Rising Stars: Meet Alex Xander Luu

Today we’d like to introduce you to Alex Xander Luu.

Hi Alex Xander, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I am Chinese-Vietnamese American. I was born in Saigon, Vietnam and left the day it fell on April 30th, 1975 during the Vietnam War. My parents, older sister, and I came to the US as Vietnam War refugees. We left Saigon on one of the American military helicopters under enemy fire. Looking back, my experience of assimilation to America had equal doses of challenges, pain, humor, and trauma. Being in school brought multiple challenges – – I was having to learn/master the English language, bullied & ridiculed for being a dirt poor refugee (the operative word was “FOB” which means Fresh Off (the) Boat), and still reeling from the trauma of uprooting my life from Vietnam & the rest of my relatives.

The main component that helped with all of the above-mentioned struggles was the trifecta of American TV/movies/pop culture. I took to it like a duck to water. TV acted as a supplemental teacher (almost a day-to-day tutor) of English. I would watch all the 70’s shows and learn slang/idioms, figures of speech, etc. I also rummaged through my neighbors’ fresh trash and saved magazines, discarded books and most importantly, the TV Guide. I poured through all the pages of TV Guide, learning all the titles of movies/TV shows and names of directors, actors/actresses.

This love of pop culture & performing arts carried me through high school and was the driving force that propelled me to attend UCLA as a Film/Theater major. The skills that I learned there were priceless and above all, I was already developing a focused and strong of sense of who I was as a storyteller and what kind of stories & impact I wanted to put out to the world.

For so many reasons, my cultural background and all of the pieces that shaped me as a boy in Saigon through assimilation in the US and beyond has at once influenced and informed my work. Since 1989, I have been a solo theater/performance artist, Teaching Artist, and writer/director.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It has not been a smooth road. Throughout the years (especially during my teens and post-college), I have been subject to racism (overt & subtle). During late elementary and junior high years, I was bullied/beaten for being a “dirty refugee”. One year in 7th grade, my sister and I were attacked almost on a daily basis riding to and from school on the school bus. Bullies threw empty Coke bottles at us and did not let us sit in any seat on the bus. When we got off the bus, they kept kicking and punching us as we scurried like rats back to our little apartment.

Some of the other struggles/challenges were having regular people look at me as if I were the enemy. Some folks that found out I was a Vietnam War refugee usually made snide, passive-aggressive comments about my family and culture. There were also times when I was suspected of being a thief at stores…I was monitored, followed, and in one instance even threatened with physical violence.

Professionally, I started my career in the late 80s, and at that time, faces that looked like me were few & far between on the stage and screen. There were countless negative & stereotypical portrayals of Asians that definitely contributed to the lack of role models and encouragement.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am a solo performance/theater artist, Teaching Artist, and writer. I am a Lifetime Teaching Artist with the Los Angeles County Arts Ed Collective and a previous Teaching Artist with the Ford Theater and East West Players. I specialize in autobiographical performance/storytelling. There are two main things that I am most proud of:

1) I do solo performance work that draws material from my life as a Vietnam War refugee and all of the elements that come with that experience/identity. I have been performing a critically acclaimed one-man show called “Three Lives” & other performance works nationally at theaters, arts organizations, campuses (high school & college), and community spaces/centers. “Three Lives” tells the autobiographical story of my leaving war-torn Saigon, Vietnam to America. It is a visceral roller coaster ride that encompasses the personal & the political, told in a kinetic, physical, raw performance style that combines performance art, monologues, and physical movement. “Three Lives” explores themes such as identity, oppression, family rituals/traditions, and the myth of the “American Dream,” all through the prism of the Vietnam War and its aftermath.

2) MY OWN STORY (MOS) – I am a Teaching Artist of a workshop called My Own Story. MOS is an autobiographical writing/storytelling/performance workshop that I created many years ago in 1997 and have had the privilege of teaching/facilitating it nationally. MOS is literally for everyone because every person has a STORY. Participants of MOS come into a safe, nurturing, and creative space wherein they are able to dig deep beyond the surface and look at various elements of their own lives. During this raw process, they are able to unearth, revisit, explore, write, and ultimately perform short solo pieces using autobiographical stories from their own lives/experiences.

Even though MOS is for everyone, I have mainly focused on bringing and teaching the workshop to underrepresented & underserved youth/people of color. This demographic (especially at-risk youth) rarely gets the opportunity to claim their own stories on their own terms. Being in the safe MOS process allows them to truly be themselves and have their experiences validated without judgment. They are able to listen to one another and learn tolerance of other voices, and ultimately present their unique life stories.

I am most proud of MOS and being able to teach/facilitate it to so many different communities in different parts of the US. Seeing participants come into the creative/safe MOS space, embracing and being proud, and expressing stories brings me endless joy.

The MOS workshop is an official offering provided by the Los Angeles County Arts Ed Collective, the umbrella organization that brings innovative arts education programming to all LAUSD schools and parts of the San Gabriel Valley school districts.

What sets me apart from others:
I would have to say that as an Asian American, I did/do not fall in the more traditional studies/careers that most APIs go into, which are usually the fields of medicine, science, and engineering. I have been fortunate enough to see & focus on a specific vision and realize it in the face of many odds.

Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
It would probably be my habit of going to thrift stores and finding that rare item, which is usually a collectors’ series of toys, LP (record!), or record player (even though I already have 4)!

Contact Info:

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/myownstory/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alex-luu-6a47a62a/
• Website: https://www.lacountyartsedcollective.org/alex-luu