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GOLDSEA |
ASIAMS.NET |
ASIAN AMERICAN ISSUES
A New Image for Asian Men?
he original flavor stereotype of Asian men may have its inspiration in Hollywood mockery of the first wave of Chinese immigrants in the Old West. Bonanza's gimpy Hop Sing was the only recurring image of Asian men for most of TV's formative decades. For variety's sake, Hollywood racked its brain and added the coolie, the waiter and the bucktoothed enemy soldier.
Corean soccer star Ahn Jung-hwan
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Fortunately, Hollywood is no longer a one-stop outlet for depictions of Asian men.
Pro sports's $30 billion estimated annual U.S. rake rivals the $35 billion pocketed by Hollywood. Driven by athletic excellence, pro sports allow no room for image jiggering to satisfy racial biases. The exploits of dashing Ahn Jung-hwan in the World Cup wasn't scripted for white American mass audiences. The straight-sets drubbing that a tall young Thai named Paradorn Srichaphan gave Andre Agassi at Wimbledon can't be left on the cutting-room floor. Ichiro's leadoff-hitting and base-stealing can't be imitated with wires and special effects.
Hi-tech and bio-tech -- whose estimated $400 billion annual revenues dwarf the media -- have spawned another set of images that clash with Hollywood's. How do Americans reconcile premiere AIDS researcher David Ho or Yahoo co-founder Jerry Yang with Hollywood's Hop Sings and Long Duck Dongs?
Questions arise. Doubts are engendered.
Even modern culture -- commonly tarred by association -- isn't entirely subject to Hollywood's reflexive Asian-male undercutting. Classical music lovers are nourished by Yo-Yo Ma's gourmet cello notes and thrill to the daring rifts of Japan's iron chefs. Younger Americans surrender racial identities to a no-holds-barred universe created by manga artists. Linguists and speed readers frequently abandon Hollywood's relentless quest for the lowest common denominator in favor of films made for Asian sensibilities.
To the extent sports, culture and business enjoy a tighter relationship with reality than does Hollywood, they offer Asian men a fairer, more compelling stage. And these spheres too pack big audiences that take note of the yawning abyss that separates Hollywood's "original flavor" Asian men from the crispier, spicier variety in the real world.
Is America seeing the emergence of a new, improved Asian male image? If so, is it making life easier for Asian American men? Or just stimulating a more determined effort at undercutting?
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WHAT YOU SAY
[This page is closed to new input. --Ed.]
(Updated
Wednesday, Jan 22, 2025, 04:38:55 AM)
abc college guy,
I posted that starship troopers message, and I am a korean-hapa. As for Asian/Korean pride, both, but it's not pride so much as vindictiveness towards a society with some serious issues (read=problems) with asians. And for that, my support tends to go to full-blooded asians. Anyways, don't tell anyone Apolo is half-asian, LoL.
Kim Dong-Sung IS a better speed-skater, he finished FIRST in the 2002 Salt Lake Winter Olympics, but was disqualified for blocking Apolo. He ended up taking the silver instead of gold. What a load of BS. As if people don't block anyone else in any kind of race? And did Apolo himself block anyone else? Never heard of such garbage. Apolo didn't show for the "2002 World Short Track Speed Skating Championships" for which Kim Dong-Sung sweeped the gold for 500-, 1,000-, 1,500- and 3,000-meter races including the relay. Enough said...
http://www2.asahi.com/2002wcup/english/news/K2002051403076.html
And you want Apolo to be a role model or front man for asian-americans? NO F******* WAY. 'Cause for me, I can at least relate to Kim Dong-Sung and what happened to him, after all, things like that happen to me and plenty of asians too. You think I'm gonna side with Apolo just 'cause some white gurls like him? No thank you, I've got what's left of my dignity. Besides, I'm not bashing Apolo, just saying that Kim Dong-Sung won fair and square, which americans don't quite grasp the concept of.
Yes, we are all the same to white people, aren't we? And maybe they're all the same to me.
Equality? Not in this lifetime.
Wednesday, July 24, 2002 at 23:31:54 (PDT)
you kp fellas (korean priders) ought to get more ap (asian pride) in the US of A. we are all the same to white folks you should realize... Who cares if dong sung didn't get the gold? apolo is a good front man for young asian men in the media.
abc college guy
Monday, July 22, 2002 at 10:07:35 (PDT)
A WF married to an AM taking on her husband's surname = a brave and wonderful thing?? No, it's only a natural and right thing to do in this country. No big deal.
Sure, Pari Chang's article is a nice read and it shows how much we AMs have come/how great a person Mrs. Chang is. Then, I know there are many Pari Changs/or wannabes out there...
I tell you this; as much disdain/scorn/"I don't give a damm" as I have for so-called an elite class -- often self-proclaimed -- as a whole, more likely than not, you will find some of the most humane/understanding/ open-minded/righteous(?)/morally upstanding people from this same group. There's a reason why a person needs a "good" education.
But at the same time, I've realized that there are still enormous upward social climb we AMs have to make before we can be fully accepted as equals(will never happen. I'll settle for 90-95% acceptability) to WMs...
BTW, don't you guys think women sometimes make too much fuss about something that's actually nothing in reality/worth?
One Korean Man
Monday, July 22, 2002 at 00:22:03 (PDT)
fun facts:
hmmm, The main character "Johnny Rico" of the movie "Starship Troopers" was supposed to be filipino according to the book. And yet even at the time when I didn't really care whether or not asians were on film, I noticed there were no asians in this movie, or ANY of the movies from that particular director. Puzzling ain't it?
Alright children, can we spell...
R-A-C-I-A-L A-G-E-N-D-A
I guess these racists couldn't stomach a filipino hero killing all the bad guys (bugs), saving the world, and getting the girl in the end.
On a brighter note, speedskater Apolo Anton Onho (half japanese, 1 of 6 sexiest men in this month's sports illustrated Women??) seems to be doing alright defying this kind of hollywood garbage. But Kim Dong-Sung can still kick his butt. =P
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/siwomen/2002/july_august/gallery/main/
Why the hell was Kim Dong-Sung of korea disqualified anyways, when he beat Apolo for the gold?
hollywood, for the fragile amerikkkan male ego
Sunday, July 21, 2002 at 04:10:07 (PDT)
Full AF from Virginia...
Awww...that is really nice, what your mom said. I am mixed and have heard similar things like that before from people.
CaliGirl
Friday, July 19, 2002 at 12:37:53 (PDT)
Well a pessimist would say the glass is half empty. The optimist... glass half full. But an engineer would say the glass is too big. hehe. You can only change your sails only by so much, you can ignore only so much, before you realize you've been blind. culture doesn't pay the bills, hehe =).
So what you're trying to say is that by being an optimist, things are so damn good already you don't need to bother fixing them. Maybe if that anvil drops on my head i'll be a stronger person, after all... more is better, right? It's better to be a realist. And I'm only seeing things now that I've been so blind to. Arrrrrgh!
happiness is relative
Thursday, July 18, 2002 at 22:22:01 (PDT)
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