The Baby-Sitter’s Club was a childhood staple for so many who grew up in the ’80s and ’90s. Written by Ann M. Martin, it tells the tales of a group of friends in Stoneybrook, CT who run a local babysitting service. The most iconic member of the group definitely has to be the spunky, creative, talented Vice President, Claudia Kishi. This junk food-loving, Nancy Drew reading, Japanese-American teen was a trailblazer for many young children of color, especially Asian-American kids. Now, a documentary about her and the impact she had on those kids is in the works.
The Claudia Kishi Club, directed by Sue Ding, explores the impact of representation on adults who grew up in the ’80s and ’90s reading The Baby-Sitter’s Club . “For young readers of color who craved seeing themselves in the media, they consumed,” Ding writes in the Kickstarter statement for the project, “not as distant historical figures, exotic outsiders, or diversity lessons, but as fully realized human beings – Claudia was a revelation”.
The documentary interviews adults who have grown up to tell their own stories, such as young adult authors C.B. Lee and Sarah Kuhn, Angry Asian Man blogger Phil Yu, comic artist Yumi Sakugawa, and producer Naia Cucukov (who is working on adapting the books into a TV series!).
The Claudia Kishi Club from Sue Ding on Vimeo.
The Kickstarter for the documentary has already surpassed its goal of $15,000 but there is still time to donate! The funds raised will be used to begin the editing process, move forward with post-production, and potentially get an interview with the books series OG author, Ann M. Martin.
This “love letter to Claudia Kishi” doesn’t have a release date yet but it is only a matter of time and I can’t wait!