By Stephen Stirling
The hour-long film, directed by New York City-based filmmaker David Lee, is called “the Road to John Liu,” and chronicles the experiences of several Asian students as they work toward a meeting with City Councilman John Liu (D-Flushing), the first Asian American elected to a citywide office. Vanessa Leung of the coalition said the film has a dual purpose. She said it not only seeks to raise awareness of immigrant students who are bullied and abused because they lack command of the English language, but also to show that students can empower themselves to make a difference in their community.”The issue is something that all of the students saw was happening in the schools,” Leung said. “It (the film) shows that when they're given the opportunity and a platform to speak they do have something to say.” Liu, who attended the screening in Chinatown Monday night, said the students were fantastic throughout the filmmaking process and he was surprised by how serious they were about making a difference for their community. “It was awesome,” Liu said. “They used the issue to gain some insight and experience into the legislative process.” Both Liu and Leung said students who emigrate to the city are often targets of bullying, and the documentary does a good job of bringing the issue to the forefront as many teachers do not often recognize it as an issue. “It talks about how for some students it's an everyday experience,” Leung said. Liu said the students' work contributed to an anti-bullying bill he is sponsoring, which is scheduled to come before the City Council in the near future. The project was the brainchild of the Asian American Student Advocacy Project, a leadership program for Asian Pacific American high school students who want to learn how to make positive changes in the public school system. Together with the help of Lee and a tactical media grant from the Manhattan Neighborhood Network, a group of students within the project were able to put together the documentary. For more information on “the Road to John Liu” or the Coalition for Asian American Children and Families, visit www.cacf.org or call 212-809-4675. Reach reporter Stephen Stirling by e-mail at news@timesledger.com or by phone at 718-229-0300, Ext. 138.
