The Mission

Cantonese is
American.

A weekly archive of Cantonese and Chinese-language moments in American media, business, politics, and everyday life.

The Archive

Three entries in, built for the long haul.

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Featured Record · No. 001

Rush Hour 2 — Don Cheadle Speaking Cantonese

Don Cheadle's Cantonese scene is funny, unexpected, and one of the clearest examples of Cantonese showing up inside mainstream American pop culture — not as something foreign, but as part of the world the movie is already borrowing from.

Transcript: available · Cantonese: reviewed
Rush Hour 2 · 2001 · dir. Brett Ratner
Clip active · Copyright remains with New Line Cinema.Official sourceRights policy →
Creator commentary

A major American studio movie let Cantonese sound casual, local, and fully at home in Los Angeles.

Editor commentary
Why this exists

An archive, and an argument.

This archive documents Cantonese where it has always been: inside American films, neighborhoods, politics, businesses, and everyday life.

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