Valerie Soe

Valerie Soe is a writer and experimental videomaker from San Francisco. Her videos include ALL ORIENTALS LOOK THE SAME, PICTURING ORIENTAL GIRLS: A (RE) EDUCATIONAL VIDEOTAPE, and BEYOND ASIAPHILIA. For the past three years she has curated the SFIAAFF's experimental film and video program.

The last time someone called me a Chinaman I was stuck in traffic last year at the Bay Bridge toll plaza and, as usual, cars were backed up a good long way. So when I saw the chance, I quickly changed lanes-- no time for turn signals in this Darwinian world. Out of the corner of my rear-view mirror I saw that I'd cut off a big blue Mercedes. Oh, well, I thought, bad day for them. Then the Mercedes pulled even with me in the next lane and, to my shock and amazement, the woman driving clearly yelled out her window, "Hey, Chinaman!"

It being millennial San Francisco, at first I didn't believe my ears--but the more I ran it through my brain, the surer I was that I'd heard what I'd heard. I pondered this with astounded consternation and realized that despite the huge gains we POCs have made, we've still got a ways to go. So will Asian Americans making movies change that ignorant woman's repertory of insults? Will self-articulation make racial insults like "Hey Chinaman!" unthinkable in the next century? Will it make it safe for us to drive recklessly without fear of racist recriminations? Somehow, some way, I truly believe it will.