Singing for Ourselves
By a stroke of luck, I happened to be in LA this past weekend—and had the amazing privilege of being in the audience at the premiere of A Song for Ourselves.
I had the time to reconnect with my old friend and mentor Joe (hi Joe!). As I walked with him to dinner in Little Tokyo, he pointed out some landmarks in Asian American history to me—the former site of the Amerasia Bookstore, Far East Chop Suey. On the walk to the Aratani/Japan America Theater, we crossed paths with folks like Warren Furutani, Nobuko Miyamoto.
And then, as we watched the film, these people and places kept popping up. It reminded me, as did the film, about how important it is to stay connected to the stories of the past.
The premiere was so exciting because the event itself brought so many different people together—generations of Asian American activists and artists. To have a crowd watching Native Guns (perform together!) and then watch a documentary about Chris Iijima, and then to hear Nobuko Miyamoto and Charlie Chin perform, followed by the Blue Scholars? It was amazing. I wonder what the older generations thought about the hip hop acts, and I wonder what the younger generations thought about Yellow Pearl and a Grain of Sand? I think the event underscored for everyone how important it is to tell our stories, to be connected to our community.
I left wanting to ask my mom about her experiences as an undergrad in NYC in the late 60s. I left happy having unexpectedly crossed paths with old friends. I left feeling excited to come back to Boston and dig back into our community.
My other favorite moment of the night? Sabzi on the iPhone tapping out a beat to a new song “New People.” I don’t know what I was sweating more, the iPhone or. (love you E!)
And I guess people were excited about the kogi truck parked outside the theater. The line circled the whole plaza and then some. What more could you ask for on a night out in LA? (Oh yeah, GPS on your iPhone. I got lost. Twice. I miss Boston.)
Last 5 posts by delia
- "Help! I need somebody!" - January 14th, 2010
- "I appreciate Asian beauty" - December 7th, 2009
- i am korean american - November 17th, 2009
- No thanks! - November 11th, 2009
- April is National Poetry Month!! - April 1st, 2009
Tags: Recap.
2 comments
AWESOME! this is the best recap evar! i can’t wait to see this film! i can’t stop using exclamation points!
It was a great night, especially the crossing of paths and reconnecting of spirits. It wasn’t only about inter-generational interaction (listen to me — I think I’m spending too much time in academia), it was a reunion of souls. I really enjoyed the way the film was sandwiched between Native Guns and Blue Scholars, providing ample opportunities to recognize the different styles, but common messages that span the generations.
As for what we in the older generation thought of the hip-hop acts – I saw obachan throwin’ her deuce and boppin’ her head. I think the gap ain’t so wide.