SE Asian youth explore complexities of identity in short films ‘Mixed’ and ‘Ramadan’

“Stereotypes shouldn’t generally exist. They prevent me from being myself.”

Youth with the ACRS Southeast Asian Young Men’s and Young Women’s Group (SEA-YM/YW) take ownership of the complexities of their identities in America in two documentary shorts screened at the 2019 Seattle Asian American Film Festival in February.

Mixed and Ramadan were created by the teens in 2018 and chronicle the journeys of the Southeast Asian American youth as they challenge others’ labels and assumptions about who they are.

Mixed was created by five multi-racial friends in Seattle.  Donovan Thach, Jelani Tolbert, Khymaree Hughes-Ponelateat, Romeo Hernandez, and Tommy Vong reflect on their experiences of being mixed-race and feeling “not enough” of one identity to fit into a particular ethnic community. Instead, stereotyped views of how they should act based on others’ perception of who they are persist.

“If people pin these stereotypes to me, then I am going to have the need to fit into these stereotypes,” Khymaree says in the film.

Mixed from ACRS’ SE Asian Young Men’s Group on Vimeo.

In response to being put in a box by others for most of their lives, the students each take a DNA test to learn which ethnic identities comprise who they are genetically. In interesting ways, the students incorporate their findings and further inform their journey of identity exploration. With deeply personal moments of reflection at times, the students provoke viewers to contemplate the implications of stereotypes and its impact on identity.

Ramadan, filmed by Abdulgani Mohamad, Samir Nguyen, and Yuhaniz Aly, shares their video dairies during Ramadan, the Muslim holy month. These youth are Cham, a majority Muslim ethnic group that fled the war and genocide in Cambodia and Vietnam. For the film, the three brought handy-cams to school, field trips, sports events, and the mosque to capture glimpses of how they adhere to Islamic teachings – such as fasting from sunrise to sunset and praying five times a day – while also managing high school.

Ramadan from ACRS’ SE Asian Young Men’s Group on Vimeo.

Serious moments include Samir praying with classmates at school as he describes uncomfortably praying without a designated space or privacy, and Abdulgani expressing frustration with Islamaphobia and the media’s portrayal of Muslims. We also see lighthearted moments such as Yuhaniz setting the table in the evening to break the fast with her family with a McDonald’s Filet O’Fish.

With openness and dedication to sharing their stories with filmgoers, the students seek to not only raise awareness about their identities but also highlight the value of cultural pride and community.

SAAFF has selected SEA-YM/YW films for the festival for the last five years, generating excitement and pride among these youth filmmakers for their inclusion.

“An amazing experience to see hard work pay off…and really cool to see people learn about my identity,” Abdulgani said about the culmination of their efforts.

Feeling validation in seeing others watch the film, Tommy said it “forced me out of my comfort zone.”

“When you see [the audience] actually appreciate it and understand what we we’re trying to do, it feels good,” Jelani said.

Each of the youth attended the screening and participated in a question and answer session. Seeing their films’ impact has inspired the youth to continue developing their craft to reach and engage people through film.

“Seeing the audience reaction…pushes me to want to create even better films that people can connect with and like even more,” said Jelani.