|
|
|
|
|
GOLDSEA |
ASIAMS.NET |
ASIAN AMERICAN ISSUES
Kristin Kreuk: Next Asian American Beauty?
(Updated
Tuesday, Apr 1, 2008, 05:59:57 PM)
t isn't a question of droolworthiness. Her looks are dazzling enough to have locked up a lead role in each of her first three auditions, including the title role in an upcoming TV movie. It's more a question of whether most of us would identify hazel-eyed Smallville heartthrob Lana Lang as a fellow Asian.
Kristin Laura Kreuk was born to a Chinese mother and a Dutch father on December 30, 1982. She grew up in Vancouver, Canada. Kreuk, 5-4, had decided to go to college to study forensic pathology until, in her senior year, her drama teacher suggested she go to an audition for a new Fox Family series called Edgement. She was promptly plucked out of the open audition to play a Chinese Canadian high school student named Laurel Yeung. Even as she won fans in the role, she landed the Lana Lang role for WB's dramatization of Superboy's life as Clark Kent, then the role of Snow White in the ABC TV movie set for release in 2002. Kreuk's star-quality was obvious to all who tuned in for Smallville's premiere last October. Some even proclaimed her the show's main attraction.
But many Asian American viewers didn't even suspect Kreuk's Asian ancestry. Even those who learned of her mother's nationality questioned whether she can be claimed by Asian Americans. Without an Asian surname or obvious Asian facial features, they argue, Kreuk's success would do nothing for the image of Asians in the American media. Others might argue that most African American stars are, in fact, only fractionally of African descent.
Should we claim Kristin Kreuk and other hapas like her as Asian American celebrities? Or should that designation be reserved for those with a more obviously Asian identity?
This interactive article is closed to new input.
Discussions posted during the past year remain available for browsing.
CONTACT US
|
ADVERTISING INFO
© 1996-2013 Asian Media Group Inc
No part of the contents of this site may be reproduced without prior written permission.
|
|
|
|
WHAT YOU SAY
[This page is closed to new input. --Ed.]
I thought we were past the days where people were so hung up on what race or ethnicity someone is. I didn't know my fellow Asians were as damn racist as they seem to be in this thread. Just let Kristin Kreuk be who she is: BEAUTIFUL!
Kyung
Saturday, January 04, 2003 at 12:32:41 (PST)
[172.140.46.46]
Lilywater
ARe Brazilian, Mexican, Argentine, Puerto Rican, etc ethnicities?
If yes, why? If no, why?
BTW, I am free to become a Swedish, Russian, Mongolian, or whatever citizen. Gaining citizenship isn't exclusive to America only.
Frustrated
Friday, January 03, 2003 at 09:53:33 (PST)
[208.14.6.170]
to frustrated:
nope american (except for native american) is not recognized as an ethnicity because a Korean woman born in Seoul can become American by becoming a citizen. She does not look different or American. I think the American look differs mostly because of dress and attitude anyway. Japanese is a nationality and an ethniciy but American is not.
Lilywater47
Thursday, January 02, 2003 at 23:58:31 (PST)
[66.147.146.230]
I am from a country in South America, my country has 6 races, so you have many mixed people, I am one of them, I am of African, Indian and Portuguese back ground, but I was born here, does that mean that i must learn whatever of the many many dialects spoken in Africa and India, seeing that I have no way of telling from which particular part of these countries my ansestors came from. Who you are is not determined by how much you relate to a particular culture or what language you speak, you are who you are and it cannot be changed either way. If Kristen was not part Asian, not matter how much she knew of the culture would make her Asian, and visa versa, and even if she knows nothing about her culture it does not make her no longer part Asian, it is not something that arguing or any other thing can change..so you people should stop it. Let the girl be..and in closing Kristen is Canadian........final
So get off her case and go do something for yourselves.
vanita
Thursday, January 02, 2003 at 20:51:28 (PST)
[208.153.97.8]
The first time I saw Kristen I knew she was part Asian.....................however I Do Not think that this should be an issue..........give the girl a break.
vanita
Thursday, January 02, 2003 at 20:33:38 (PST)
[208.153.97.8]
to those that said wrong things to her just watch the show k. I can see that she is half and its asian just the she looks.
vin
Thursday, January 02, 2003 at 20:23:17 (PST)
[206.81.201.125]
sure why not?
toka
Wednesday, January 01, 2003 at 05:48:28 (PST)
[202.81.165.25]
Lilywater and B
Is American not an ethnicty? If so, what features make up an "ethnic American" We can say Native Americans but come on, this country was already settled by Europeans by the 1500's. Filipinos already were here by the late 1700's. I think we are already an ethnicity and it is not European looking. It's like the Russians plus more. Or do we have to wait 1000 years before American can be claimed an ethnic background? I wonder if Russians had these Kristin Kreuk debates when the Caucasians and Mongols were producing babies. I wonder if Russians still do. It could give us an insight to the American future of ethnic mixing.
frustrated
Tuesday, December 31, 2002 at 22:56:34 (PST)
[24.99.9.86]
What is a Hapa?
VNLVR
Tuesday, December 31, 2002 at 22:01:46 (PST)
[63.155.196.93]
I'm very sorry, but I just don't understand you, Americans. What does it matter if she's Asian American, African American, or Pakistani Mongolian? Why should you classify people like this? It's like the herds of the dogs. Just not appropriate for humans.
Anyways, her mother is Chinese, her father is Dutch, so she's not an Asian American, but an Asian European star. If it matters anyway.
In my opinion you'd best ask her if she considers herself a "whatever whatever" star. For me she's just a nice young woman, though she's older than me. Infact, she's very cute in Snow White.
runtavelko
runtavelko@hotmail.com
Sunday, December 29, 2002 at 07:11:19 (PST)
[212.122.161.118]
SHE IS FIT
FITTY
Sunday, December 29, 2002 at 05:41:01 (PST)
[62.115.194.221]
I think Kristen Kreuk is a very beautiful young actress. It's true that she isn't a full blooded asian, but why does that matter? She's out there to do her own thing and if other people whether they're white, or asian or any other race, wants to look up to her....they can do that. If she doesn't do anything for the images of Asians in the American media, that's alright. She'll be a beautiful face for the world to look at and admire. I know I do.
XunknownFURYX
KhMeRboyFURIOUS@aol.com
Saturday, December 28, 2002 at 11:21:15 (PST)
[64.12.96.7]
I suspected Kristin Kreuk was a hapa. When I first saw her in Snow White The Fairest of Them All...I first noticed her eyes. I wondered If she was part asian. This concludes that she IS part asian and white.If she identifies herself as white AND part asian,so that's how we should identify her. She is a beautiful girl and I welcome her as one of the Asian American celebrities. I personally wouldn't count her out just because she's not 100% asian.
Mai
Saturday, December 28, 2002 at 07:07:32 (PST)
[207.132.131.54]
Ofcoarse she's gorgeous! Anyone who thinks other way is crazy!!!
I personally love smallville and she has such an original simple style every episode! It's different and is not like every other actress on T.V
neetu I love her!
Friday, December 27, 2002 at 10:51:38 (PST)
[24.100.47.40]
Her role in smallville Lana Lang made her look almost pure white. She looks more Asian on Edgemond and some of her pics. But on Smallville, she looks just like a white girl with dyed dark brown hair. I don't think she is what she said she is on her interviews. I think she's saying those thing cuz of her image. Vancouver seems to be a nice place. Anyone from there wanna give me a pre-tour of what to do there? I love food and beautiful places and people. BTW, I can't believe after 3 months away from this forum, people are still debating what she is. I find this really weird about mix people. Isn't self-identity be best decided by one self? Even tho I m not a mix person, I find it really rude of people trying to decide what a person is. But then being mix does have advantages. Like being more mysterious, both physically and culturally. But there are some ingorant or jealous people out there who will say the most cruel things about hapas. These people can come from any race or nation. I know there are anti-Kristin Kreuk forums out there. They simply can't accept having a half Chinese girl leading. I would consider Kristin a half-Chinese half-deutch Canadian born female. That's what she wants people to identify her as and that's what people should identify her as. So since she wants to be half and half, we should also identify her as a half and half actress or hapa actress. So in conclusion, Kristin Kreuk is an Hapa Actress. Scientifically concluded and that's the end of debate. She is a Happy Hapa Actress.
Pure Chinese Male
Wednesday, December 25, 2002 at 05:33:13 (PST)
[67.30.168.9]
to frustrated: i dont agree. nationality is different from ethnicity. nationality is where you live or where u are a citizen. ethnicity is race (what race ur parents are). culture is different. culture has nothing to do w race (theyre entertwined but not always). culture is what u feel inside.
Lilywater47
Tuesday, December 24, 2002 at 15:29:58 (PST)
[66.147.146.230]
To frustrated:
I disagree. "Ethnicity" is based on your race - your racial characteristics as defined by skin color, facial features, and geographical origin of your ancestors.
"Nationality" is which country you live in or your parents were from.
As such, I am ethnically Filipino (or Malay, as it were, since Filipinos are actually an amalgam of several ethnicities, Malay being the most prominent) but am an American by nationality. I was born in the USA, and am therefore as much a citizen as a white New Englander whose forebears came across in the Mayflower.
There are also many Filipinos who can claim ethnically to be Chinese, even when their ancestors have lived in the PI for many generations. It is the same for Chinese and Japanese in the USA. Nationally they are certainly American, but their ethnicity will always be Asian.
"B" as in "bictory"
Tuesday, December 24, 2002 at 04:06:18 (PST)
[63.98.74.2]
Lilywater,
Being Canadian or American is an ethnicity. Italians can claim some African but they are Italian. Eastern Europeans can claim Mongol but they are Hungarian, Russian, and so forth.
The same is happening in the US. We are not only a nationality but also an ethnicity. We are the first nation in this hemisphere to gain independence. Mexicans are an ethnicity. Haitians are an ethnicity. Colombians are an ethnicty. If we got our independence first...then why aren't Americans an ethnicity. Lucy Liu is ethnically AMerican.
Also ethnicity is not only who your parents are, or where you were born, but your where your heart is.
frustrated
Friday, December 20, 2002 at 10:20:09 (PST)
[208.14.6.170]
Kristin looks totally Asian.
1/4 asian
Friday, December 20, 2002 at 05:40:06 (PST)
[152.163.188.72]
I can't believe people do not or did not know Kristin is Asian. Also, how can we claim her as Asian American when she's Canadian? If one professes pride in their ethnicity then they are, in fact, claiming it for themselves...So I guess the image they project speaks for itself.
tlks
Thursday, December 19, 2002 at 17:17:38 (PST)
[66.12.246.246]
I hope for her sake that Kristin just sees herself as a pretty and talented girl. Where her parents come from doesn't matter.
Others here have said that there isn't a difference between dutch and anything else euro, that she's just half white.
I don't think she's hapa or asian or martian or anything..she's just american (in that she was born and raised on the continent of america) or candian becuase that's her native land, as well as where she works.
just a man
Thursday, December 19, 2002 at 16:40:30 (PST)
[216.221.81.97]
to frustrated: nationality and ethnicity is different. ur getting them confused. it's like how lucy liu's nationality is american but her ehtnicity (what her parents were) is chinese. sometimes things can get confusing (like taiwanese) but mainly nationality is where the person lives and ethnicity is the RACE of their parents.
Lilywater47
Wednesday, December 18, 2002 at 19:23:28 (PST)
[66.243.97.198]
Another thing, who cares if she's hapa? she's a good actress and a she may be a good person(i dunno because i dunno her)
and this is what should really matter!!
besides hapa is sooo pretty!
zwming
wming@myhome.bm
Tuesday, December 17, 2002 at 08:51:14 (PST)
[208.168.105.75]
NEWEST COMMENTS |
EARLIER COMMENTS
|