Aoki: a documentary on the life of richard aoki
by Guest Contributor Angry Asian Man, originally published at Angry Asian Man
Aoki, by Ben Wang and Mike Cheng, is a new feature documentary chronicling the life of the late Richard Aoki, a third generation Japanese American who became one of the founding members of the Black Panther Party in 1966. Here’s the film’s official description:
Aoki is a documentary film chronicling the life of Richard Aoki (1938-2009), a third-generation Japanese American who became one of the founding members of the Black Panther Party. Filmed over the last five years of Richard’s life, this documentary features extensive footage with Richard and exclusive interviews with his comrades, friends, and former students. Viewers will learn about Richard’s childhood in a WWII Japanese American concentration camp, growing up in West Oakland, and serving eight years in the U.S. military. The film explores previously unknown facts about the formation of the Black Panther Party such as how Richard became intimately involved in its founding and contributed the first two firearms to the Party. Aoki highlights how Richard’s leadership also made a significant impact on individuals and groups in the contemporary Asian American Movement. Richard’s contributions to the groundbreaking organization Asian American Political Alliance (AAPA) and its involvement in the Third World Liberation Front (TWLF) student strike led to the formation of ethnic studies at U.C. Berkeley. Above all else, Aoki is a film that demonstrates the incredible dedication to justice that one man’s life has had and how the lessons of solidarity, commitment, and discipline can carry on from one generation to the next.
View the trailer here. It looks like a really interesting portrait of a fascinating figure. The film makes its world premiere at a special screening next week, Thursday, November 12 at the Grand Lake Theater in Oakland.
The details:
Documentary AOKI, on the life of Richard Aoki, premiering November 12th in Oakland, CA
What: Film premiere of the documentary film AOKI. This is the first documentary on the life of Richard Aoki, founding member and one of the only Asian Americans to join the Black Panther Party. A 30-minute Q&A panel with the filmmakers will follow the film.
When: Thursday November 12, 2009 8:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Where: Grand Lake Theater, 3200 Grand Ave., Oakland, CA
Online pre-sale tickets can be purchased for $8.50 (general admission)
or $7 (students) at https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/87178. A
small service fee will be added by Brown Paper Tickets.Tickets can also be purchased the night of the premiere at the Grand
Lake Theater’s box office for $10 (general admission) or $9 (students).
Purchase your tickets here. To learn more about the documentary, visit the Aoki website here. And for more information about next week’s premiere, which includes a screening and Q&A with the filmmakers, go to the Facebook event page here.
Carmen Van Kerckhove is co-founder and president of
atlasien wrote:
Those sunglasses. The beret. The mustache.
This is a much more superficial comment than I would have liked to make. But damn, he looks cool!
Posted 04 Nov 2009 at 10:09 am ¶
Deaf Indian Muslim Anarchist wrote:
I agree with atlasien, that picture is just so damn cool. But I never knew there were Asian Americans involved with Black Panthers.
Once an ex-Black Panther (Bobby Seale) was invited to speak at my university when I was a student there. This was about 4 years ago. 2 frat douche-bags (Republicans) staged a protest outside the auditorium. They carried signs decrying “racism against white people.”
*rolls my eyes*
Posted 04 Nov 2009 at 11:00 am ¶
n wrote:
@atlasien
I agree. Perhaps its not that superficial, but nice to see an Asian-American man who looks powerful and confident and ready to take care of business. Its not what we typically are shown, is it?
Posted 04 Nov 2009 at 11:04 am ¶
sweeterjuice wrote:
Thank you for sharing this with us. I don’t know a lot about the Black Panther party, but now I want to learn much more.
Also, I now want a t-shirt with the likenesses of Richard Aoki, Huey P. Newton, and Bobby Seale on it. Because I’m that shallow, I guess.
Posted 04 Nov 2009 at 11:25 am ¶
Nishani wrote:
MAN! I have been waiting on this documentary for the longest time. I cant wait to show it in my class. I have talked about Aoki every time I cover the connection between the different power movements – black power, red power, yellow power -in my 1960s class. BTW, he is not the only one. I believe there were at least FIVE other Asian-American members! And dont forget the righteous Asian sisters like Yuri Kochiyama and Grace Bogg Lee were very active in the civil rights and powre movements.
Honestly, I always find it interesting that Asian American students I teach dont know the role their community played in the civil rights movement. Its much bigger than they think and I want them to know that legacy in the same way I want black students in my community to know their historical legacy and push for freedom.
Posted 04 Nov 2009 at 1:49 pm ¶
Nishani wrote:
horror! That should read GRACE LEE BOGGS!
Posted 04 Nov 2009 at 1:50 pm ¶
BlackNarcissus wrote:
Wow, I never knew this!
I too agree that the gentleman looks quite the badass!
Posted 04 Nov 2009 at 2:17 pm ¶
brownstocking wrote:
I’d do a tee shirt with Elaine Brown and Richard Aoki on it. THAT’s hot.
I want to go so badly, but I have a meeting 75 miles south that night….ergh!
Posted 04 Nov 2009 at 3:25 pm ¶
Emma Jay wrote:
I must say Racialicious, I really appreciate that this site explores race as it affects all people of color. It’s so fascinating to learn about Asians who are fighting for equality, as we often do not hear these stories in the mainstream. Keep it up!
Posted 04 Nov 2009 at 3:50 pm ¶
G.K. wrote:
Oh, man that is cool—I saw the trailer for this doc over a year ago on YouTube and wondered when the heck it was gonna come out–back then the filmmaker posted that the film stil wasn’t finished yet—I first read about Aoki and his involvement with the Black Panthers about a decade ago in an issue of Giant Robot–there were interviews with other Asian-American freedom fighters too. I’ve always wondered why the Asian-American fight for civil rights has been slept on big-time as a part of history—I read a book long time ago about it–it was quite an eye-opener for me. This wasn’t the book I read, but I guess it’s a good place to start:
http://www.amazon.com/Race-Rights-Asian-American-Experience/dp/0813524644/ref=sr_1_14?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1257369455&sr=1-14
Posted 04 Nov 2009 at 5:21 pm ¶
Solo wrote:
I love this site – I had no idea Asains were involved. I feel a sense of pride knowing this. And he does look good.
Posted 04 Nov 2009 at 5:22 pm ¶
G.K. wrote:
@Nishani
Grace Lee Boggs has lived here in the D for 50-some years and is still fighting the good fight at age 92. She writes a weekly column for a local hell-raising radical black-owned newspaper called The Michigan Citizen—you can find some of her columns somewhere on their site,hopefully:
http://www.michigancitizen.com/
Her organization for teens, Detroit Summer, hasn’t seemed to be active as of late—-hope they weren’t a victim of the economy, whcih has happened to a hell of a lot of places around here in the D.
Posted 04 Nov 2009 at 5:25 pm ¶
Shawn wrote:
I’ve noticed that many histories of POC involved in the fight for civil rights are overlooked. The American Indian Movement (AIM) is usually only spoken of in relation to incidents with the FBI, but not what they stood for or why. With Asian-Americans (not telling them this part of their hidstory) I think the purpose served is to make them feel different and superior to the other POC so that they’ll be on the side of the “majority” population, thus diluting some of the possible force for change.
In fact, have you noticed how usually you have to search to find information on the cooperative efforts between different communities of color?
Posted 04 Nov 2009 at 5:47 pm ¶
Danny wrote:
Hi Nishani,
I think a big part of the reasons why many Asian American students don’t know is that it’s largely ignored and very little mention is made in the public comparatively with other groups. Most of the time, we will at the very least, out teachers and very vocal voices will talk a lot about other demographic groups but a lot of Asian -American history rests on the individuals to discover it themselves. Of course, I’m generalizing this a bit but that’s my impression of why in the whole picture.
There’s also a very high chance most Asian Americans are 1st or 2nd generation so for them, a different start and different struggles. Sometimes, you will find people who really have nothing to relate with other than their “Asian” features.
Anyways, I’ll definantly check this documentary out if possible.
Posted 05 Nov 2009 at 1:40 am ¶
Kaonashi wrote:
LOL, my grandmother used to always tell me when I was little that “Chinese people fought with us and were in the Black Panther Party so don’t you EVER say anything bad about them!” I always thought she was full of crap until a couple of years ago when someone posted the picture of a bunch of young Asian girls with signs supporting the Black Panther Party on Racialicious!
So good to see solidarity like this after that other post. I’m fascinated and will definitely see it but Aoki is just…UNF!
*goes and sits in the “Bad Corner” with Atlasien*
Posted 05 Nov 2009 at 1:40 am ¶
dwbl wrote:
@ GK
I would like to get in touch with you to discuss the AA media that you have informed yourself with. recommendations and such.
@ Racialicious
good job getting this up. I saw the first screening in Oakland when it was called “A Documentary of Richard Aoki” (because it was still rough!), in May 2008. OG BP’s were in the house and the Q&A was lively.
much respect. The Grand Lake is literally one of the most impressive theatres in the Bay Area, one of the last great film houses left here.
Gorgeous facade:
http://www.renaissancerialto.com/images/grandlake.jpg
Theatre of Dreams:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/51035555243@N01/479848405
Posted 05 Nov 2009 at 3:22 am ¶
The Hippo wrote:
Wow, this is truly amazing! I had no idea that this Richard Aoki existed, the few books I read on the Black Panthers usually left him out, or any involvement of non-blacks. This documentary is going to be great, because when we talk about civil rights we often portray it as a “Black persons only” thing, we never hear about the other minorities that were involved and how the Black civil Rights movement worked with the other Latino, Asian, and Native American movements at the time, leading people to believe the ethnics are separate and race relations are only Blacks and Whites
Posted 06 Nov 2009 at 11:47 pm ¶
G.K. wrote:
@dwbl
Actually, the only AA media I’ve informed myself with is mainly websites like angryasianman.com,asian-nation.org and thefighting44s.com (which is now a read-only site because the site monitors said they didn’t have the time to run it anymore, but it’s a great site, though). I also was on a site called blacktokyo.com, which was a site for black folks living and working in various parts of Japan, and talking about their experiences as well as the racism they experienced there relative to what they experienced here in the U.S. I also until recently watched every HK and every other Asian film I can get my hands on–I love HK action action/kung-fu flicks. I’ve also been a reader of Giant Robot for almost a decade–subscribed to them for a couple of years. So that’s the extent of my AA media exposure.
BTW, I found that book I read about the AA civil rights movement years ago—here it is:
The Asian-American Movement by William Wei
http://www.amazon.com/Asian-American-Movement-History-Cultu/dp/1566391830/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1257631042&sr=1-2
I’m actually African-American, but I’ve been interested in the struggles of other minorities in this country for some time now, and I also work with a community group that deals with civil rights:
http://www.mecawi.org
Posted 07 Nov 2009 at 6:09 pm ¶