Photo of director Renee Tajima as a kid, from My America… or Honk if You Love Buddha (1997)

The first time I watched this documentary/film, it was for an Asian American studies class. I’ve watched it several times after that, and everytime, I see & realize something new. It’s not your typical PBS documentary either; it’s not flooded with boring narration and talking heads. It’s so beautifully and intricately crafted. Viewers begin their journey with over-asked, yet still puzzling questions: What does it mean to be Asian American? What is Asian America? What is America, even? Renee journeys all accross the US, interviewing many different and interesting Asian Americans, while reminding her viewers about those important questions.

What I like most about it is I think it’s truly up for interpretation. Of course people who make documentaries have points they would like to make and their personal biases come though, but I think Tajima left just enough room for people to recall their own expereiences and relate personally to the film. The Asian American expereience is multiple and all very different, so it’s appropriate for people to draw different meanings.

It might be a bit difficult to find if you don’t have access to a university or college media library, but it’s worth hunting for.