Making Waves: The Rise of Asian America is a documentary film that traces the origin and development of the Asian American identity and focuses on efforts to integrate Asian American history into educational curriculum. The diverse individuals who are interviewed for this film all share a vision of a world that understands and embraces the diversity of Asian Americans. The film is directed by Jon Osaki, an award-winning producer and director who sees film as a mode to promote social justice and inspire action. The film does a good job honing in on the specific topic of curriculum reform while connecting it to the larger issues of xenophobia and racial violence. It also shows the joy and creativity of the activists who are fighting to change policies, build new resources, and speak out against injustice.
The story of Asian American liberation is one of struggle, and also one of resilience. The movement at UC Berkeley in the 1960s created a new Asian American identity that unified a broad swath of populations from various countries and generations. Some of the folks interviewed in this film, including Vicci Wong and Warren Furutani, were a part of that initial movement, and they recalled taking inspiration from the Civil Rights movement to organize courses and fields of study that reflected their people. Despite facing arrests and violence from local police and even the National Guard, the tens of thousands of people who participated in the movement eventually succeeded in pushing UC Berkeley to establish an Ethnic Studies department. It was a turning point in educational activism that sparked similar actions across the nation. In the 1980’s following a racist incident affecting University of Connecticut students, the students protested for over a year, and professor Paul Bock went on a hunger strike until the university introduced the first Asian American course. It’s easy to think of the wins of the past as inevitable, but we see that a favorable outcome is not guaranteed, and that every step towards liberation and inclusion needs to be fought for, and that there will be pushback along the way.
Not only does the film share the history of this movement, it also illuminates present-day efforts to expand inclusive curriculum and expose a bigger swath of people to the stories, histories, and cultures of their fellow Americans, Americans who happen to have roots in Asia. “All of these ethnic studies, regardless of them being ethnic or not, [are] all part of American history,” shared Doan Hoang Dy, who manages the tours and education at Seattle’s Wing Luke Museum. We learn about students in Red Rock, Texas testifying to their board of education about the importance of adding Asian American histories in curriculum, as well as teenagers in Berkeley organizing against anti-Asian hate during the pandemic and bringing Asian American stories to younger students. The film shines a light on the youth in this movement, highlighting their roles as front-line activists, not just receivers of the expanded curriculum.
Through Making Waves, we are invited to feel the joy and collective healing that comes with doing this movement work. There are archival clips of singers like Nobuko Miyamoto who gift their artistry to the movement, and several of the interviewers share how this work has been their calling, and also how it has reconnected them with their family heritage. Both KC Mukai and Doan Hoang Dy shared how they felt estranged as Asian Americans growing up in a very white neighborhood, and it wasn’t until their college experiences and the education and advocacy work they went on to do that they would start to embrace their identities. Other students in these ethnic studies classes shared how they were delighted to see their cultural histories reflected in their studies. The teens at Berkeley that founded AAPI Youth Rising are shown having fun while they plan their organizing work. Karen Umemoto, professor at UCLA and the inaugural Helen and Morgan Chu Director’s Chair of Asian American Studies, is shown working with a group of students to develop a publicly available textbook of stories from a diverse range of Asian American voices, and the joy and passion they bring to the work is palpable.
The film comes full circle, offering updates at the end on the initiatives raised earlier in the film. For example, we learn that the effort to push for Asian American topics in high school curriculum in Red Rock, Texas was slowed by the board’s direction to run a pilot, but this did not faze the advocates. They found a willing and capable teacher in Ann Nguyen to teach the pilot class who is beyond excited to bring this course to her students. Despite the enthusiasm of Nguyen and her students, the ideologies of key politicians mean that the course is unlikely to be implemented throughout the state. But the students, teachers, and parents who have been advocating will continue to do so until their voices are heard.
Making Waves is clear, focused, and inspirational, shedding light on the work to create a world where Asian Americans are seen, understood, and valued, and where everyone feels represented in their education. It’s tough work going up against institutionalized racism, but the film reflects upon how deeply meaningful and even healing this work can be. It’s a continual work in progress; every person who participates, and every person who lends their voice to the movement is critical. The film is as much an honoring of the movement as it is an invitation to join it. The question is, are you in?
