ABSTRACT
Asian American feminism is culturally distinct, perceived and performed in ways that may not traditionally be defined or initially recognized. This is partly due to (mis)perceptions of a kind of hyper-femininity and a passive patriarchal subjugation attributed to Asian and Asian American women. In this chapter, L.S. Kim outlines the work of media makers: Li Ling-Ai made a 1941 documentary about World War II in China that won an Academy Award, though the film was lost and she was not credited; Grace Lee Boggs is the subject of American Revolutionary: The Evolution of Grace Lee Boggs, which was released shortly before the activist’s 100th birthday in 2015; Margaret Cho has managed a wide-ranging career as a stand-up comedian, film and television actress, and LGBTQ activist. Analyzing the work of these figures, and of directors Robin Lung and Grace Lee, will expand the understanding of Asian American feminism by illustrating how the work of Asian American women often functions in concert. As a means of intervening in anti-feminisms in media culture, Kim identifies work/s by Asian American feminists as a collection of acts of authorship, sometimes subtle or subdued at other times performative or deliberate.
