From: jpark@rwja.umdnj.edu (John Park)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.asian.american
Subject: >asian-male stereotypes (revised)
Summary: the influence of the media & racism
Keywords: asian, media, racism
Date: 12 Dec 92 22:13:05 GMT
Distribution: na
Organization: Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Piscataway NJ


   

 
 
 
While much of our self image and the way others see us  depend largely on
ourselves, I think there are subtle and yet pervasive forces that
are (almost) beyond our control.
 
No, it's not a supernatural force.
It's the boob tube.
 
Okay, I'll bet almost everyone is familiar with the history of racist
propaganda against Jews, and against African-Americans.
 
Common derisive stereotypes were spread sometimes unconciously (as an
unquestioned, but accepted "fact") about Jews in the European literature
and culture.  This is one of the methods, that I am beginning to be aware of,
for dissemination of stereotypes and racism.  For example, Charles Dickens' 
portrayal of Jewish beggars in Great Expectations.  Some people might say
Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice was strongly anti-semitic. -these are
common, off the top of my head examples.  These methods of dissemination
are as powerful as a spitball compared to WWII.  Propoganda was honed 
to a razor's edge with the advent of film & movies.
 
With movies, it is hard to be detached.  If it is a good movie, one would 
get absorbed with it - with the director's point of view.
 
The Nazi's masterfully used film.  They depicted Jews in many derisive ways. 
They would search for a wretched human being who happened to be Jewish, drag
him into the frames of the camera, and imply to the audience that he was
the "typical jew."  They blamed the Jews for the failing economy, etc....
They would look for facts in a one sided manner ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
in order to "prove" their case.
 
Same thing with African Americans,  we have Birth of a Nation, a masterful
racist movie about "heroic KKK members."  We have the use of blackface, 
Uncle Tom - the black man who is happy to be second class, even
Gone with the Wind has these stereotypes.  
 
A movie could be well made and entertaining, but these is not a valid 
defense, if it spreads racist caricatures.
Movies can be a powerful means to spread racism.  Any takers?
 
Enter one of the newest immigrants to the good ol'USA: Asians.
I'd bet persecution of asians doesn't have a strong historical precedent
because we weren't as vulnerable as other minorities.  We have mother countries
that have a decent military force, and we were better prepared to come here.
(Africans were snatched out of their homes, and separated from their families 
and their culture.)
I'm not indicting caucasians.  This is probably human nature everywhere.
 
Okay, on to the main feature!
While these caricatures and stereotyping of African americans, and Jews 
in the movie and television industry is receding, the stereotyping of 
asians is increasing.
There seems to be a well organized effort to combat stereotypes by other
minorities, but I am not aware of such efforts by asian americans.
 
Examples of asian caricatures:
Fu Manchu, Charlie Chan, Cato of the Pink Panther, "Yellow Peril" movies
such as the James Bond movies (Dr. No, Live and let die, etc.) and others
of the era.  There was one movie about the Red Chinese tunneling under
sea but I can't remember the name....
More recently, some of the newer movies are worse because they involve
:alot of anger or violence, especially against the oriental villain.
Ex. Jean Claude van Damn (sic!) movies - in one, the oriental villain 
brutally rapes his asian girlfriend and says he liked it, they eventually
battle to the death with various nasty weapons.
Rambo II - asians depicted as easy to kill cannon fodder, saves asian girl
from those nasty weak asian men.
Karate Kid II - the only masculine-leader type asian male is the cruel punk
the karate kid saves his asian girlfriend from him.
Various vietnam movies - always shown as a war against the vietnamese, not 
more accurately, as a multinational war with the South vienamese (asians)
as allies against the North, instead it's white and black males against yellow
with the occasional vietnamese hooker as pal.
Alien 3 - yes, this one is very sutble but powerful, this one is not provable
as racist in this day and age.  Ripley (the heroine) and the others (blacks 
and whites) is on a former penal colony.  The mysterious Company is the cause
of all their problems.  This powerful pervasive Company is plotting to 
breed the Alien inside Ripley for a new Bio warfare weapon.  It is growing
inside her chest.  The company lies through its teeth and promises to cure
Ripley by removing the Alien.  At the end of the movie, the Company shuttle 
lands on the planet.  The Contingent consists of a number of faceless guards
in total head to toe armor, a white male who seems to be spokesman and in charge
(but in reality he is really an android), and the surgeon, the person 
:who is to cut Ripley's chest open and retrieve the Alien for Bioweapons.
The surgeon is the one actually in charge, and he happens to be Asian!
Is this a racist message?
I think the subliminal message of the movie is that asians are causing all
our problems, and they will be heartless people who want to take over world.
 
Raven - this was a television series on NBC some time this year!  Opening show:
A caucasian ninja, whose parents are brutally killed by asian ninjas.  His
japanese wife presumed dead, and his son missing.  He saves a portly japanese 
businessman's life, and then his gorgeous daughter.  The japanese ninjas, all
virile young men (and therefore a threat and villains to boot), are out kill
him and his son.  Boy how much more evil can these villains get!  In order to
save his daughter or make peace with the japanese ninjas, the business man wimp
figuratively stabs Raven in the back, by betraying him, even though Raven
saved his life.  His daughter condemns him, etc...  Gee not even one 
asian male was portrayed as non-scum evil back stabbers in the dark, in this
flick, and it was in prime time on NBC television for Pete's sake!  NBC got 
away with sheer hate inspiring racism on national television, and I didn't
even hear a whimper of complaint!  I was scared to hell.  Millions of people
could be watching this.  My neighbors could be watching this.  The college kids
down the hall could be soaking this up. 
 
Star Trek TNG - I like the show, but... 
some might say the klingons of the original show was a metaphor for latinos
because of they always had the stereotypes of black hair, were never tall, 
brown skin, and sometimes hired latinos to portray the klingons.  In Star
Trek TNG, klingons are a metaphor for africans, because they are stereotypically
very violent, very masculine, and are usually portrayed by african americans.
In the same vein, the pherengi are a metaphor for japanese.  The pherengi are
compete with the federation for trade, and are unscrupulous businessmen, and
practice unfair trade.  They like eating raw meat (sushi) and are short, wimpy,
and bad with women, and on some episodes lusted after "white women" 
with pathetic results.  Sometimes there was an asian actor under all that 
make up.  The romulans, another enemy, wear asian style costumes.  Vulcans, 
their racial brothers but allies (asian ally metaphor) of the federation are
no longer seen.
It is sutble, and it is hard to prove anything sutble, but is there a 
pattern here?
 
What is the ration of villain roles to hero roles for asian men?
My guess is 100 to 1.
Imagine your asian children growing up on a TV diet of this crap.
Will there be an effect?  Sisters will hate their brothers. Both will
hate their fathers.  -Okay it's a stretch, but perhaps an influence
for some people.
 
NPR ran a racist parody of Kristie Yamaguchi.  In it there were two asian 
girls working relentlessly on the ice skates.  They spoke "goony talk."
And were - Oh mi'gosh, like totally, like ya'know, totally immature.
This scared me deeply also.  One of the few asian americans to win a gold
medal for her country is ridiculed by a racist parody, on a radio show
that hypocritically stands against racism.
 
Japan bashing and the news media - they said Japan is causing all our problems.
The network news led the hysteria that Japan was causing the recession, 
generating alot of anger against asians in general.  'Cause when they show
asians on television, it is mainly in the context of a threat.
If there is legitimate anger against Japan or any other asian country, let
the american people take it out on them across the pacific, not against
their fellow americans - who are of asian mainland origin.
 
In order to improve our situation, we need more asian males with outstanding
                                                            ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
talent in acting, directing, script writing or other such high visibility 
media skills to further develop their skills and careers in those directions,
and show the rest of america our personalities, our human side.  Show ourselves
not as saints, not as sinners, but as dels.
 
Demeaning caricatures of any group should no longer be acceptable.
Nuff said.
 
 
                                        John S. Park
                                        at UMDNJ-RWJ
                                        Rutgers, NJ
 
(It's the pits here on the east coast. We're a silent minority.
 The maladjustment factor here is times 10.)

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