Film Club

Film Club: ‘Inside Japan’s Chicano Subculture’

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When I heard Chicano culture had spread to Japan, I wanted to see it for myself. Who knew the culture I grew up with had a home so far from California?CreditCreditWalter Thompson Hernandez/The New York Times

What is the difference between cultural appreciation and cultural appropriation?

Inside Japan’s Chicano Subculture” is a seven-minute film that touches on themes of cultural exchange and appropriation. It follows the New York Times reporter Walter Thompson-Hernández as he travels to Japan to find out how Chicano culture, a subculture of Mexican-Americans living in places like Los Angeles and the Southwest United States, has spread to a country halfway across the world.



2. After watching, think about these questions:




• What questions do you still have?




6. To learn more, read “How My Southeast L.A. Culture Got to Japan.” Walter Thompson-Hernández writes:

What I found when I got there is that, while most instances of cultural appropriation completely disregard the original communities, the people whom I met did the exact opposite: They are in constant communication with Los Angeles lowrider communities. To me, it was more of a form of cultural exchange. Although many people I met in the scene were born and raised in Japan, they pride themselves on appreciating lowrider culture, while also creating something new and adding their own touches through their own cultural experiences.



• See all the films in this series.


• Our next Film Club will take place on Thursday, March 14.