SofiaTalksFilm

PBS's new five-part documentary on the history of Asians in the United States. Each episode focuses on a particular time in Asian American history, also focusing on one main family each episode. This format is more engaging for the reader, but it also leaves out the stories of so many others. Other than the limitations of the format, the documentary itself was very intriguing. It focused on the hardships of those who traveled to US and how that has affected Asian Americans today. The establishment of the model minority stereotype is explained through the aftermath of the Chinese Exclusion Act. There was also a discussion about nationalism and the choice in loyalty towards either your native country or your new adopted country.  The documentary itself is mostly heartbreaking, displaying the hardships that were faced. It was sad, and almost defeating, but I think if they had made this a lighthearted documentary, then it would defeat the whole point of the documentary. 

  I absolutely love when a movie can change my perspective on certain genres, and Better Luck Tomorrow accomplished this. I do not like films that center high schoolers. I think they usually have surface level plots and unremarkable characters. This film changed my perspective on movies that focus on high schoolers. I forgot at certain moments that the characters were even in high school, but that might be because the actors were in their thirties.  The incredible part of this film is that the director plays with the Asian-American identity, flipping the role of model minority on its head. Although these characters may show the model minority stereotype to their parents and teachers, but the audience gets the closest look as to what these characters are really like, without their model minority mask.  The director is taking this idea of 'Asian and Nerdy', and they deconstruct how the audience may perceive the character versus how the characters actually act throughout the...