New Wave

Rebellion and Reinvention in the Vietnamese Diaspora

by Elizabeth Ai

with essays by Thúy Đinh, Thúy Võ Đặng, Thao Ha, Lan Duong, Eric Nguyen, Carolyn Huynh, Julia Huỳnh, Thuy Tran, Paul Quốc Trần, and Trace Le

Mile-high hair. Synthesized sounds. Teenage rebellion. As Vietnamese refugees began new lives in the West in the wake of the US/Vietnam war, a generation of youth struggled to adjust on foreign soil. Many of these young people found a community and a new identity in New Wave music, a type of synth-pop called Euro Disco, that became enormously popular throughout the community. New Wave: Rebellion and Reinvention in the Vietnamese Diaspora by Elizabeth Ai celebrates the rebellion, reinvention, and rebirth of joy in this young generation in cultural limbo. Featuring essays from prominent Vietnamese scholars, critics, and stars, New Wave is a love letter to the first generation of Vietnamese punks and rebels who came of age in the 1980s. As the 50th anniversary of the fall of Saigon approaches in April 2025, it is more important than ever to highlight the voices of Vietnamese people.

The music of this generation, featuring artists such Lynda Trang Đài, Trizzie Phương Trinh, and Thái Tài, was a symbol of resistance against both mainstream American culture and traditional Vietnamese expectations for the “1.5 Generation,” refugees who were born in Vietnam but largely raised in the US. New Wave became more than just a genre or a style; it was a powerful statement of identity and a catalyst of a creative counterculture for Vietnamese youth who were grappling with the profound impact of the war while trying to establish their new lives and make their mark around the world.

Featuring rare archival images from New Wave artists, community members, fans, and record labels, the book is a much-needed record of photographs and ephemera that were nearly lost to time. Ai worked with the community to unearth materials that had been hidden away in shoeboxes, scrapbooks and family archives, and brought them to light in this gorgeous book that is also a visual treasury, a community archive, and an act of historic preservation. New Wave pulls these elements together in a bold, innovative design and layout by Mỹ Linh Triệu Nguyễn, an award-winning, second-generation Chinese Vietnamese American designer who is the founder and creative director of STUDIO LHOOQ.

192 pages
10"h x 8"w; 250+ images
hardcover; ISBN 978-1-62640-137-2; $40.00

[publication date: Tue 09/18/2024]

Elizabeth Ai, winner of the Tribeca Film Festival Special Jury Award for Best New Documentary Director, is a remarkable storyteller, offering a powerful and moving counter-narrative of the Vietnam war, which is largely portrayed through the eyes of white men. New Wave is a story that traces the peripheries of the war through the refugee community, but highlights the full lives of those in the diaspora—the trauma, yes, but also the spirit, the rebellion, the resistance, and the joy.

Praise for New Wave:

"Elizabeth Ai's New Wave showcases the bold spirit of Vietnamese punk rock through heartfelt storytelling. This visual journey delves deep into a vibrant subculture, offering a compelling exploration of the immigrant experience through the power of cultural expression." — Simu Liu, author of We Were Dreamers, actor, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Barbie
"So much of Vietnamese history remains undiscussed on a wider cultural level, and in New Wave, Elizabeth Ai illuminates some of our punk rock past. I laughed, I cried, I learned—and most importantly—I began to heal." — Kelly Marie Tran, actress, Star Wars: The Last Jedi; The Rise of Skywalker, Raya and the Last Dragon
"What does it mean for Asian Americans to belong to ourselves? New Wave is a dazzling collection of stories, strategies, and histories both personal and collective that explores this question. As a student of Asian American art and history, I’m so moved by this vibrant archive that Elizabeth and her team have painstakingly put together. The joy, longing, and ingenuity in these pages will hold you, heal you, and move you. This is a body of work I will study and cherish." — Jezz Chung, multidisciplinary artist and author of This Way to Change: A Gentle Guide to Personal Transformation and Collective Liberation―Poems, Prose, Practices