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"id": "A Song for Ourselves (film)",
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"description": "2009 documentary film by writer/director Tadashi Nakamura on the life and work of activist, singer/songwriter, and legal scholar\n \n Chris Iijima\n \n . The 35 minute film profiles Iijima, starting with footage from his memorial services in Los Angeles, New York and Honolulu, then traces his life from his birth and upbringing in New York, the son of\n \n Nisei\n \n parents who had resettled there from the concentration camps; his politicization and activism there; the evolution of his singing, songwriting, and musical partnership with\n \n Nobuko Miyamoto\n \n and \"Charlie\" Chin; his work as a schoolteacher in New York and meeting his future wife Jean; his decision to go to law school and become a legal scholar, which necessitated moving his family to Hawai'i and teaching at the Richardson School of Law at the University of Hawai'i; and his premature death of a rare disease at age 57 in 2005. The documentary is built around interviews with Iijima and his family and friends, archival photographs and footage of the Iijima family, the Asian American Movement, and of Iijima's musical performances. Its soundtrack features the music of Iijima, Miyamoto, and Chin, who performed and recorded as \"Yellow Pearl\" in the early 1970s. It is the third film of director Nakamura's Asian American Movement trilogy, along with\n \n Yellow Brotherhood\n \n (2004) and\n \n\n Pilgrimage\n \n\n (2006).",
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"title": "Brian Niiya",
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"title": "A Song for Ourselves (film)",
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"modified": "2018-02-28T22:21:51",
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"title": [
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"title": [
"A Song for Ourselves"
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"date": [
"2009"
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"genre": [
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"director": [
"Tadashi Nakamura"
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"Karen L. Ishizuka",
"Robert A. Nakamura"
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"writer": [
"Tadashi Nakamura"
],
"screenplay": [],
"story": [],
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"narrator": [],
"starring": [
"\"Charlie\" Chin",
"<a href=\"/wiki/Warren_Furutani\" title=\"Warren Furutani\">Warren T. Furutani</a>",
"Alan Iijima",
"Chris Iijima",
"Christopher Iijima",
"Jane Dickson Iijima",
"Kazu Iijima",
"Tak Iijima",
"Mari Matsuda",
"Nobuko Miyamoto"
],
"music": [
"Chris Iijima",
"Nobuko Miyamoto",
"\"Charlie\" Chin",
"Miles Senzaki"
],
"cinematography": [
"Tadashi Nakamura"
],
"editing": [
"Tadashi Nakamura"
],
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"runtime": [
"35 minutes"
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"body": "<div class=\"mw-parser-output\">\n <div id=\"databox-Films\" style=\"display:none;\">\n <p>\n Title:A Song for Ourselves;\nDate:2009; \nGenre:Documentary;\nReleased:;\nDirector:Tadashi Nakamura;\nProducer:Karen L. Ishizuka; Robert A. Nakamura;\nWriter:Tadashi Nakamura;\nScreenplay:;\nStory:;\nBasedOn:;\nNarrator:;\nStarring:\"Charlie\" Chin;\n <a class=\"encyc notrg\" href=\"https://encyclopedia.densho.org/wiki/Warren_Furutani\" title=\"Warren Furutani\">\n Warren T. Furutani\n </a>\n ; Alan Iijima; Chris Iijima; Christopher Iijima; Jane Dickson Iijima; Kazu Iijima; Tak Iijima; Mari Matsuda; Nobuko Miyamoto;\nMusic:Chris Iijima; Nobuko Miyamoto; \"Charlie\" Chin; Miles Senzaki;\nCinematography:Tadashi Nakamura;\nEditing:Tadashi Nakamura;\nStudio:;\nDistributor:;\nRuntime:35 minutes;\nCountry:;\nLanguage:;\nBudget:;\nGross:;\nIMDBLink:\n <a class=\"external free offsite\" href=\"http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2396335/\" rel=\"nofollow\">\n http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2396335/\n </a>\n ;\nTrailerLink:;\n </p>\n </div>\n <div class=\"rgonly\">\n <!--\"rgdatabox-CoreDisplay\" removed-->\n <div id=\"rgdatabox-Core\" style=\"display:none;\">\n <p>\n RGMediaType:films;\nTitle:A Song for Ourselves;\nCreators:;\nInterestLevel:Grades 9-12; Adult;\nReadingLevel:;\nGuidedReadingLevel:;\nLexile:;\nTheme:;\nGenre:Documentary; Short;\nPoV:;\nRelatedEvents:;\nAvailability:Limited availability;\nFreeWebVersion:\n <a class=\"external free offsite\" href=\"https://vimeo.com/58870312\" rel=\"nofollow\">\n https://vimeo.com/58870312\n </a>\n ;\nPrimarySecondary:;\nHasTeachingAids:No;\nWarnings:NR (Not Rated);\nDenshoTopic:;\nGeography:New York; Hawai’i;\nChronology:1950s thru 2005;\nFacility:None;\n </p>\n </div>\n </div>\n <p>\n 2009 documentary film by writer/director Tadashi Nakamura on the life and work of activist, singer/songwriter, and legal scholar\n <a class=\"encyc notrg\" href=\"https://encyclopedia.densho.org/wiki/Chris_Iijima\" title=\"Chris Iijima\">\n Chris Iijima\n </a>\n . The 35 minute film profiles Iijima, starting with footage from his memorial services in Los Angeles, New York and Honolulu, then traces his life from his birth and upbringing in New York, the son of\n <a class=\"encyc notrg\" href=\"https://encyclopedia.densho.org/wiki/Nisei\" title=\"Nisei\">\n Nisei\n </a>\n parents who had resettled there from the concentration camps; his politicization and activism there; the evolution of his singing, songwriting, and musical partnership with\n <a class=\"encyc notrg\" href=\"https://encyclopedia.densho.org/wiki/Nobuko_Miyamoto\" title=\"Nobuko Miyamoto\">\n Nobuko Miyamoto\n </a>\n and \"Charlie\" Chin; his work as a schoolteacher in New York and meeting his future wife Jean; his decision to go to law school and become a legal scholar, which necessitated moving his family to Hawai'i and teaching at the Richardson School of Law at the University of Hawai'i; and his premature death of a rare disease at age 57 in 2005. The documentary is built around interviews with Iijima and his family and friends, archival photographs and footage of the Iijima family, the Asian American Movement, and of Iijima's musical performances. Its soundtrack features the music of Iijima, Miyamoto, and Chin, who performed and recorded as \"Yellow Pearl\" in the early 1970s. It is the third film of director Nakamura's Asian American Movement trilogy, along with\n <i>\n Yellow Brotherhood\n </i>\n (2004) and\n <i>\n <a class=\"encyc rg\" href=\"/wiki/Pilgrimage (film)/\" title=\"Pilgrimage (film)\">\n Pilgrimage\n </a>\n </i>\n (2006).\n </p>\n <p>\n The film had its origins in Nakamura's familial connections to Iiijima through his parents, acclaimed filmmakers Robert A. Nakamura and Karen L. Ishizuka. Nakamura became personally acquainted with Iijima while attending a UCLA/University of Hawai'i summer program. Upon Iijima's untimely passing in 2005, Nakamura was asked to do a video for his memorial service, which led to the fuller documentary, which took two years to complete.\n <sup class=\"reference\" id=\"cite_ref-1\">\n <a class=\"\" href=\"#cite_note-1\">\n [1]\n </a>\n </sup>\n </p>\n <p>\n The film received positive reviews. Charles Burkhart of\n <i>\n Educational Media Reviews Online\n </i>\n praised the film's animation and technical aspects and called it \"an interesting and moving biography\"; the Angry Asian Man blog called it \"a wonderful, moving portrait of an artist and champion of social justice\"; Momo Chang of\n <i>\n Hyphen Magazine\n </i>\n called it \"a moving tribute\"; and Jack David Eller of\n <i>\n Anthropology Review Database\n </i>\n called it \"a loving tribute.\" The film has played numerous film festivals where it has won multiple awards.\n <sup class=\"reference\" id=\"cite_ref-ftnt_ref1_2-0\">\n <a class=\"\" href=\"#cite_note-ftnt_ref1-2\">\n [2]\n </a>\n </sup>\n </p>\n <p>\n The film was released on DVD, which includes footage from Iijima's Los Angeles memorial service, extended interviews with Iijima and with his mother, noted activist Kazu Iijima, and additional photographs and music.\n </p>\n <p>\n The primary funders for the film were Center for Asian American Media with funds provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and the\n <a class=\"encyc notrg\" href=\"https://encyclopedia.densho.org/wiki/California_Civil_Liberties_Public_Education_Program\" title=\"California Civil Liberties Public Education Program\">\n California Civil Liberties Public Education Program\n </a>\n .\n </p>\n <div id=\"authorByline\">\n <b>\n Authored by\n <a class=\"encyc notrg\" href=\"https://encyclopedia.densho.org/wiki/Brian_Niiya\" title=\"Brian Niiya\">\n Brian Niiya\n </a>\n , Densho\n </b>\n </div>\n <div id=\"citationAuthor\" style=\"display:none;\">\n Niiya, Brian\n </div>\n <p>\n Might also like\n <i>\n <a class=\"encyc rg\" href=\"/wiki/Yuri Kochiyama: Passion for Justice (film)/\" title=\"Yuri Kochiyama: Passion for Justice (film)\">\n Yuri Kochiyama: Passion for Justice\n </a>\n </i>\n (1993);\n <i>\n <a class=\"encyc notrg\" href=\"https://encyclopedia.densho.org/wiki/When_You%27re_Smiling:_The_Deadly_Legacy_of_Internment_(film)\" title=\"When You're Smiling: The Deadly Legacy of Internment (film)\">\n When You're Smiling: The Deadly Legacy of Internment\n </a>\n </i>\n (1999);\n <i>\n <a class=\"encyc rg\" href=\"/wiki/Good Luck Soup (film)/\" title=\"Good Luck Soup (film)\">\n Good Luck Soup\n </a>\n </i>\n (2016)\n </p>\n <div id=\"RelatedArticlesDisplay\">\n <div class=\"section\" id=\"Related_Articles\">\n <h2>\n <span class=\"mw-headline\" id=\"Related_Articles\">\n Related Articles\n </span>\n </h2>\n <div class=\"section_content\">\n <p class=\"mw-empty-elt\">\n </p>\n <div id=\"RelatedArticlesSectionDisplay\">\n <div class=\"section\" id=\"\">\n <h3>\n <span class=\"mw-headline\" id=\"\">\n </span>\n </h3>\n <div class=\"section_content\">\n <p class=\"mw-empty-elt\">\n </p>\n <ul>\n <li>\n <a class=\"encyc notrg\" href=\"https://encyclopedia.densho.org/wiki/Dramatic_films/videos_on_incarceration\" title=\"Dramatic films/videos on incarceration\">\n Dramatic films/videos on incarceration\n </a>\n </li>\n </ul>\n </div>\n </div>\n </div>\n </div>\n </div>\n </div>\n</div>\n",
"moreinfo": "<div class=\"section\" id=\"For_More_Information\">\n <h2>\n <span class=\"mw-headline\" id=\"For_More_Information\">\n For More Information\n </span>\n </h2>\n <div class=\"section_content\">\n <p>\n Official website (including streaming version of full film):\n <a class=\"external free offsite\" href=\"http://tadashinakamura.com/Tadashi_Nakamura/A_Song_For_Ourselves.html\" rel=\"nofollow\">\n http://tadashinakamura.com/Tadashi_Nakamura/A_Song_For_Ourselves.html\n </a>\n .\n </p>\n <p>\n <i>\n <a class=\"external text offsite\" href=\"http://asongforourselves.blogspot.com/\" rel=\"nofollow\">\n A Song for Ourselves\n </a>\n </i>\n Blog.\n </p>\n <p>\n <i>\n <a class=\"external text offsite\" href=\"http://caamedia.org/blog/articles/2009/09/08/a-song-for-ourselves-a-tribute-to-chris-iijima/\" rel=\"nofollow\">\n A Song for Ourselves\n </a>\n </i>\n at the Center for Asian American Media website.\n </p>\n <p>\n <i>\n <a class=\"external text offsite\" href=\"http://www.twn.org/catalog/pages/cpage.aspx?rec=1235&card=price\" rel=\"nofollow\">\n A Song for Ourselves\n </a>\n </i>\n at the Third World Newsreel website.\n </p>\n <p>\n Berkey, Warren Kenji. \"\n <a class=\"external text offsite\" href=\"http://www.asiaarts.ucla.edu/090220/article.asp?parentID=104913\" rel=\"nofollow\">\n Political Voices: Documenting Chris Iijima.\n </a>\n \" Asia Pacific Arts, Feb. 20, 2009.\n </p>\n <p>\n Ito, Robert. \"\n <a class=\"external text offsite\" href=\"http://articles.latimes.com/2009/feb/28/entertainment/et-nakamura28\" rel=\"nofollow\">\n Tadashi Nakamura Completes His Documentary Trilogy about Asian Americans.\n </a>\n \"\n <i>\n Los Angeles Times\n </i>\n , February 28, 2009.\n </p>\n </div>\n</div>",
"footnotes": "<div class=\"section\" id=\"Footnotes\">\n <h2>\n <span class=\"mw-headline\" id=\"Footnotes\">\n Footnotes\n </span>\n </h2>\n <div class=\"section_content\">\n <div class=\"reflist\" style=\"list-style-type: decimal;\">\n <div class=\"mw-references-wrap\">\n <ol class=\"references\">\n <li id=\"cite_note-1\">\n <span class=\"mw-cite-backlink\">\n <a class=\"\" href=\"#cite_ref-1\">\n ↑\n </a>\n </span>\n <span class=\"reference-text\">\n Warren Kenji Berkey, \"Political Voices: Documenting Chris Iijima,\" Asia Pacific Arts, Feb. 20, 2009, accessed on February 2, 2013 at\n <a class=\"external free offsite\" href=\"http://www.asiaarts.ucla.edu/090220/article.asp?parentID=104913\" rel=\"nofollow\">\n http://www.asiaarts.ucla.edu/090220/article.asp?parentID=104913\n </a>\n .\n </span>\n </li>\n <li id=\"cite_note-ftnt_ref1-2\">\n <span class=\"mw-cite-backlink\">\n <a class=\"\" href=\"#cite_ref-ftnt_ref1_2-0\">\n ↑\n </a>\n </span>\n <span class=\"reference-text\">\n Charles Burkart, \"Educational Media Reviews Online,\" June 17, 2010,\n <a class=\"external free offsite\" href=\"http://emro.lib.buffalo.edu/emro/emroDetail.asp?Number=4087\" rel=\"nofollow\">\n http://emro.lib.buffalo.edu/emro/emroDetail.asp?Number=4087\n </a>\n ; Angry Asian Man blog, Feb. 16, 2009,\n <a class=\"external free offsite\" href=\"http://blog.angryasianman.com/2009/02/download-song-for-ourselves-mixtape.html\" rel=\"nofollow\">\n http://blog.angryasianman.com/2009/02/download-song-for-ourselves-mixtape.html\n </a>\n ; Momo Chang, Hyphen Magazine, Issue 17 (2009),\n <a class=\"external free offsite\" href=\"http://www.hyphenmagazine.com/magazine/issue-17-family/song-ourselves\" rel=\"nofollow\">\n http://www.hyphenmagazine.com/magazine/issue-17-family/song-ourselves\n </a>\n ; Jack David Eller, Anthropology Review Database, Nov. 23, 2010,\n <a class=\"external free offsite\" href=\"http://wings.buffalo.edu/ARD/cgi/showme.cgi?keycode=3912\" rel=\"nofollow\">\n http://wings.buffalo.edu/ARD/cgi/showme.cgi?keycode=3912\n </a>\n , all accessed on February 2, 2013. For a list of awards, see Nakamura's film website,\n <a class=\"external free offsite\" href=\"http://tadashinakamura.com/Tadashi_Nakamura/A_Song_For_Ourselves.html\" rel=\"nofollow\">\n http://tadashinakamura.com/Tadashi_Nakamura/A_Song_For_Ourselves.html\n </a>\n .\n </span>\n </li>\n </ol>\n </div>\n </div>\n <!-- \nNewPP limit report\nCached time: 20230521153641\nCache expiry: 86400\nDynamic content: false\nComplications: []\nCPU time usage: 0.024 seconds\nReal time usage: 0.032 seconds\nPreprocessor visited node count: 460/1000000\nPost‐expand include size: 9018/2097152 bytes\nTemplate argument size: 1794/2097152 bytes\nHighest expansion depth: 6/40\nExpensive parser function count: 0/100\nUnstrip recursion depth: 0/20\nUnstrip post‐expand size: 2083/5000000 bytes\nExtLoops count: 0\n-->\n <!--\nTransclusion expansion time report (%,ms,calls,template)\n100.00% 21.726 1 -total\n 12.48% 2.712 1 Template:RelatedArticles\n 11.74% 2.551 1 Template:Reflist\n 11.11% 2.413 1 Template:Databox-Films\n 10.66% 2.316 1 Template:RGDatabox-Core\n 6.17% 1.341 1 Template:RelatedArticlesSection\n 6.14% 1.333 1 Template:Published\n 6.14% 1.333 1 Template:AuthorByline\n 5.77% 1.253 1 Template:publish-rgonly\n-->\n <!-- Saved in parser cache with key encycmw:pcache:idhash:1477-0!canonical and timestamp 20230521153641 and revision id 28469\n -->\n </div>\n</div>"
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