Water Mirror Echo: Bruce Lee and the Making of Asian America

Journalist Chang (Can’t Stop Won’t Stop) recounts the life of martial artist and actor Bruce Lee in this panoramic biography. Born in San Francisco in 1940, Lee grew up in Hong Kong, where he started acting at age six. As a teen, Lee developed a penchant for street fighting, spurring him to learn martial arts, a skill he would later teach in the U.S. and popularize through his films. Chang illustrates how Lee struggled to land gigs in Hollywood, as racist stereotypes limited Asians’ roles on screen. He caught a break when he was cast as the sidekick in the 1966 TV series The Green Hornet. Acting on both sides of the Pacific led to an identity crisis, however; in China, Lee was, in his own words, “the superstar,” while in the U.S., he was “the exotic Oriental support player.” The 1973 release of the major Hollywood film Enter the Dragon launched him into international stardom, but his career was cut short: Lee died the same year, at 32, from massive brain swelling. Peppering the narrative with rich historical details and poignant analyses, Chang persuasively argues that Lee’s presence on screen helped shape the idea of what it means to be Asian in America. This definitive account cements Chang as a preeminent chronicler of Asian American history. Photos. (Sept.)