Water Mirror Echo: Bruce Lee and the Making of Asian America by Jeff Chang
Huge props to Mariner Books and NetGalley for providing me
with an advanced copy of Jeff Chang’s epic new book Water Mirror Echo: Bruce Lee and the Making of Asian America. Jeff Chang has written, in my opinion,
the definitive history of hip-hop in Can’t Stop Won’t Stop, which was one
of the best books about music I have ever read, and his latest book will
probably be the definitive book about Bruce Lee. Although the book is part
biography, it also seeks to examine how Bruce Lee’s career and legendary status
fits into the development of Asian American identity, but also the global struggle
for identity and rights in emerging and developing nations in the late 60s and
early 70s. Although I was interested in learning more about Bruce Lee’s life
and career, Chang’s book presents so much more to consider both in the US and
globally as a way to examine how Bruce Lee’s iconic gung fu and nose swipes
provided hope and inspiration to many people across the globe.
Chang’s book is thorough and detailed in telling Lee’s story
and examining the historical and social context of the events and influences
that eventually led Bruce Lee to become one of the first Asian male leads in
American films. There are 3 sections of the book: Water, Mirror, and Echo.
Water focuses on Bruce’s early life in Hong Kong, as well as his family life. I
didn’t know too much about Bruce Lee’s family or early life, except that he had
trouble in school in Hong Kong due to fighting. What was interesting to learn
about was that his father was an actor and opera star, and Bruce starred in
some films as a child with his father. This section also details how Bruce
eventually came to study gung fu with Ip Man, the famed sifu. What I also
enjoyed about this section was learning more about how various global factors
like war and the revolution in mainland China impacted Bruce and his family’s
life in Hong Kong. Although he came form a family of performers, the war and
revolution created some instability for his family. Although Bruce was born in
the US, Chang details the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1892 and how racism and
stereotypes about Chinese in particular motivated the US to limit immigration
and create quotas. While it may seem that Chang’s historical context is something
of a digression, it actually helps to establish some of the other elements of
the book that make this such a fascinating read. For one, this act limited the
number of Chinese immigrants that could apply for citizenship, and as working
performers, the Lee family would most likely not be eligible to apply for
citizenship. More importantly, Chang identifies some of the racist stereotypes
that shaped the national sentiment towards Chinese immigrants from other Asian
countries. These stereotypes, shaped not only by the media’s imperialistic bent
but also by literature like Sax Rohmer’s Fu Manchu ended up limiting the kinds
of roles that Asian Americans could play in films and on television. This kind
of limitation would influence the trajectory of Bruce’s career and make him push
harder to become a lead in films.
This section also examines Bruce’s migration to the US.
Since he was born in the US, he was a citizen, although he needed to register
for selective service to maintain his citizenship Interestingly, Bruce
struggled to stay out of fights in Hong Kong and had to eventually leave for
the US, moving initially to San Franscisco and then to Seattle. This was also
fascinating to read about as Bruce refined his philosophies about gung fu here,
as well as working as a waiter at one of the first Chinese restaurants in
Seattle. I enjoyed learning more about Bruce’s ideas about gung fu and how he tried
to push his body to the limits to achieve more control and force in his fighting
style. In addition, this section outlines the kinds of racism and
discrimination that Bruce faced in Seattle. Like the first section, Mirror also
details some of the historical and cultural events that were occurring in the
mid to late 1960s that had a bearing on Asian America and Bruce’s life. Vietnam
was probably one of the most significant factors in Bruce’s life at this time
since as a US citizen, he was eligible for the draft. However, Chang also
presents Bruce as a normal American teen boy, trying to navigate his life and
future with the specter of war hanging over his head. I loved reading about his
experiences at college, and how he continually charmed women and teachers with
his jokes and physical demonstrations. Bruce also didn’t really seem to know
what he wanted to study, vacillating between physical education and drama. Chang
also notes how Bruce approached writing assignments, often bringing in Taoist poetry
and philosophy or translating Chinese poetry to support his ideas. As someone
who has taught international students from China, the idea of intellectual
property and plagiarism in the US and China is very different. Although Bruce
attended British schools in Hong Kong, I would imagine that the idea of putting
in quotes and famous lines was more of a sign of scholarship than plagiarism.
Chang presents Bruce as a performer—someone who was eager to demonstrate his
physical capabilities and attract attention, but also someone who was seeking
to further define himself on his own terms, particularly by demonstrating the
power, strength and possibilities of gung fu. In this section, Bruce also meets
Linda Emery, who would eventually become his wife and mother to his children. To
highlight the kind of racism Bruce and Linda experienced, Chang notes how Linda
had to hide her relationship with Bruce from her mother until they were about
to elope. It seems that Bruce eventually won over his mother-in-law’s confidence
in the ways that he charmed many others. Regardless, this section introduces
Linda’s perspective, who helped to support Bruce in his quest to redefine gung
fu and share his philosophies for self-defense with a larger audience.
Mirror, the second section, chronicles at Bruce’s move to California
as well as his move to the screen and his attempts to share gung fu an American
audience. Prior to this, Bruce opened a school to teach his brand of gung fu,
Jeet Kune Do, a style descended from Wing Chun. This section also details some
of Bruce’s students and colleagues who eventually taught at his schools. I enjoyed
learning more about the evolution of martial arts in America, which it seemed
like was primarily centered on the west coast. There are a few great stories
about how other schools challenged Bruce’s school, and apparently one famous
fight between Bruce and another sifu. I wasn’t aware of this event, but it
seemed like a major event in the martial arts scene that led to Bruce’s rise
among American martial artists. Chang examines how eastern influences were
seeping into the counterculture, which may have led to a greater interest in martial
arts like gung fu. With the increasing prominence of competitions and a growing
interest in studying Eastern philosophies, Bruce begins to make connections in Hollywood,
attracting some prominent clients to train with. He also lands a role as Kato,
the assistant to the Green Hornet. I found this to be one of the most
interesting sections of the book since it delves further into the dearth of
roles for Asian Americans on television or movies. The show The Green Hornet
is on television due to the popularity of Batman, but Bruce’s role as
Kato limits his speaking and initially limits his opportunities to fight. There
are some entertaining antics in this section detailing Bruce’s struggles to
work with the slower, ham-fisted stunt coordinators, as well as how challenging
it was to capture his speed and fluid movements on film. However, Chang also
notes the limitations that other Asian American actors like Anna May Wong
faced. Relegated primarily to stereotypical roles, Bruce had to fight to bring
Kato more humanity and pathos and develop him as a character more than a
stereotype. Again, Chang’s research and analysis provides important insight
into the limitations that Asian American actors faced then and continue to face
today. Furthermore, it sets the stage for Bruce’s continued push to get films
featuring gung fu and Asian leads produced and distributed. Another fascinating
aspect of this section is the connections that Bruce establishes through his
teaching more than his acting as Kato. Bruce’s students include Steve McQueen
and James Coburn, two prominent actors who attempted to help Bruce develop
scripts. Yet, we also see how these actors both viewed Bruce’s role in his scripts—as
more of a sidekick or supporting actor than the lead. Although there have been
more films produced with Asian American leads, Chang’s research detailing this
challenge in Bruce’s life reminded me of Charles Yu’s award-winning book Interior
Chinatown where the main character, Willis Wu, seeks to move out of his
generic Asian Man or Background Oriental role to play the “Kung Fu Guy”. Mirror
and Echo both trace Bruce’s struggles to push for leading roles for himself,
and his continued bets on his own stories, acting, and action to lead films.
Studios did not feel the same way, which is why Bruce eventually leaves
Hollywood for the opportunity to make films in Hong Kong again.
The last section, Echo, focuses mostly on Bruce’s attempts
to get his films made. I have seen these films, but didn’t realize their chronology
or how they came about. Furthermore, I didn’t really think about how Enter
the Dragon has 3 leads… I just always thought Bruce Lee was the lead in
that film. However, Chang notes that by including a white actor (John Saxon)
and a Black actor (the great Jim Kelly), the studios attempted to appeal to all
audiences and tried to capture the emerging Black audience that exploitation
films like Shaft had recently found. I found this section equally
interesting to learn how strategic Bruce was in trying to leverage the Hong
Kong studios against Warner Brothers to get Enter the Dragon made.
Furthermore, I didn’t realize how popular the films like The Big Boss
and Fists of Fury were initially in Asian countries like The Philippines
as well as in America. Chang explains that Bruce’s ability to fight those who
hold power, to act as a kind of defender for the downtrodden was part of the
appeal of these films and Bruce’s iconic screams, kicks, and punches. What
stood out most to me from this section was how much Bruce had to work to convince
studios and industry executives that he would be a bankable star. Part of this was
the result of his popularity in Hong Kong and other Asian markets, but even
then, studio executives seemed hesitant. Furthermore, they frequently resisted
his recommendations for plot points and even naming the film Enter the
Dragon. I’m glad that they eventually sided with him, but I think it shows the
kind of limited roles and opportunities that actors of color had at that time,
and even today. Reading this section detailing how Bruce had to fight to push
his vision forward reminded me Thomas Golianopoulos’s recent book The Life of Singleton about John Singleton, who also experienced challenges and
barriers trying to enact his vision for bringing Black films and stories to the
big screen. Even though Singleton’s story takes place 20 year after Bruce Lee’s
death, it shows that how Hollywood prefers stereotypes and tropes to actual representations,
and how breaking free from those molds can sometimes be viewed as a risk. Although
Singleton lived to his 50s, he still died young like Bruce. I wondered whether
the kind of stress and barriers that Hollywood presented to both these men
impacted their health and well-being, and whether racism had some impact on
their health. It’s not something that either book said or implied, but readers
can see how much harder these two artists needed to work to attain their vision
and the kinds of concessions and prices they had to pay to move closer to the
system, and how, at times, they had to work outside the more traditional system
to bring their ideas and visions to life.
Water Mirror Echo is an incredible book. It’s long,
but thorough and compelling. Chang includes relevant historical and social
movements to indicate both how these events and trends influenced Bruce, and
how, in other ways, he influenced them. While I was familiar with Bruce Lee’s films,
this book presented a whole new side of him and helped me further understand his
influence on Asian America. Much like Can’t Stop Won’t Stop, Chang
presents a detailed and complex subject, identifying various connections and
influences to examine how this subject, Bruce Lee, has impacted popular culture
and American identity. As I was reading this book, I was pulling up videos of
Bruce’s movies and showing them to my son, who had never really seen him fight
before. I loved that he referenced award winning author and scholar Viet Thanh
Nguyen too in determining how Bruce Lee’s career and striving further
influenced Asian American identity. His inclusion not only brings an authority
to the context of Bruce Lee’s life, but also helps to establish how vast and
diverse Asian American identity is. I highly recommend this book! It’s one of
the best biographies/histories I’ve read this year.
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