ASIAN Stereotypes Superstars Part Three

One night Kathryne challenged me to find an Asian in popular American media that isn't portrayed as goofy, irreverent, and mostly harmless. Our discussion left us feeling like American popular media had a long way to mature in this regard, so we decided to brainstorm and come up with a list of influential Asians we thought were representative, and here are some of them in no particular order: 

 

Miho Hatori

is a singer, songwriter, and musician. She is primarily known as the vocalist of the New York city group Cibo Matto.She is also known for her work with virtual band Gorillaz, as she is the first person to provide the voice of animated member Noodle.

  

Lang Lang

 

is a Chinese concert pianist residing in New York, who has performed with leading orchestras in Europe, the United States and his native China. He is known for his concert performances, television, as well as releasing albums and soundtracks. Lang has done much to encourage children and young musicians to take an interest in classical music, especially through the international foundation he launched in New York in 2008.

  

Yo-Yo Ma

(born October 7, 1955) is an American cellist and virtuoso. He has received multiple Grammy Awards, the National Medal of Arts in 2001,and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2011.Ma is one of the best-known cellists of the modern age.

Yao Ming

 

is a retired Chinese professional basketball player who last played for the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). At the time of his final season, he was the tallest active player in the NBA

 

Michio Kaku

 

is an American theoretical physicist, the Henry Semat Professor of Theoretical Physics in the City College of New York of City University of New York, a futurist, and a communicator and popularizer of science. He has written several books about physics and related topics; he has made frequent appearances on radio, television, and film; and he writes extensive online blogs and articles. He has written two New York Times Best Sellers, Physics of the Impossible (2008) and Physics of the Future (2011).

 

Michiko Kakutani

 

is an American Pulitzer Prize-winning critic for the New York Times. She is considered a leading literary critic in the United States.

  

Haruki Murakami

is a Japanese writer and translator. His works of fiction and non-fiction have garnered critical acclaim and numerous awards, including the Franz Kafka Prize and the Jerusalem Prize, among others.
Murakami's fiction, often criticized by Japan's literary establishment, is humorous and surreal, focusing on themes of alienation and loneliness. He is considered an important figure in postmodern literature. The Guardian praised Murakami as "among the world's greatest living novelists" for his works and achievements.
 

Zhang Ziyi

 

is a Chinese film actress and model. Chinese media have called her one of the Four Young Dan Actresses (四小花旦) in China's film industry, along with Zhao Wei, Xu Jinglei and Zhou Xun. Her first major role was in The Road Home (1999). She achieved fame in the West after leading roles in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000), Rush Hour 2 (2001), House of Flying Daggers (2004), and Memoirs of a Geisha (2005). She has been nominated for three BAFTA Awards and a Golden Globe Award.

 

 

 

 

 

ASIAN Stereotypes Part Two 

Ever wonder why American popular culture and Media hasn't had a serious Asian role model since Bruce Lee?

 

I remember when I was very young it was hard to find someone my age who didn't have a Bruce Lee poster. Maybe as a culture we don't value the same role models as we did in the 70's, which could explain why on the internet, we incessantly make fun of Chuck Norris. 

Kathryne told me that Chuck Norris was probably artificially popularized in our media to steer those kids with the Bruce Lee posters toward a more caucasian hero. which would explain why someone who may not be the best actor, looks awkward, and moves like a robot would rise to become a martial arts icon. 

There is some speculation about how Bruce Lee died but this is not about conspiracy, it is about actual media stereotypes, but if Chuck Norris was brought onto the scene to give kids someone white to cheer for, then what was it in this guy's influence that was so terrible?
As Kathryne and I digressed into martial arts icons, I had to ask her: "well, what about Jackie Chan?". She said "classic example, Jackie Chan made his debut in American cinema as a comedic actor, not as the amazing martial arts icon that he is." I started to realize Kathryne had a point. 

 

 

ASIAN Stereotypes Part One

One night Kathryne challenged me to find an Asian in popular American media that isn't portrayed as goofy, irreverent, and mostly harmless. So I set out to prove her wrong. Not that I though she didn't have a valid point, in fact, once she said this, I became aware that I was surrounded by examples of what she was describing.

The foreign exchange student featured in the movie "Sixteen Candles".

I provided an image from "Full Metal Jacket" because it is so iconic. A Vietnamese prostitute approaches the main character and proclaims "I love you long time" in broken English. The depiction remains in popular culture. I have to give Stanley Kubrick props for also providing us with the very serious and not harmless character of the female Viet Cong sniper later in the movie.

 

Kathryne also gave me a time period to observe this phenomena. “Since Bruce Lee died” she said “you rarely see an Asian-American depicted as powerful and earnest” (More on Bruce Lee in part two). Has the stereotyped image improved in the internet age? 

Not so sure. Here is a picture of a recent sitcom of the “Friends” variety. 

 

Yea, I know we've all had to wear doughnuts on our heads at some point, so why should I care? Even Kathryne asked me this (she is Korean). Well because it bugged me and most of all it bugged me that I was unaware of the media stereotype. I was aware of the objectification of native Americans, Hispanics and other cultures but not this. Perhaps I am idealistic and envision America as modern and pluralistic. Perhaps I share Quentin Tarantino's excitement when it comes to Asian cinema and don't limit myself to American media. Either way hearing Bill O'reilly's generalizations, the UCLA youtube rant, or the “make me asian” app just makes me cringe. Part three of this series is my ongoing list of influential Asians. Feel free to comment however you see fit.