Introduction During the era of Caucasian-dominated film, Bruce Lee dreamt about one day becoming the biggest Asian star to break though those ranks. Lee, however, was not able to accomplish that during his short life, but only posthumously. Although Lee was not able to appear in many films, his legacy still lives on in Jeet Kune Do and the many Kung Fu films and Asian-America stars in Hollywood today. Most racial groups during the 1960’s, including Caucasians, were fond of Lee’s acrobatics and choreography on the screen. Thus, Lee was able to bring communities together through his performance, while also serving as an idol. In the biography The Bruce Lee Story, by Linda Lee, Lee is described as the eccentric individual that he has been known …show more content…
Lee was “scarcely three months old when he was carried on for a part in a Chinese movie,” and would later, in his teenage years, be once again in front of audiences (Lee 21). Since Lee was from the family of a well-known actor and was slowly becoming a Hong Kong actor himself, it would be expected that he lived a comfortable and privileged childhood. It was, in fact, quite the opposite. Lee, during his childhood at 218 Nathan Road, lived among “20 people” along with “various dogs, cats, birds, and fishes” (Lee 20-21). The cramped household that Lee resided in and the frequent absence, physically and emotionally, of his father, Lee Hoi Chuen, led him into a downward spiral (Lee 21-22). Lee Hoi Chuen’s frequent disappearances took their toll emotionally on Lee. The absence of Lee’s father left a deep impression; later on in his life, Lee’s “greatest torment of all was being separated from his family” (Lee 22). This grew Lee to appreciate the family around him, and also, gave him a goal to start a family that he could love. With Lee’s goal of supporting his family, it galvanized him to achieve heights in the movie industry that had not been accomplished …show more content…
Lee is also said to have join the Triad during that period, but it has not been historically proven (Bleecker 6-17). Even though Lee has not been directly tied to the Triad, his later habits in life, such as constantly carrying around an illegal firearm, would dictate his involvement and the fear he had because of it (Bleecker 57). The potential connections that Lee had to the Hong Kong Triad and the many potential individuals who had a vendetta for him would ultimately lead to the mental breakdown of his personality months before his death. While young, Lee was carefree and did not worry for the Triad. As Lee grew more and more in the limelight, his past would creep back upon him leading him to believe that “he would not live as long as she [Linda Lee]” (Bleecker 57). Lee’s past involvement in the Triad would haunt him up until his death, leading years of caution and discomfort of his