Welcome to “The Sights + Sounds Show with Jeneé Darden," where every week we tap into the Bay Area arts scene and bring you rich conversations with artists. On today’s show, it’s all about martial artist Bruce Lee! Writer Jeff Chang has a new book titled “Water Mirror Echo: Bruce Lee and the making of Asian America.” You'll hear him and host Jeneé Darden talk about Bruce Lee’s life from the Bay Area to Hong Kong to Hollywood and places in between.
Today's show is about kicking down the barriers to build a legacy.
Jeff Chang
After all of these years, people are still fascinated by the late martial artist Bruce Lee. He died in 1973 from swelling of the brain. Lee was only 32 years old, but his life was so full with family, friends, fights, philosophy, travel, art and more. Lee was born in San Francisco's Chinatown to immigrant parents. He moved with his family back to Hong Kong when he was a small child. Oakland was one of the cities he lived in as an adult.
There are a number of biographies about Bruce Lee, but writer Jeff Chang wanted to dig even deeper into the complexities of the action star's life. Chang's book is "Water Mirror Echo: Bruce Lee and the Making of Asian America." In it, he writes about Bruce Lee's journey, along with his experiences of being Asian-American and an immigrant. Chang puts into context the socio-political events happening during Bruce Lee's lifetime that affect him personally and professionally —such as wars in China and the Civil Rights Movement in the U.S..
Make sure to also listen to Jeff's podcast Notes From the Edge, which is produced by KALW Public Media.
This interview was recorded on November 17, 2025.
