Asian-American Resources: Media

A filmmaker explores the life of her great-aunt, Jane Chung, an actress who made a career for herself at a time when Asian-Americans faced widespread racism in Hollywood. Working mostly in small parts and as an extra, Jane’s fifty-year career reflects many of the struggles and triumphs of the Asian-Americans working in the entertainment industry. Jane had parts in over fifty films and TV shows including Chinatown, When Harry Met Sally, M*A*S*H and I Love Lucy, but much of her work is uncredited. The filmmaker's journey to uncover Jane’s many film and TV roles brings together voices from multiple generations of her family, as she seeks out those who remember Jane best. Through the story of Jane Chung’s life and career, More Than a Face in the Crowd reveals a larger untold story of Asian-American actors and extras in Hollywood.

This series traces the story of Asian Americans, spanning 150 years of immigration, racial politics, and cultural innovation. It is a look at the role that Asian Americans have played in defining who we are as a nation.

What does it mean to become American? What is lost and what is gained in the process? In interviews with historians, descendants, and recent immigrants, this set of powerful Bill Moyers documentaries explores these questions through the dramatic experience of the Chinese in America. Includes Gold Mountain Dreams, Between Two Worlds, and No Turning Back. (254 minutes)

This award-winning documentary explores portrayals of Asian men in American cinema, chronicling the experience of actors who have struggled against Hollywood’s ethnic stereotyping and discriminatory practices. The Slanted Screen covers the practice of using Caucasian actors in yellowface makeup, drawing upon a wealth of materials, including 50 rare film clips spanning a century. The program, which was broadcast nationally on PBS, features voice-over narration by Daniel Dae Kim as well as interviews with actors Mako, James Shigeta, Jason Scott Lee, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, Will Yun Lee, and Tzi Ma; producer Terence Chang; director Justin Lin; and casting director Heidi Levitt. (55 minutes)