The Localized History Project

Betty Yu's Documentary

We are fortunate to have Betty Yu’s documentary, "Resilience," as a guiding text to learn this history. Yu's film explores her mother, a garment worker, fighting against sweatshop conditions. It also provides a firsthand account of her and her sister, Virginia Yu, leading and participating in the 1995 hunger strike. The film draws a strong connection between the sisters' grounding in their mother's labor activism and the development of their own political principles as youth activists. Focus especially on 07:56–10:59.

Questions for discussion:

  • How did the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre influence these student protesters? Why do you think they invoked that historical moment?
  • Virginia Yu said, “But I think without the support of the community… it would be way too dangerous.” What does this tell us about the importance of collective action?
  • What personal risks were the student hunger strikers taking? Would you have joined them? Why or why not?

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Betty Yu's Documentary