A Song for Ourselves

Singer-songwriter, political activist, and law professor Chris Iijima is spotlighted in Tadashi Nakamura's documentary profile tracing the life and accomplishments of a man who helped to launch Asian American social movements in the 1960s and '70s. The filmmaker combines archival footage, photographs, and home movies with interviews of Iijima's parents, wife, sons, and Iijima himself, shortly before his death in 2005. Other speakers include musical collaborators Nobuko Miyamoto and Charlie Chin, and California Assemblyman Warren Furutani. A Song for Ourselves covers Iijima's childhood and early adulthood in New York, where he developed an interest in civil rights and participated in protests, including the 1968 student strike at Columbia University; his activities as a founding member of Asian Americans for Action; and the formation, with Miyamoto and Chin, of the group Yellow Pearl, which led to an appearance on The Mike Douglas Show courtesy of John Lennon and Yoko Ono. Iijima eventually left his singing career behind, but his continuing interest in politics ultimately led him to law school and later teaching. The DVD title comes from the song of the same name, in which Iijima asks, “What have we got to lose? We have the right to choose”—which seems an apt description of his multifaceted life. DVD extras include an extended interview with Iijima, a conversation with his mother, footage from the Los Angeles memorial to Iijima, and additional photos and music. Recommended. Aud: C, P. (K. Fennessy)