Original subtitles

There was once a man who transformed himself into an angel.

This is him in 1952.

It was his twenty second birthday.

He'd gotten it into his head that he was a killer in the looks department.

And I guess that's all it takes to convince most people.

He had one of the best jobs in the world.

He was with...

Don't tell me. FBI.

What gave me away?

Attitude maybe.

It's my, uh... First day?

His name then was...

Kevin Walker.

You've been waiting for me.

Third floor.

On that day, he met his partner, Ron Pirelli.

Ron was making a name for himself as the life of everyone else's party.

I grew up in New York City.

Every day I open the Herald, I see pictures of G-men.

They're coming in and out of the Stork Club, dames on each arm.

Every size and hair color you can imagine.

Wait a minute, how many different hair colors are there?

Two FBI men out on the town?

We are going to have a great time.

It's communism, see? We're fighting communism.

We're protecting your right to wear those frilly little dresses,

with your little low-cut tops like that.

Those beautiful knockers of yours practically falling out...

Hey, hey, hey! What?

You can't tell a girl her knockers are falling out of her dress.

All right. Dumb, dumb.

She might put them back in.

Also, it's not classy, right? To draw attention to her jugs like that.

That's one way of putting it.

Okay, forget the jugs. Kevin, how can I forget the jugs when they're all around me?

Why aren't they all swarming over here?

Don't they know who we are?

Hey, hey, get a hold of yourself.

Now, you go over that one more time, okay?

Right.

It's communism, see?

We're fighting communism.

Do you wanna dance?

My name's Kevin. What's yours?

Cindy.

But you can call me Cynthia.

Is your friend okay, Kevin?

Too soon to call.

Hell, I just met him.

Why, you were watching him?

Maybe.

Maybe not.

Justice.

What do you think about justice?

I'm all for it.

No, really, I mean, you're with the FBI and everything.

And you went to law school.

Do you believe that law is more important than justice,

or does justice win out over law?

In the case of a conflict, which do you choose?

Has nothing I've done over the past hour had the slightest effect on you?

No, but I'm thinking about you.

Thanks.

No, I'm serious.

I'm trying to figure out how I feel about you.

So it's very important how I answer this question, then?

Yes.

If law and justice were in conflict, which would you choose?

Justice. I would pick justice.

Law? Kevin!

Justice, I would pick justice!

I think that's wonderful.

So do I.

Now, I'm curious about communism.

This country is the greatest country on Earth.

Hold it right there, buddy! FBI

Those were the early days when he could do no wrong.

For a poor boy, this was the city

where life was a party and the lights blazed hot.

Of course, sooner or later every light burns out.

What do you know about the Chinese?

A few live in my neighborhood, sir.

Yes, but they don't act Chinese, right?

I'm talking about the real Chinese.

The ones that live 15 to a room and can't speak English.

Their women look great.

You should get married, Pirelli.

I'm having too much fun being single, sir.

There happens to be 120,000 Chinese in the US.

Twenty-five thousand in San Francisco alone.

What do we know about them?

Their customs are different. Their language is strange.

For all we know it's true. The stories about a maze of underground tunnels

crisscrossing Chinatown.

Here's what we do know.

Their country has fallen to the commies.

Little yellow men are now actively trying to infiltrate our borders.

I think it's time we found out what's going on with our local Chinese.

I'm sending you boys to Chinatown.

Chinatown.

The land beyond the borders of civilization. Behind the walls of Tong.

Just like China, it was a world that was torn in two.

A world with its own angels and its own devils.

The business of the Chinese people is business.

Who the hell do these Communists think they are to take away business from us?

They tell the Chinese guy, "Here, we put rice in your mouth,

"now you go and work for the good of your brother."

You think that Kai Ai is going to even bother to get out of bed in the morning?

You take away greed from the Chinese people,

you take away everything that makes us great.

You know, I am not the only one

holding this type of deep philosophies.

We want to help you get the commies.

Excuse me, Chen Jung Song?

FBI. We'd like to have a word with you.

Hey, you speak any English?

English? You speak?

It's not funny, boy.

Slow down, pal, or you could be in big trouble.

I'm stopped.

Maybe I didn't recognize you were calling my name.

You're not Chen Jung Song? No.

Song Chen Jung. In Chinese, you say your last name first.

Where were you headed?

I was on my way to the post office to mail a letter to my mother.

That against the law?

We're interested in your activities with the Chinatown Hand Laundry.

Yeah, I work in the laundry. It's a nice clean living.

We have reason to believe that this is more than just some social club.

That you're distributing subversive literature.

Yes, some of my buddies, we get together, compare brands of soap.

Were you responsible for the strike last November

leading to the five cent an hour wage hike?

There's murderers all over the city,

and you are worried about the cost of doing laundry?

You, what's your name?

Me? I'm Agent Ron Pirelli.

In America, we say the first name first.

So, Ron, how is the spaghetti?

What spaghetti?

The spaghetti you left on your shirt.

I hate that guy.

It seems like everyone can find commies but us.

May I pose a question?

It's always the highlight of my day.

Well, what if... I mean, just what if there

aren't any Communists?

What are you saying?

Well, just... Look, Cynthia.

The name of the country is Red China. The people are Chinese.

The place is called Chinatown. What else do you need to know?

Not all Chinese are Communists, Ron.

Tell him about law and justice. There is a difference, you know.

Oh, excuse me. I guess they just passed over that during my three years of law school.

You know, it is no wonder you can't get a date.

Hey. I can get a date anytime I want!

Hey, hey. Kids. Please, please.

Would you bring her a cherry Coke?

We got a one-woman China relief fund here.

Look, we're not saying that all Chinese are Communists.

Just some of them.

Mmm?

It so happens that a lot of girls think it is very attractive

when a man stands up for what is right.

Not anyone I'd wanna date.

Believe me. No one is going to get indicted without the proper evidence. Okay?

Ron, I got a bad feeling about this.

It's obvious that someone like Chen Jung Song has strong Communist ties.

The evidence we need for an indictment just isn't coming through.

Look at this editorial he wrote.

Some baloney about the struggles of the Chinese workers

being the same all over the world.

We can't lock up a guy just for writing that?

Yeah, there's this thing called the Bill of Rights.

We should be able to find our own loop hole.

Like when Hoover collared that Ku Klux Klan guy in Louisiana.

What was his name?

You mean Kleagle Clarke? Yeah, Kleagle Clarke.

He couldn't get a conviction the normal way, so he caught him transporting a minor

across state lines to hump her.

Or the way they got Capone.

You're under arrest on 22 counts of federal income tax evasion.

And sending money home to your mother in China.

What did you say?

I don't know, I was just thinking.

It is a crime to engage in any trade with Red China.

And according to this ad, Song's group has a service

to send money to relatives in China via Hong Kong.

Now, strictly speaking, that's illegal.

Yeah, you're absolutely right. Stupid idea.

Listen, if I come up with one like that again, punch me before...

Kevin.

Like we're going to prosecute people for supporting their mothers.

Kevin.

Yeah, real American.

Kevin, you're a genius.

It's part of a great FBI tradition.

What, you mean find the law to fit the crime?

Holy moley. Guess who's on the phone with Collins?

Jane Russell.

I don't know. We give up.

The director.

I think he's kind of steamed about not getting any indictments.

Order. Order.

I will not tolerate outbursts in my courtroom.

Did you prepare for contingencies, Agent Walker?

And this witness, Mr. Snyder.

Does he even know why he's here today?

With all due respect, I don't believe his understanding of legal procedures...

I don't think he knows why he's here.

Can you ask him if he knows why he's here.

He says he's happy to see how American justice operates.

And it beats washing dishes.

I'm releasing the accused.

Your honor...

And I'm throwing out this case, too.

Frankly, Mr. Snyder, as we proceed through these indictments,

the government's case gets shoddier and shoddier.

Next.

This case is clearly...

The defendant also participated in rallies...

...in Taiwan.

Next.

And can he get reimbursement

for the bus fare back to Chinatown?

Order! Order!

The case is dismissed.

You ready to go home?

Hey, yeah.

You know, your kitchen is really amazing.

You should at least buy yourself a pot.

But fortunately, I'm nothing if not resourceful. There's chicken soup,

and there's ice cream for dessert, sort of happy food.

How could I?

What the hell was I thinking?

Dumb! Dumb!

I'm sorry your cases got thrown out of court. Some judges are just stupid.

What the hell do you know?

Look, Cynthia,

we tried to convict those people for sending money home to their parents.

Of course the judge threw it out.

Did you know what you were doing?

Did I know?

The entire plan was my bright idea.

I'm all washed-up.

I guess you just didn't realize what you were doing. That's all.

And it seems like the only person who was hurt by this was you.

I'm just happy you told me the truth.

No more legal shenanigans.

No more innocent Chinese.

That's a promise.

Oh, angel, save me.

I'm trying my very best.

You wanna be taken off the Chinatown case?

Yes, sir. If that's at all possible.

Possible? Everything's possible.

Hell, all these physics fellows, Einstein and all,

they tell us the universe exists because everything's uncertain.

I feel I got off on a bad foot in this matter.

You know what all these are?

Well, I assume they're legal paperwork.

From 33 indictments.

Every last one of them thrown out of court.

How would you like each sheet here stuffed down your cowardly little throat?

I wouldn't like that at all, sir.

Let me tell you something about the Bureau, Agent Walker.

You do not spew refuse all over your area and expect someone to clean up after you.

That's a rule I thought you would have learned in summer camp.

I didn't attend summer camp, sir.

We have built a wall, Agent Walker.

Constructed entirely of the public's faith in our irrefutability.

Once you shatter this confidence,

the standards of law and order disintegrate.

Subversive elements exploit the chaos,

until this entire nation descends into the jaws of Godless anarchy.

Sir, it may be possible

to resubmit some of the defendants on charges of conspiracy.

And this guy, he tell me that he can take my money,

send to China.

Show me ad in newspaper.

What do I know?

I simple woman.

Make cookie. Sometimes sweep floor.

So I give him my money.

How much, Mrs. Chen?

One-hundred-fifty dollar.

And the man who recruited you for this scheme,

can you point him out to us?

Him, Song Chen Jung.

That guy is trouble.

State your full name for the record, please.

Kevin David Walker.

Thank you. Agent Walker,

could you tell the court what you discovered in your audit

of the Chinatown Progressive News.

Agent Pirelli and I found check stubs establishing advertisements purchased

on 12 occasions over a two-year period

by the defendant, Mr. Chen Jung Song.

The witness identifies...

I thought you were at work.

I got the day off.

See, miracles really do happen.

And what were the contents of these notices purchased by Mr. Song?

They advertised the operation of

a hand laundry money service by which

Chinatown residents could send money to their families in China.

Let the record reflect that such smuggling of funds

out of the United States and into Red China constitutes

a violation of the United States code, Trading With The Enemy Act of 1917.

Kevin?

Kevin, what's going on here?

Cindy, not right now, please?

Don't call me Cindy.

You told me you were gonna change your ways.

Look, can't you see I am busy?

You said you were through chasing innocent Chinese.

What's innocent?

Can we discuss this later?

Kevin, it's never too late to say what you really feel.

Agent Walker, would you like me to repeat the question?

No.

That won't be necessary.

I believe Mr. Song was deliberately encouraging the Chinese community

to circumvent American law, given his past political...

Objection, Your Honor, this is the purest speculation.

Question withdrawn.

Now, when you and Agent Pirelli approached Mr. Song

on March 17th, 1952,

inquiring about his activities with the hand laundry association,

how would you characterize his reaction?

Has the jury reached its verdict?

Yes, we have, Your Honor.

Will the clerk read the verdict, please?

Number 52, United States versus Song, Yip and Quan.

We, the jury, find the defendants Chen Jung Song,

Terrance Yip and Timothy Kwan

guilty as charged in the first count of the indictment.

Guilty as charged in the second count of the indictment.

Guilty as charged in the third count of the indictment.

Guilty as charged in the fourth count of the indictment.

Guilty as charged in the fifth count of the indictment.

Guilty as charged in the sixth count of the indictment.

You know, I feel really confident tonight. I really do.

Where's Cynthia?

She'll be here.

You know, I gotta tell you, she can be a real sulker.

You know, maybe she should wear more makeup.

Sometimes I think she's holding me back from running off a cliff.

Other times, I think she's just plain holding me back.

When she starts going off on one of her moral crusades? Holy moley!

You know, if I listened to her, I'd be frying burgers at some drive-in.

Or worse yet, working for the ACLU.

Did you see this?

You showed it to me 10 minutes ago.

Yeah? Yeah.

Well, anyway. You're not just anyone anymore.

She's got to realize that.

Lots of girls are gonna be going after you.

Hey, you, too.

Yeah, me, too. I know, I know.

Now that you mention it, excuse me.

Hey.

Where've you been? Everybody's been asking about you.

You make me look bad.

Come on, let's dance.

Kevin, I can't stay with you.

Jesus, is that what you tell me on a night like this?

You're a very deceptive person.

And of course, you deceived me.

Look, it's complicated.

Is it our fault we couldn't find any hard evidence on those Chinamen?

The Untouchables, they couldn't find any hard evidence on Capone,

but it doesn't mean he wasn't a gangster.

I can't believe these things you're saying.

Can we talk about this tomorrow?

I don't wanna talk.

Well, what the hell do you want?

Do you still love it when I do this?

Yes.

Yes, I do.

You know, angel,

sometimes you think too much.

That's why you need a guy like me.

Someone who only thinks from time to time?

Very funny.

Hey,

you know, if you play your cards right,

this guy might just ask you to marry him.

That's what I'm afraid of.

I couldn't say no.

No, you can't. Can you?

Can you?

Cynthia,

do you wanna get married?

Yeah.

Someday.

I hope you have a wonderful life.

But I can't trust you anymore, and trust, it's a horrible thing when it goes away.

You pray and cry, but it never comes back.

Cynthia, how can you do this? Are you crazy?

Goodbye, darling, and good luck.

Hey, my friend, Trisha, wants to meet you.

Cynthia!

Cynthia!

Angel!

What...

What are you doing here?

Who are you?

Why don't you go home?

Cynthia!

Cynthia!

Cynthia!

She will rescue the sick.

She will tend to the needs of the battle weary.

If a ship is lost at sea with 100 men,

only one need call her name,

and all onboard will be saved.

It's great to be back.

In 1962, Song Chen Jung was released

after 10 years in prison.

I'm supposed to wear a hat.

I told him, who wears hats these days

but South American dictators and FBI agents?

By 1962, the man had a new office.

He was 31-years-old. And he had learned to smoke.

This is Walker.

Kevin, have a seat.

I'll be with you in a minute.

So, how's Trisha and the kids?

Julie went to the dentist yesterday. No cavities.

He says it's because of the fluoride in the water.

What do I know? I just pay the bills.

Chen Jung Song. Sound familiar?

Sure, it sounds familiar.

I lost a girl over it, remember?

So, get to the news. I got the Meese Bank fraud,

and a murder in Fresno waiting.

He's out of prison.

We got to put him back under surveillance.

It's your assignment.

Ronnie, to call this guy small-time would be a compliment.

Kevin, are you slow today?

No, just stupid.

He's a felon.

Convicted of trading with an enemy power.

We keep all of them under surveillance.

This was your case.

Our case.

Besides, I don't see you developing a sudden taste for egg foo yong.

He's out of prison and you're going back.

To Chinatown.

You got raise. You got a raise.

You know your problem? Too much trouble!

Shit.

What's your problem, little girl?

I'll swoop down and rescue you.

What are you looking at? Go home!

Let's go home, Papa.

On his 32nd birthday,

the man decided he'd had enough.

On that day, he decided that life did not have to be so hard.

Perhaps he could move the father and his daughter to another city.

Where they could all begin again.

He would become their angel,

and would love them and protect them.

And they would have a new life.

Fuck you, G-man!

G-man, I say I fuck you!

I fuck your cripple mother!

I fuck your eyes out!

No, no, listen to me.

Why are you following me?

Please. Please, I want to help you.

'Cause I'm a Chinaman.

That's the one and only reason!

Fuck you! Fuck you!

Will you shut up and listen to me?

I curse you!

I curse you become a Chinaman!

No longer human! No!

Stranger to your own skin!

I can change everything!

No.

No more changes.

I make my own change now.

You Chinaman!

No!

Excuse me, miss?

May I have a word with you?

You were at Papa's funeral.

You saw me?

Relatives were still coming up the next day asking who was that kwailo.

I'm sorry, kwai-who?

Oh, it means white devil. Oh, don't take it personally.

Thanks.

I knew your father.

I just want to express my condolences.

Yeah.

Thanks for catching up with me.

I'm sorry. I didn't mean to...

It has been nice meeting you Mr...

Walker.

Walker. Kevin Walker.

I'm really sorry about what happened to him.

Yeah, well...

We're all sorry, okay? But let's just leave it at that.

I gotta go.

Can I borrow your notes? Thanks.

I'll bring the notes Friday. Promise.

All right. So talk.

I knew your father.

Do you have anything to add to that?

I just want to help in some way.

I'm afraid there's nothing to be done.

He's already in the ground, Mr. Walker.

Look, can I help you with your tuition, your books, anything?

I just... I want to...

Oh, God.

Who are you?

I am...

I am...

I don't know whether I should be alone with you in an empty stairwell.

Goodbye.

I'm a lawyer.

I work for the public defender's office.

I used to make the rounds at San Quentin.

Where your father was interned.

I got to know him while he was there.

He was a good man.

He wasn't a criminal, your father.

He wasn't spying for the Reds.

All he did was

help hardworking folks send money back to their families in China.

No one told me any of this.

What did you think he'd done?

Mr. Walker, when someone in the Chinese community goes to prison,

no one bothers to ask questions like that.

Shame is not a feeling we talk about over dinner.

You just can't leave it at that. Do you understand?

You've gotta try to know him in a different way.

I tried that already.

He didn't seem very interested.

Maybe he just gave up.

This is my number.

Though you don't seem to have any trouble finding me without it.

And so he began to tell her of the father she had never known.

Weaving a thread he hoped would not soon break,

he gathered information from diverse sources

and from them he formed a picture

of a man he began, at last, to understand,

whose spirit he was now breathing into his own body.

I found this in his records at the prison.

He looks so alert, so full of hope.

I only knew him when he was old and broken.

But this boy, he's got the eyes of a warrior.

He was a fighter, your dad.

He was the type who... Who organized workers for justice.

But in the end, they all turned against him.

He couldn't take that.

What would you call it?

Shame.

Hey, you know, they don't teach this in law school, but it's...

It's a scientific fact that sugar's good for anything that ails you.

Is that so?

When I was growing up, my grandparents used to make the same claims about hot water.

Hot water? Holy smokes, you've lived a hard life.

...and the agent looks at him like he's crazy and says, "What spaghetti?"

And your father replies, "The spaghetti that's on your shirt!"

Hey, Red, a vanilla malt for the lady.

Coming up.

I'll tell you, it's hard to find a decent malt in this city.

A lot of the diners now, they use powder

with additives a guy can't even begin to pronounce.

But mark my words, if we don't hold out for the real thing,

this country is going to be drowning in chemicals by the end of the decade.

You don't believe me?

Future generations of kids won't be able to tell a malted from a milkshake.

You want to try first to be sure?

There's only one straw.

That's okay.

Mmm. Excellent.

Mmm. Excellent.

Thanks for the photo.

I don't suppose you'd be interested in going out for hot water sometime, would you?

For you? I'd drink hot water and like it a lot.

Come here. I want to tell you a secret.

Sugar works better.

Mmm.

Amazing. I feel better already.

So, where do you come from?

I come from a little corner of heaven called Columbus, Ohio.

Did you live on a farm?

No, that's a stereotype.

Not all Midwesterners just fell off the back of a hay truck, you know.

Okay, I did live on a farm.

But it was only for one or two years.

You're gonna eat that?

It's a delicacy.

Delicacy?

Cripes. Looks like they left the nails on and everything.

Wish me luck.

When your father came out of prison, you took care of him.

I thought it'd be my last chance to get to know him.

I know he loved you.

Did he ever say anything about me?

I think he said that

he was sorry

and that he'd done his best,

that he wanted you to forgive him.

Hey, this used to be a swinging joint where

a guy and a girl could take a spin out on the dance floor

and fall in love just like that.

Doesn't look like it's used much anymore.

Do you, uh... Do you know how to dance?

She will rescue the sick.

She will tend to the needs of the battle-weary.

If a ship is lost at sea with 100 men,

only one need call her name

and all onboard will be saved.

What do they call her again?

Kuan Yin.

Kuan Yin?

Kuan Yin.

Goddess of mercy.

No?

Pig's finger.

Kuan Yin wasn't always the goddess of mercy.

She used to be an ordinary girl.

But when her father burned down her convent,

she saved his life anyway.

And that turned her into a goddess.

So it's possible for ordinary people to become immortal?

Yeah. Through self-denial,

sacrifice, constant love.

It's a lot of work.

Where on Earth did you learn that?

Sometimes I just pick things up.

Are you sure you're not really Chinese?

I could be Chinese.

I could be immortal.

It's all a question of will.

But if you spend too much time being Chinese,

you'd never want to go back.

Go back to what?

Being a regular American can be downright embarrassing.

When your father was convicted, hell,

they splashed it all over the papers like it was VJ Day.

Really?

No one ever told me that.

Don't believe everything you read in the papers.

It's an ancient Midwestern proverb.

Resignation?

What is this bullshit? I ought to tear this up right now.

Don't even think about it, Ron.

I want to quit.

Besides, I stopped smoking and that officially makes me employable

in the outside world.

I've noticed you picking up bad habits.

Next I suppose you'll be eating vegetables.

Look. I'm sorry I assigned you to the Song case.

Why? I sure as hell ain't.

'Cause you were a damn good agent before you decided to become an honorary Chinaman.

Don't think your recent efforts to trash your career have gone unnoticed.

You send this upstairs and your desk will go flying into the street.

Before, you were a pain-in-the-ass slob who solved cases.

Now you're just a pain in the ass.

I guess that means I'm dressing better, huh?

Don't pull a stunt like this.

The stunt was sticking around for ten years.

You know, after a while, you get tired of the circus.

You can keep my floppy shoes and the big red nose.

I'm not gonna send this upstairs for another week.

Just think about it, okay?

Once, I shared with you my only heart.

Today, I write my name on your walls in blood.

You thought of me as Kuan Yin.

Now remember me by my new name.

Fa Mulan, the woman warrior.

She is the one who takes her father's place in battle.

Let this be his revenge.

His bloated ghost rising from the waters of the bay.

His sword deep in your heart.

And so the man waited,

unable to be near her,

unable to end the pain he had caused.

And six years passed.

♪ And your mind, your mind

♪ Is so full of red

♪ Don't you want Somebody to love

♪ Don't you need Somebody to love

♪ Wouldn't you love Somebody to love

♪ You better find Somebody to love

♪ Your eyes I say your eyes May look like his

♪ But in your head Baby I'm afraid You don't know where it is

♪ Don't you want Somebody to love

♪ Don't you need Somebody to love

♪ Wouldn't you love Somebody to love ♪

It's disgusting.

We've always tried to keep the Bureau up to date

on potentially troubling developments.

The Bureau appreciates that, Dr. Meisner.

Please, call me Buck.

We must say though, Buck, that not all of your university colleagues

have been similarly forthcoming.

Screw them. You know something?

They just want to be popular with the students.

Frankly, some of them are not above violating a few moral prohibitions

with undergraduate co-eds.

That's disgusting. We'd like those names if possible.

Well, it's all pretty much rumor at this point.

That doesn't preclude it from being fact, Dr. Meisner.

Look, you wanna tell us what's on your mind?

It's after 1:00 and I skipped breakfast this morning.

Oh, well. You've been keeping tabs on the SDS,

the Weathermen and the Panthers and those fellows, right?

Well, there's a new group organizing on campus which I suspect will interest you.

The Oriental students.

Now, this problem probably wouldn't exist anywhere else in America.

But here, almost 15% of our student body is of Oriental descent.

Maoist study sessions? This is disgusting.

Well, I think it's safe to assume

that some of them have relatives in Communist China.

Who knows who's really pulling the strings?

You have a Chinese girl teaching in your law school.

Oh, yes. Yes.

Pretty girl. Marilyn Song.

Yes, she's one of the faculty sponsors

of this very organization.

Do you have a file on her?

Kevin, is that the one?

If she thinks she's getting tenure monkeying around like this...

Agent Walker prosecuted her father.

For being an agent of Communist China.

It was one of his biggest cases.

Really?

It was a long time ago.

Well, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree.

Or should I say, the cherry blossom

doesn't fall, you know...

...so I was American, wasn't I?

But my friends, they would say weird things to me, like,

"Confucius say" or, "No ticky, no washy."

I didn't know what they were talking about, so I just laughed, too.

I figured there couldn't be anything wrong with them, it must be me.

And what were they telling you?

Excuse me?

Your so-called friends. What was the message in their medium?

You mean, that I'm Oriental?

Asian. Orientals are carpets.

You mean, that I'm not American?

Right on. Right on, sister.

They say we're not American.

After we were born here?

Got laid at the same drive-ins.

Threw up on Coors.

Watched the same lousy Godzillamovies dubbed into English. Hey!

You can't absorb that much bad culture and not be a real American.

If I'm not an American, we should all just go back from where we came from,

especially the dudes from Europe.

Otherwise, get the facts, Jack, this is the face of America.

Right on. And so is yours.

And yours.

And yours.

Well, maybe I just want to see your passport sometime, okay?

Now, anyone else got other examples of how the system

institutionalizes these kind of stereotypes?

Oh, come on, now.

The longer whitey shuts you up,

the longer you remain his victims.

It's been many years

since I allowed myself to remember,

but once I knew a man who loved this country

and no one would believe him because of his face.

Until finally, he just lost hope.

Go on, sister.

Anyone got a hanky?

My father was a laundryman in Chinatown.

And when my mother died, I moved to Stockton to live with her parents.

My father was a very serious man, didn't want children around...

So, you never tried to follow up.

Nail that FBI guy's ass?

How do you know I never tried?

All I can do now is keep working in the mainstream,

so one day, someone might actually believe this Chinese woman

who dares to accuse the FBI.

That's what they want you to think.

That the system is so solid you can't even make a dent.

Well, the system is rotting from the inside out.

One good kick, it could all come toppling down.

What are you talking about?

The courts won't reopen a case like this. Not after 15 years.

The courts. Don't make me puke.

If we want justice, we'll go directly to the people.

You know that slope girl?

She's one hot dish.

You really got to date her?

It was a long time ago.

Wish I'd get an assignment like that.

She can fry my wonton anytime she likes.

Are we finished, Agent Byrd, or would you like to take your dick out

and wave it around the office?

Anyway, I think because of her story, their next target might be you

and the entire Bureau.

Right, Sherlock. And what about this Ichiyasu character, we got anything on him?

How about these slope names? Why'd they make them so hard to pronounce?

No, I checked him out already. He's 28 years old, he's a political science student.

You know, they left together after that meeting. Him and your girlfriend.

You gonna go check him out? You want a little backup here?

Stay here, Byrd. Play with your comb.

Did you do the Chinese translation yourself?

I suckered some honky from the Asian Languages department.

Bradley, I think this says, "New Moon Restaurant grand opening."

What? It says what?

Fuck.

You just can't trust whitey.

I'll have to make up a new batch.

Why didn't you tell me you could read and write Chinese?

Why didn't you ask?

Some of us do know the language of our roots.

Hey. I've been studying Japanese three semesters now.

Is it my fault I can't do better than a C-?

Do you really think anybody's gonna care?

Hey. People care.

Even if they don't know it yet.

See, no one's happy. Deep in their hearts,

everyone wants to burn it all down.

You think you've got it all figured out, don't you?

Good guys, bad guys, who's who.

Let me tell you something. Life is a lot more complicated than you can imagine.

Hey, put that away. It's illegal.

Illegal? That's cute.

You're really something.

So what are you trying to tell me?

This fed guy, years ago?

You kind of liked him, didn't you?

I hate him. I hate that bastard.

But you liked him, you liked the bastard.

Hey, baby, it's not your fault.

We're all conditioned to love the oppressor.

Look on TV.

All the heroes just happen to be the same color, have you noticed?

You always did have too much feeling for whitey.

You need to relax a whole lot.

There's a reason they made this stuff illegal.

That ain't it.

And I am telling you we can collar this Ichiyahu guy right now!

Of course we can collar him. We can collar half the student body.

You wanna try thinking in the long run for a change?

We have seen this guy smoking cannabis.

Wait. Wait.

Let's just start at the beginning, all right?

You say the Orientals are planning on having this...

This anti-US rally.

This anti-US rally tomorrow.

I can't believe they're dredging up things we did, what? Fifteen years ago?

Some people hold a grudge.

So why don't we get this, uh, this Itchi-Itchi kid

on a drug charge and pull the plug on the whole shedoodle.

Well, that's exactly my idea!

Shut up! Shut up!

All right, this Jap kid.

If it's a liberal judge, if he gets a good lawyer, he'll be out in six months,

maybe even a suspended sentence.

But what if he's seen leading the rally?

Then he can't prove a thing against us.

Just let Hoover get a glimpse of this kid attacking the Bureau.

The director will take it personally.

It'll be like the Holly case.

This kid'll be locked up. He'll be lucky if he's out by the time Agnew's president.

And that's why we respect our elders.

I wanna nail this punk.

On the university campus today,

another chapter in the recent student unrest here.

Students of the newly-formed Asian American Students Association

rallied today to try and reopen the case

of a long deceased Chinese laundryman

who they claim was framed as a communist by the FBI in the early 1950s.

The history of the FBI is one of constant harassment

and persecution of third-world people.

They are a secret police of government agents consistently...

Do I sound like that?

I don't sound like that.

...for the internment of Japanese Americans in US concentration camps

during World War II.

Yeah, come in.

Hey, man, it's not locked!

Bullshit.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Bradley Ichiyasu...

Hey!

As Asian Americans,

some of our families date back in this country 100 years or more,

yet we continue to be treated as strangers in this land.

We demand the release of Bradley Ichiyasu.

This is another blatant attempt by the FBI to persecute an American citizen

for his political beliefs, on trumped-up charges.

In his brave attempt to redress an earlier injustice, Bradley...

Hoover wants the girl, too.

Pirelli here. Yeah, who?

Damn, I hate due process!

Yeah. Yeah, thanks.

When it shits, it pours.

Ichiyasu made bail. Turns out he's a rich kid.

Figures. That's why he wants to dump capitalism.

This way he can rot in jail like the rest of the poor people.

Yeah, we'll get him at the trial.

Now, about the girl.

What about her?

Ronnie, it's clear she's just Ichiyasu's pawn!

I think we're going after the wrong bait.

But what bait, huh?

This is no pawn.

This is Song's daughter!

The director never realized how involved she was in all of this, and neither did I,

or I would have never given you the assignment in the first place!

Are you questioning my professionalism?

There's never been much to question.

I'm handing the case over to Peter Evans and Burt Conway.

Evans and Conway? You mean the famous comedy team?

They couldn't have gotten a conviction at the Salem witch trials.

My decision stands, Kevin.

You're not to interfere with their investigation.

That night, the man offered prayers to his goddess,

and her words came back to him again.

Denial and sacrifice,

and constant love.

Oh, Ronnie.

I'm supposed to bring this to my stakeout.

Par for the course, huh?

Pirelli told me you were off the case.

Right.

Just like I was off the Darman case last year.

Special Agent Kevin Walker, FBI.

They appointed me bathroom monitor this week.

You boys wanna go smoke someplace else?

Here, let me look at you.

Kevin...

Walker?

You're the one, aren't you?

Pig.

You're testing my patience, kid.

Doesn't matter what you do to me,

'cause one day, the people are gonna rise up, and you'll be gone.

I'm not even waiting for the people.

I already am gone.

Do you love her?

What?

What the fuck kind of question is that?

This isn't the fucking Dating Game!

I want you to tell me the truth!

This attack on me, was it her idea, or was it yours?

It was all my idea, you fucking moron.

You do love her.

Just my fucking luck.

What's this?

Cheat notes on the poli sci exam.

So don't leave them lying around the cafeteria.

Chen.

Chen Jung Song!

This is his file!

No!

Pass them on to your friend.

What kind of trick is this?

Well, I'm sure she'll be able to tell you if it's a trick.

She's a bright girl.

Probably too bright for you. But that's probably none of my business.

Try and make her happy.

Restrain yourself.

Who do you think you are? Her father?

Yeah.

That's me.

Chen Jung Song.

And that's my calling card.

Oh...

There's something you forgot.

Something I forgot?

When you were arrested,

you forgot to flush the evidence.

Don't get many calls from you these days.

What's wrong?

You don't want it?

If I keep it, I'm going to have to use it.

I can't clear his name without ruining yours.

I always thought that was sort of the point.

Law or justice.

Sometime, in every person's life, they've gotta choose.

I did a long time ago.

Now I'm picking up the tab.

I wanted to ruin your life,

but not like this.

Let's just say it's a mixed bag for both of us.

Then I want you to have something.

I kept this

to remind myself to avenge his death.

Yeah. I like that.

It's sort of a little piece of my past.

What... What happened to you?

Is that all you want from me? Is one kiss?

If one kiss is all you need to live,

then live two lives.

Many lives.

Happy lives.

You know,

some loves are impossible,

but they are loves just the same.

I love you.

Who got it? Obviously, the papers got it.

He took that file right out of your office.

What'd you do?

Walk over to The Examinerand drop it in their mail slot?

I tried to stop him, but he was too fast.

Where's the evidence on Ichiyasu you took from my precinct?

That's the crux of the entire case.

Where is it? Where's the file on Song?

I lost it.

The file? The evidence?

How can you possibly lose an entire classified file?

Or a bag of state's evidence?

I'm sorry.

Do I even know you anymore?

What the hell have you been doing here all these years?

Is your real name Yuri, or Ho Chi Minh? Or just plain moron?

My name...

My name is Chen Jung Song.

Some people live their lives under a blessing.

Others beneath a curse.

A man may wander in confusion for years,

shunned by his friends,

a stranger to his own skin,

only to discover one day that he has blessed the life of another.

On the day of my wedding,

Kuan Yin, the goddess of mercy,

looked down and took pity on a man in love.

On that day, the G-man spread his wings

and was delivered directly

to heaven.