May 19 Project

Solidarity is…seeing each other, joining together, and acting as one. Asian America is an idea rooted in solidarity with each other and other communities. We grow stronger when we work for the common good. The May 19th Project created these videos and posts to remind us of our proud shared history, and to inspire us to imagine and forge a better future together.

Yuri and Malcolm

Two icons of American history, Yuri Kochiyama and Malcolm X, share a birthday—May 19—and a passion to change the world.

Credits: 

Juan Mejia – Producer
Gentrix Shanga – Co-Producer
Juan E. Yepes – Production Coordinator and Post Supervisor
Marshall Rose – Director of Photography
Brandon Regina – Camera Assistant
Esteban Jimenez – Production Assistant
Luke North – Editor 
Renee Tajima-Peña – Executive Producer
Jeff Chang – Executive Producer
Meerkat Media – Additional Footage

Thank you for sharing your photos, videos, and memories: Kochiyama family, Corky Lee, Robynn Takayama, Peter Druck

THE MAY 19 PROJECT TEAM
Renee Tajima-Peña • Jeff Chang • Janet Chen • Kana Hammon • Eurie Chung • Annie To • Rebecca Shea • Karin Chan • Hannah Joo • Diana Khong • Hannarei Kinsey • Gwen Phagnasay Le • Teja Foster 

Frederick Douglass and Wong Kim Ark: Who Can Be An American?

Abolitionist Frederick Douglass and a restaurant worker named Wong Kim Ark fight for immigrants and the right to become Americans.

Credits: 

Jun Stinson — Director/Producer
Leah Nichols — Animator
Michaelle Stikich McGaraghan — Editor
Tijana Petrović — Director of Photography
Hannah Joo — Researcher
Maz Ali — Interviewee 
Sita Bhaumik — Interviewee 
Maria Termanini — Interviewee 
Maz Ali — Stills
Equally American — Stills
Sita Bhaumik — Stills
Albert Cheng  — Stills
Natasha Florentino — Stills
Tuakuturua Hijarunguru — Stills
S. Nadia Hussain — Stills
Kimberly Mejía-Cuéllar — Stills
Alex Mitchell — Stills
Gabriel Tajima-Peña — Stills
Maria Termanini — Stills

Thank you Harry Franqui-Rivera for the research

THE MAY 19 PROJECT TEAM
Renee Tajima-Peña • Jeff Chang • Janet Chen • Kana Hammon • Eurie Chung • Annie To • Rebecca Shea • Karin Chan • Hannah Joo • Diana Khong • Hannarei Kinsey • Gwen Phagnasay Le • Teja Foster 

Bruce Lee

Bruce Lee takes on students of all races and influences millions to stand up against hatred and violence.

Credits: 

Shannon Lee — As herself
Bo Mirhosseni — Producer/Director  
Bobby Lam — Cinematographer
Destiny Farrant — Sound Recordist
Victoria Chalk — Editor
Trisha Chakraborty — Karate Girl
Essien Gagnon — Karate Boy
Renee Tajima-Pena — Executive Producer
Jeff Chang — Executive Producer

Thanks to Kenpo Dojo Arnott Kenpo Karate
Thank you to the Bruce Lee Foundation

THE MAY 19 PROJECT TEAM
Renee Tajima-Peña • Jeff Chang • Janet Chen • Kana Hammon • Eurie Chung • Annie To • Rebecca Shea • Karin Chan • Hannah Joo • Diana Khong • Hannarei Kinsey • Gwen Phagnasay Le • Teja Foster 

The Delano Grape Strike

Farm workers Larry Itliong, Philip Veracruz, Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta join forces to spark a global labor movement.

Credits: 

Juan Mejia — Producer
Juan E. Yepes — Co-Producer and Editor
Olivia Heffernan — Script Writer
Ruby Ibarra — Narration
La Pajara Pinta — Graphics
Renee Tajima-Peña — Executive Producer
Jeff Chang — Executive Producer

THE MAY 19 PROJECT TEAM
Renee Tajima-Peña • Jeff Chang • Janet Chen • Kana Hammon • Eurie Chung • Annie To • Rebecca Shea • Karin Chan • Hannah Joo • Diana Khong • Hannarei Kinsey • Gwen Phagnasay Le • Teja Foster 

Grace Lee Boggs and James Boggs Change the World

Grace Lee Boggs and James Boggs emerged in Detroit to lay the intellectual foundations for one of the most important movements for racial justice in the 20th century.

Credits: 

Grace Lee — Director/Producer
Victoria Chalk — Editor
Timo Chen — Music Composition
Wayne State — Archival Media
Renee Tajima-Penã — Executive Producer
Jeff Chang — Executive Producer

This film is excerpted from American Revolutionary: The Evolution of Grace Lee Boggs – Directed by Grace Lee

Thank you to the James and Grace Lee Boggs Foundation

THE MAY 19 PROJECT TEAM
Renee Tajima-Peña • Jeff Chang • Janet Chen • Kana Hammon • Eurie Chung • Annie To • Rebecca Shea • Karin Chan • Hannah Joo • Diana Khong • Hannarei Kinsey • Gwen Phagnasay Le • Teja Foster 

Sugar Pie DeSanto Rocks

In the 1950s Sugar Pie DeSanto and Etta James grew up in a racially mixed neighborhood of San Francisco, where they created musical friendships that changed the direction of R&B.

Credits: 

Featuring Sugar Pie DeSanto
PJ Raval — Director/Producer
Editor — Victoria Chalk
Vatsala Goel — Director of Photography & Field Producer
Crazybridge Studios — Motion Graphics
Apryl Berney — Associate Producer
Jim Choi — Sound Recordist
Craig Smith — Gaffer
Ellie Wen — Camera Operator & Production Assistant
Dennis Mendez — Assistant Editor
Renee Tajima-Pena — Executive Producer
Jeff Chang — Executive Producer

Archival Materials provided by John Goddard and James Moore Sr.
Featuring the music of Sugar Pie DeSanto

Special Thanks
James Moore Sr.
Jasman Records

Thanks:
A-DOC
Melany De La Cruz
Carolyne Jurriaans
Elizabeth Pepin
Lewis Watts
The residents of Satellite Central

THE MAY 19 PROJECT TEAM
Renee Tajima-Peña • Jeff Chang • Janet Chen • Kana Hammon • Eurie Chung • Annie To • Rebecca Shea • Karin Chan • Hannah Joo • Diana Khong • Hannarei Kinsey • Gwen Phagnasay Le • Teja Foster 

Youa Vang Lee Mourns George Floyd

Youa Vang Lee’s 19-year old son was killed by Minneapolis police. When she saw George Floyd murdered, she called upon Asian Americans to stand in solidarity to support the Floyd family.

Credits: 

Stephen Maing — Director/Producer/Cinematographer
Joua Lee Grand — Co-producer
Trina Rodriguez — Editor
Serena Hodges — Camera Operator
Ian Chen — Composer
Renee Tajim- Pena — Executive Producer
Jeff Chang — Executive Producer

Thanks
Bo Thao Urabe
Shoua Lee
Seng Vu
Hmong 4 Black Lives
Archival Courtesy Of
Melody Vang
Harry Vue

THE MAY 19 PROJECT TEAM
Renee Tajima-Peña • Jeff Chang • Janet Chen • Kana Hammon • Eurie Chung • Annie To • Rebecca Shea • Karin Chan • Hannah Joo • Diana Khong • Hannarei Kinsey • Gwen Phagnasay Le • Teja Foster 

The Concentration Camp Law: Fighting the Emergency Detention Act

In the late 60s, civil rights leaders and Japanese Americans joined forces to repeal the Emergency Detention Act, a law that could have rounded up Black activists in concentration camps.

Credits: 

Tadashi Nakamura — Director/Producer/Editor
Sean Miura — Producer/Writer
Ally Maki — Narration
Travis Atreo — Recording Engineer
Sabzi — Music
Travis Hatfield — Graphics
Karen Ishizuka — Advisor
Sho Tanaka @shonolyfe — Advisor
Renee Tajima-Peña — Executive Producer
Jeff Chang — Executive Producer

Visual Communications Archival courtesy of JANM
Archival courtesy of Alex Nauta Additional Footage

Eurie Chung — Thanks
Alexandra Margolin — Thanks
Annie To — Thanks
Janet Chen — Thanks
Charles Berkowitz — Thanks
Zen Sekizawa — Thanks
Gidra — Thanks
Daryn Wakasa — Thanks

THE MAY 19 PROJECT TEAM
Renee Tajima-Peña • Jeff Chang • Janet Chen • Kana Hammon • Eurie Chung • Annie To • Rebecca Shea • Karin Chan • Hannah Joo • Diana Khong • Hannarei Kinsey • Gwen Phagnasay Le • Teja Foster