🎥NEW EPISODE🎥
Hollywood filmmaker @JonMChu's parents moved from Taiwan and mainland China to the Bay Area. In 1969, they opened a restaurant named Chef Chu's. It's still open today! (1/10)
Hollywood filmmaker @JonMChu's parents moved from Taiwan and mainland China to the Bay Area. In 1969, they opened a restaurant named Chef Chu's. It's still open today! (1/10)
His mom pushed him to assimilate to American culture, so they wouldn't be considered "foreign." She saw herself as Jackie O. and her children as the Kennedy. (2/10)
In a household of five children, TV, movies and music were a big part of his life. Jon took his parents' camera everywhere, recording just about everything. (3/10)
Jon even convinced his father to buy VCRs for him. He connected them and spliced together a video of their family trip to Boston. (4/10)
He sat everyone down in the living room and pressed the play button. Then, magic happened ✨
His parents broke into tears, not because of the high-quality home video — but because they finally saw the family as a "normal" family on screen. (5/10)
His parents broke into tears, not because of the high-quality home video — but because they finally saw the family as a "normal" family on screen. (5/10)
.@JonMChu felt a great "electric" in his head. He knew at this moment that he wanted to do this for the rest of his life. (6/10)
He went on to attend film school at USC. His parents would tell him that one day, China will become a significant market for movies.
So the lesson is… always listen to your parents! (7/10)
So the lesson is… always listen to your parents! (7/10)
Jon didn't want to talk about his culture or identity. He just wanted to be seen as a Hollywood filmmaker.
But after early success, he no longer felt inspired by the stories he was bringing to the screen. He'd ask himself, "What do I want to say? What needs to be said?" (8/10)
But after early success, he no longer felt inspired by the stories he was bringing to the screen. He'd ask himself, "What do I want to say? What needs to be said?" (8/10)
At our restaurant, my dad would always say, "You're representing."
Our responsibility was to fill other people's stomachs, to treat them kindly, so next time they see a Chinese family, they won't treat them poorly. (9/10)
Our responsibility was to fill other people's stomachs, to treat them kindly, so next time they see a Chinese family, they won't treat them poorly. (9/10)
My parents did what they could to give us things they didn't have to build the America that maybe wasn't — but what they really wanted it to be, what it had to be for them to survive.
— Filmmaker @JonMChu
Listen to his life story on @TEDRadioHour: n.pr/2Tk1dYv (10/10)
— Filmmaker @JonMChu
Listen to his life story on @TEDRadioHour: n.pr/2Tk1dYv (10/10)
h/t illustrator Fred Chao & art director @theLAJohnson for the comic 🙏
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