The Movies of Racial Childhoods: Screening Self-Sovereignty in Asian/America

Celine Parreñas Shimizu's book "The Movies of Racial Childhoods" explores how cinema renders Asian American children through sexualized racial difference, infantilization, and premature adultification. She argues that childhood development requires finding freedom and self-sovereignty through agentic attunement and that films can prompt viewers to evaluate their own childhood development and understand the demands placed upon Asian American children.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 264 pages
Publication date: 12 January 2024
Publisher: Duke University Press

In her groundbreaking work, "The Movies of Racial Childhoods," Celine Parreñas Shimizu delves into the intricate portrayal of Asian and Asian American children in early twenty-first-century cinema. Drawing upon psychoanalysis and her personal experience as a mother who mourns the loss of a child, Shimizu explores the profound ways in which cinema renders Asian American children through sexualized racial difference, infantilization, and premature adultification. Through a comprehensive analysis of films that delve into the experiences of alienation and trauma, as well as those that explore the challenges of being an immigrant, Shimizu demonstrates how cinema serves as a powerful tool for prompting viewers to reflect upon their own childhood development. Moreover, these films offer a valuable opportunity to gain insight into the unique demands placed upon Asian American children, particularly in the realms of race and sexuality. By harnessing the power of cinema, Shimizu empowers both our inner child and the children around us, fostering a deeper understanding and empathy for their unique experiences.

Weight: 445g
Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781478025658