The Role of the Documentarian

Unlike many documentaries, "My America" features the documentarian as a central figure, as opposed to a non-existant entity behind the camera. Throughout the film, you see Renee, you hear Renee, and you get to know Renee (to the point where I am now in a first name basis with her). Her life is portrayed unabashedly in "My America." Baby photos, old home movies, and even footage of her wedding are featured prominently, creating a unique relationship between the viewer and the documentarian. Michael Moore often plays a large role in his films, getting a good deal of screen time (probably because he's such a character). Renee goes one step further: she's not only in the documentary, she also uses her life as content. It's HER America. Renee's story functions in "My America" in much the same way as Victor Wong's or Yuri Kochiyama's. Indeed, Renee often draws parallels between her life and the lives of those she meets--she compares the death of her younger brother to Victor Wong's son's murder, Alyssa Kang reminds her of herself, etc...
What are the implications of this? Does it lend the film an authenticity? How would this film have been different had the documentarian been an invisible force behind the camera? Perhaps a more interesting question, how would this film have been different had the documentarian been non-Asian? Could it still be titled, "My America"?

"Our" America

From the opening scene, with Renee Tajima-Pena enjoying an All-American can of Coca-Cola in front of the classic stars-and-stripes backdrop of the Statue of Liberty, before embarking on a quintessential American road trip, the message Tajima-Pena seems to be sending is that Asian-America is America -- not separate from it, but intertwined in America's events and stories. Renee Tajima-Pena interviews a fascinating span of people, from coast-to coast, proving simultaneously that Asian-America is everywhere, and that Asian-Americans occupy a vast array of roles in shaping America's history.

Discarding many Asian stereotypes, Renee's subjects prove that Asian-Americans can be freedom fighters, southern belles, or movie stars. I remember being really struck by the Kochiyamas, especially -- it is not often that the role of Asian-Americans in the Civil Rights movement is discussed. Activism seems to play a major role in many of the interviewees lives, and this, to me, was especially inspiring.

I feel as if the film was also effectively able to tackle the subject of racism; the subjects didn't hesitate to describe discrimination they had faced, even within their own families. The Seoul brothers of Seattle were especially effective in dealing with racism head-on, with clever lyrics, in a normally African-American dominated medium. However, in the story of the Filipino-American sisters in Louisiana, who proclaim, "We're Americans first, then Southerners", I found an interesting twist -- they considered themselves white, though still retained a strong sense of their Filipino culture. I wasn't sure what to make of them, though I did find their story fascinating.

The diverse stories of all those interviewed shows just how rich our stories are, and how inspiring. Tajima-Pena shows that Asian-Americans are not "the other", they are America.