Water Mirror Echo: Bruce Lee and the Making of Asian America

(Hardback)

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"Water Mirror Echo is a remarkable story of a man, the traditions and communities that created him, and the new worlds he made possible. Like Bruce Lee himself, Jeff Chang is blessed with the vision to see things we do not yet see, thinking and writing with a restless, chasm-crossing, almost prophetic ambition."Hua Hsu, Pulitzer Prize-winning author ofStay True: A Memoir

"This book is as celebratory as it is incisive, as it is, at times, heartbreaking. A massive achievement." Hanif Abdurraqib, National Book Award-winning author of Theres Always This Year and A Little Devil in America

A cultural biography, both sweeping and intimate, of the legend Bruce Lee, set against the extraordinary, untold story of the rise of Asian Americafrom the author of the award-winning classicCant Stop Wont Stopand one of the finest culture observers of our era.

More than a half-century after his passing, Bruce Lee is as towering a figure to people around the world as ever. On his path to becoming a global icon, he popularized martial arts in the West, became a bridge to people and cultures from the East, and just as he was set to conquer Hollywood once and for all, he died of cerebral edema at age thirty-two. Its no wonder that Bruce Lees legend has only bloomed in the decades since. Yet, in so many ways, the legend has eclipsed the man.

Forgotten is the stark reality of the baby boy born in segregated San Francisco, who spent his youth in war-ravaged, fight-crazy Hong Kong. Forgotten is the curious teenager who found his way back to America, where he embraced West Coast counterculture and meshed it with the Asian worldviews and philosophies that reared him. Forgotten is the man whose very presence broke barriers and helped shape the idea of what being an Asian in America is, at the very dawn of Asian America.

Water Mirror Echoa title inspired by Bruce Lees own way of moving, being and responding to the worldis a page-turning and powerful reminder. At the helm is Jeff Chang, the award-winning author ofCant Stop Wont Stop, whose writing on culture, politics, the arts and music have made him one of the most acclaimed and distinctive voices of our time. In his hands, Bruce Lees story brims with authenticity.

Now, based on in-depth interviews with Lees closest intimates, thousands of newly available personal documents, and featuring dozens of gorgeous photographs from the familys archive, Chang achieves the nearly impossible. He reveals the man behind the enduring iconography and stirringly shows Lees growing fame ushering in something thats turned out to be even more enduring: the creation of Asian America.

Reviews

"Ididnt realize what I didnt know aboutBruce Lee until I readJeff ChangsWater Mirror Echo.His portrait of BruceLee is epic and deeply personal, recasting this icon as a flawed yet empowering figure who seismically changed Asian America. Chang updates and imbricates Lees complicated life within Americas history of racism, giving new depth to the man, the community, and the world he helped to change.Water Mirror Echois a revelation and a stunning accomplishment." Cathy Park Hong, author ofMinor Feelings: An Asian American Reckoning "Water Mirror Echo thrives not just as an ode, or a tome of cultural appreciation, but also as a rich analysis of the history within, and the landscape upon which a cultural icon can be formed, can be shaped, can be beloved. This book is as celebratory as it is incisive, as it is, at times, heartbreaking. A massive achievement." Hanif Abdurraqib, National Book Award-winning author of There's Always This Year and A Little Devil in America "Water Mirror Echo is a remarkable story of a man, the traditions and communities that created him, and the new worlds he made possible. Like Bruce Lee himself, Jeff Chang is blessed with the vision to see things we do not yet see, thinking and writing with a restless, chasm-crossing, almost prophetic ambition." Hua Hsu, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Stay True: A Memoir "Jeff Chang's singular gift is his ability to balance intimacy and grandeurto tell the story of a movement, a nation, a generation simply by telling the story of a man. Precise, incisive, thoughtful and compassionate, he is the most important cultural historian of our time, and Water Mirror Echo is a brilliant addition to his corpus." Adam Mansbach, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Golem of Brooklyn and Go the F*ck to Sleep "In Water Mirror Echo, Jeff Chang crafts a deeply intimate yet expansive portrait of Bruce Lee, seamlessly blending personal narrative with the larger-than-life impact of Lees legacy. Chang delves into the private struggles and quiet moments of Lees life, capturing the man behind the myth while also exploring how his extraordinary journey shaped the Asian American experience. With heartfelt nuance, the book reveals Lees lasting influence, not only as a cultural icon but as a symbol of resilience, pride, and the fight for identity in a complex world." Bao Nguyen, filmmaker and director of Be Water "With the number of words written about him, Bruce Lee is up there with the likes of Jesus Christ and Muhammad Ali. And keeping all those words and perspectives about Bruce in mind, Jeff Chang has done the impossible. He has found something new to say about Bruce Lee. And in the process he has gone deeper than all the rest. Jeff Chang has written the definitive biography of Bruce Lee. W. Kamau Bell, Peabody- and Emmy-award winning television producer, stand-up comedian, and co-author of Do the Work! An Antiracist Activity Book "Chang has masterfully crafted a riveting, nuanced and complex portrait of an icon. He tracks Bruce Lees remarkable journey as a charismatic child star turned delinquent teen fighter in Hong Kong, to his lonely and humbling exile to America. Chang not only offers one of the most powerful and thoroughly human looks at the flawed but vulnerable man behind the myth, but of an America that continues to question our right as Asian Americans simply to exist in this country." Olivia Cheng, actor and star of Bruce LeesWarrior

Author Bio

Jeff Changs first book,Cant Stop Wont Stop: A History of the Hip-Hop Generation,was named one of the best American nonfiction books of the last quarter century. He has been a USA Ford Fellow in Literature and, among numerous other honors, has won the American Book Award and the Asian American Literary Award.Chang has written three other acclaimed bestsellers on American history and culture, music, and the arts. In May 2019, he and director Bao Nguyen created a four-episode digital series adaptation of his award-winning bookWe Gon Be Alrightfor PBS Indie Lens Storycast. Chang was featured in Nguyens ESPN Bruce Lee documentary,Be Water; the PBS series,Asian Americans; and Lisa Lings CNN series,This Is Life.