Fifty years of the Vietnamese Diaspora as seen through the New Wave movement, showing how young Vietnamese refugees in Orange County found rebellion and reinvention through music, fashion, and community.
As Vietnamese refugees sought safety in the United States in the wake of the fall of Saigon, a generation of Vietnamese teenagers and young adults struggled to adjust to a new life in America. Many of these young people in Southern California found a new life and a new identity in New Wave music, a type of Euro Disco that became enormously popular in this community. New Wave: Rebellion and Reinvention in the Vietnamese Diaspora celebrates the rebellion, reinvention, and rebirth of joy in this young generation in cultural limbo. Featuring essays from prominent Vietnamese scholars, critics, and stars, New Wave explores how music, fashion, and rebellion can be a force for healing. New Wave is a love letter to the first generation of Vietnamese punks and rebels who came of age in the 1980s.
Elizabeth Ai is a Chinese-Vietnamese-American Los Angeles based Emmy award-winning producer. She writes, directs, and produces independent narratives as well as branded content for companies such as National Geographic, ESPN, and VICE. She produced documentary features; DIRTY HANDS: THE ART & CRIMES OF DAVID CHOE (2008), on the titled artist after his prison release and before his meteoric rise and A WOMAN’S WORK: THE NFL’S CHEERLEADER PROBLEM (2019), which examines wage theft and exploitation of the only visible NFL women. Additionally, she produced SAIGON ELECTRIC (2011), a feature narrative set in Vietnam’s world of breakdancing. She’s a fellow of Berlin Talent Campus, Film Independent, Sundance, and Tribeca. Her film projects are supported by California Humanities, Firelight Media, Knight Foundation, and ITVS. She received her B.A. from the University of Southern California.
More Accolades:
"Elizabeth Ai's New Wave showcases the bold spirit of Vietnamese punk rock through heartfelt storytelling. This visual journey delves deep into a vibrant subculture, offering a compelling exploration of the immigrant experience through the power of cultural expression." - Simu Liu, author of We Were Dreamers, actor, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Barbie
"What does it mean for Asian Americans to belong to ourselves? New Wave is a dazzling collection of stories, strategies, and histories both personal and collective that explores this question. As a student of Asian American art and history, I’m so moved by this vibrant archive that Elizabeth and her team have painstakingly put together. The joy, longing, and ingenuity in these pages will hold you, heal you, and move you. This is a body of work I will study and cherish." - Jezz Chung, multidisciplinary artist and author of This Way to Change: A Gentle Guide to Personal Transformation and Collective Liberation
"So much of Vietnamese history remains undiscussed on a wider cultural level, and in New Wave, Elizabeth Ai illuminates some of our punk rock past. I laughed, I cried, I learned — and most importantly — I began to heal." - Kelly Marie Tran, actress, Star Wars: The Last Jedi; The Rise of Skywalker, Raya and the Last Dragon
"Yes, there is V-pop in Vietnam, but nothing compares to the V-pop rooted in America’s 1980s Little Saigon communities. Elizabeth Ai’s groundbreaking book captures the personal yearnings that drove the era’s catchy beats, big hair, and sultry fashions. Dive in for the vibes, discover stories of strife and self-determination."— Andrea Nguyễn, James Beard Award winning author of The Pho Cookbook and Ever-Green Vietnamese