Independent film aims to dispel myths about Korean Americans
Happy Cleaners, an independent film set in the diverse Flushing neighborhood in Queens, New York, is about a Korean American family that owns a struggling dry-cleaning business. It’s an attempt by filmmakers Julian Kim and Peter Lee, both United Methodists, to confront some of the assumptions often made about their community.
“I think when you see images of Korean Americans depicted on-screen, they’re always the kind of side character . . . and definitely stereotyped,” Kim said. “Sometimes it’s a model minority, a very kind of silent [person] who works hard and achieves big dreams.”
“We’re struggling, working-class Americans like many of you out there,” Lee said. “So, let’s just connect on that level. I hope that we’re able to share that a little bit [in Happy Cleaners].”
