This book unveils a previously untold history, whether you read it all or just a few chapters.
By Jeff Yang ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 31, 2023
This book is a comprehensive celebration of Asian Americans in film. It is a visually stunning work, with a mix of screenshots and illustrations, and provides an in-depth look at 136 films. Author Jeff Yang, co-author of Rise: A Pop History of Asian America From the Nineties to Now, has a wealth of knowledge on the subject and groups the films into categories such as immigration, family, action, and romance. His criteria for inclusion is broad, including movies made by Asian directors, those imported from Asia, those with Asian headline stars, and those with minor Asian characters.
In the postwar era, Asian characters were often portrayed by Westerners with heavy makeup and poor accents, but this slowly changed with the help of directors like John Woo and Ang Lee. Akira (1988) was a breakthrough for anime in the U.S., and Slumdog Millionaire and Crazy Rich Asians were both huge successes. Michelle Yeoh’s Everything Everywhere All at Once was a delightful movie that showed Asian faces on the screen were no longer remarkable. Most of the movies discussed in the book can be accessed in some way, and readers may find themselves making a list. While the book does not explore the future of Asian American cinema, it is still an enjoyable and informative read.
Check on Amazon Check on Walmart Check on Barnes and Noble Check on PowellsPub Date: Oct. 31, 2023
ISBN: 9780762482221
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Black Dog & Leventhal
Review Posted Online: June 21, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2023