We viewed Slaying the Dragon, a documentary about Asian American women in film. It explored prominent roles played by actresses like Nancy Kwan, Nobu McCarthy, Kim Miyori, and Anna May Wong. We also viewed The Joy Luck Club. It followed four women, and their daughters’ lives through the experiences and hardships that shaped them.

Each of the Tuesday films covered the portrayal of women in media, the Lee reading also tied into this. I thought that The Joy Luck Club was amazing. I really felt connected to some of the daughters’ due to shared experiences, and they showed such depth that made them feel so much realer. The mothers’ stories were absolutely heartbreaking as well. The cast was amazing, nearly all of my favorite Asian American actresses were in it.

In Lee’s Orientals, the chapter deals with Orientalizing women in media and the stereotypes in film. I thought that this really gave insight into why The Joy Luck Club is so great. Thought it’s about Chinese and Chinese American women, they portray such a wide array of character types that it is so far from where the industry started.