentration camps in Poston, Arizona. 1 videocassette (13 min.)

MEDIA 2-6354

 

The debut 2003

Lisa Onodera, Gene Cajayon, John Manal Castro, Danté Basco, Tirso Cruz, Eddie Garcia, Darion Basco, Dion Basco, Derek Basco, Gina Alajar, Bernadette Balagtas, Joy Bisco, 5 Card Productions (Firm), Celestial Pictures (Firm), National Asian American Telecommunications Association, GMA Network Films, Visual Communications/Asian American Studies Central, and Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment (Firm)

A struggle between Ben' s American dreams and his family's Filipino traditions explode on the night of his sisters eighteenth birthday party. He learns a few things about his real culture and about true love. 1 videocassette (88 min.)

MEDIA 2-6637

 

Desi South Asians in New York 2000

Shebana Coelho, Skjalg Molvaer, Ignition Point (Firm), WNET (Television station : New York, N.Y.), Educational Broadcasting Corporation, and Center for Asian American Media

Presents dozens of first- and second generation New Yorkers who share their insights, reflections and experiences to illustrate the wide spectrum of Pakistanis, Indians, Bangladeshis, Sri Lankans, Nepalese and other South Asians who have become an integral part of the city. 1 videodisc (58 min.)

DANA 367

 

Dollar a day, ten cents a dance a historic portrait of Filipino farmworkers in America 1995

Geoffrey Dunn, Mark Schwartz, T. C Golez, Impact Productions, and Center for Asian American Media

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. 1 videocassette (29 min.)

MEDIA 2-7397

 

Doubles : Japan and America's intercultural children 1995

Regge Life, Masako Izutsu, and Joe Morton

After World War II, despite orders forbidding it, fraternization between U.S. soldiers and Japanese women resulted in a number of children born in and out of wedlock. This film focuses on interviews with American soldiers, Japanese women, and their biracial children thirty years after the Allies occupied Japan. 1 videocassette (59 min.)

DANA 804

 

Eat a bowl of tea 1989

Tom Sternberg, Wayne Wang, Cora Miao, Russell Wong, Judith Rascoe, and Louis Chu

In New York's Chinatown of the late 1940's, young Ben Loy, fresh out of the service, has his whole life spread out before him--including a job, an apartment and a marriage arranged by his father. 1 videocassette (104 min.)

DANA    MEDIA 511            10-1490

 

The fall of the I Hotel c1995

Curtis Choy, Chonk Moonhunter (Firm), NAATA Distribution (Firm), and National Asian American Telecommunications Association

After the Manongs labored to build America, their San Francisco Manilatown community is wiped out by urban renewal, and 50 old-timers are forcibly evicted from the International Hotel by 300 cops in the dead of night. Documents destruction of the last block of Manilatown on Kearny Street. 1 videocassette (58 min.)

MEDIA 2-7396

 

A family gathering 2006?

Lise Yasui, Katherine Kline, Ann Tegnell, Long Bow Group, and Center for Asian American Media

Lise Yasui, a third-generation Japanese-American woman, searches for her family history and for understanding of their internment. Focuses on her grandfather Masuo Yasui of Hood River Valley, Oregon, who, after living in the United States for thirty years, was arrested by the FBI as a potentially dangerous alien five days after the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. 1 videodisc (ca. 53 min.)

MEDIA 10-1259

 

Filipino Americans discovering their past for the future 1994

John F Wehman and Paul K Barnet

Documentary on Filipino Americans, who are the oldest and one of the largest Asian-American ethnic populations in the United States. 1 videocassette (54 min.)

DANA 836

 

First person plural c2000

Deann Borshay Liem, Center for Independent Documentary, Independent Television Service, National Asian American Telecommunications Association, and Center for Asian American Media

"In 1966, Deann Borshay Liem was adopted by an American family and was sent from Korea to her new home. Growing up in California, the memory of her birth family was nearly obliterated until recurring dreams led Borshay Liem to discover the truth: her Korean mother was very much alive. Bravely uniting her biological and adoptive families, filmmaker Borshay Liem's heartfelt journey makes FIRST PERSON PLURAL a poignant essay on family, loss, and the reconciling of two identities"--Container. 1 videodisc (60 min.)

MEDIA       MEDIA 10-722              2-5495

 

The Fukuyama family 1981

Virginia Yae Hashii and Norman Rose

The Japanese American story is told through an overview of Japan's history, a survey of the development of Japanese American communities in the United States through a generation of change, and the experiences of several generations of the Fukuyama family. 1 filmstrip ([133] fr.)

DANA 105

 

The Grace Lee project 2005

Grace Lee, Women Make Movies (Firm), and Lee Lee Films

Growing up, award-winning Korean-American filmmaker Grace Lee was the only Grace Lee she knew. Moving to New York and California, however, everyone she met seemed to know "another Grace Lee." But why did they assume that all Grace Lees were nice, dutiful, piano-playing bookworms? THE GRACE LEE PROJECT puts a hilarious spin on the eternal question "What's in a name?" as she persued those who broke the mold. 1 videocassette (68 min.)

MEDIA 2-7632

 

A Great wall 1987

Peter C Wang and Sharon Iwai

This moving and humorous story chronicles the return of Leo Fang and his American-born wife and son to his native China and provides a comical insight into the cultural clashes between traditional Chinese families and Chinese-American families. 1 videocassette (103 min.)

MEDIA 2-678

 

Haven from shame 1994

Marge Pala, Larry Kane, and KYW-TV (Television station : Philadelphia, Pa.)

Interview with present and past Seabrook residents at the 50th reunion of their relocation to southern Jersey. 1 videocassette (16 min.)

MEDIA 2-6308

 

History and memory for Akiko and Takashige 1991

Rea Tajiri, Noel Shaw, and Sokhi Wagner

Tells the story of the filmmaker's search for her family's history and experience as Japanese Americans during the Second World War. 1 videocassette (32 min.)

DANA 823

 

History and memory (for Akiko and Takashige) 2008

Rea Tajiri and Women Make Movies (Firm)

Through collective history and personal memory, the impact of the evacuation and relocation of Japanese Americans in the United States during World War II is examined. 1 videodisc (32 min.)

MEDIA 10-1851

 

Hmong, one wife is not enough 2002

Noel Lee

Film explores the issue of Hmong polygamy, its origin, why it was practiced and why some still practice it. 1 videocassette (29 min.)

MEDIA 2-2368

 

In no one's shadow Filipinos in America c1995

Ray Gatchalian, Naomi De Castro, Antonio E De Castro, Jonna Ramey, Visual Communications/Asian American Studies Central, Philippine Arts in the Community (Firm), and National Asian American Telecommunications Association

Surveys the social history of Filipinos in the U.S., especially during the 20th century. Includes interviews with California residents of Philippine origin. 1 videocassette (28 min.)

MEDIA 2-6829

 

Innovative approaches to counseling Asian-American people c2000

Allen E Ivey, Patricia M Arredondo, Derald Wing Sue, Microtraining Associates, American Psychological Association, and Society for the Psychological Study of Ethnic Minority Issues

Demonstration of innovative approaches for multi-cultural counseling from culture specific perspectives. 1 videocassette (37 min.)

MEDIA 2-6738

 

Interactions c2001

Julie Asato, Justin Lin, Daric Loo, University of California, Los Angeles, Asian American Studies Center, and Japanese American National Museum (Los Angeles, Calif.)

Chronicles four high school students as they are given four days to tackle one mission: find out what life was like for teenagers in Japanese American concentration camps during World War II. 1 videocassette (ca. 33 min.)

MEDIA 2-6355

 

Issei, Nisei, Sansei 1975

John Nakamura and Doug Wakefield

Examines the changing lifestyle and some of the problems facing the Issei, Nisei, Sansei (first, second and third generation) residents of the Japanese community at Seabrook, N.J., after being relocated in 1944. 1 videocassette (30 min.)

MEDIA D-329

 

Japanese American women a sense of place 1992, 1991

Rosanna Yamagiwa Alfaro and Leita Hagemann

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. 1 videocassette (27 min.)

DANA 822

 

Japanese war bride 1997

J Bernhard, King Vidor, Shirley Yamaguchi, Don Taylor, Cameron Mitchell, and Marie Windsor

A Korean War vet (Taylor) falls in love with a Japanese nurse (Yamaguchi) and brings her back to his California home as his wife. However, the neighboring farmers who still harbor anti-Japanese sentiments from World War II, try to break up their marriage. 1 videocassette (91 min.)

MEDIA 2-5570

 

The Joy Luck Club 1993

Amy Tan, Oliver Stone, Wayne Wang, Amy Tan, Rosalind Chao, Kieu Chinh, Lisa Lu, and France Nuyen

Juxtaposes scenes from the lives of four Chinese women in pre-1949 China and the lives of their American-born daughters to show how the mothers' experiences in China and as immigrants in the United States shaped their dreams for their daughters' lives. 1 videocassette (139 min.)

MEDIA 2-2611

 

A.k.a. Don Bonus c1998

Spencer Nakasako, Sokly Ny, National Asian American Telecommunications Association, and NAATA Distribution (Firm)

This documentary is a self-portrait of a young Cambodian immigrant growing up in America today. Shot by Sokly Ny himself, it shows his struggles to graduate and survive his complicated life during his senior year of high school. 1 videocassette (57 min.)

MEDIA 2-7395

 

Kelly loves Tony c1998

Spencer Nakasako, Debbie Lum, Kane Ian Saeteurn, Nai Saelio,  National Asian American Telecommunications Association, and Independent Television Service

This film 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. 1 videocassette (57 min.)

MEDIA 2-7707