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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)
"That nice piss on the native americans again. Isn't it nice to know the USA has never consistently honored any agreements with the native Americans."
Hey, the Native Americans are getting their money back from whitey (and a lot of Asians) by opening their casinos. They are sprouting about all over CA now, and are big on the East Coast, with mega resorts like Foxwoods. Sure, it will never replace Las Vegas, but it's closer to home if you need that quick fix.
TSJ
Eric@KristinKreuk.net
Wednesday, August 07, 2002 at 12:00:11 (PDT)
huu76,
Ethnic minorities are treated much better in China than they are here in the USA. They are not required to follow one child law in PRC and have their own communities. In ROC there are 9 seats in federal legislation set aside only for the aboriginal people.
AC Dropout
Tuesday, August 06, 2002 at 12:24:21 (PDT)
According to the New York Post, Channel 4 (NBC?)'s Ti-Hua Chang will host "East Asians: Changing Mainstream America," a one-hour special airing Sunday, Aug. 25, at 11:30 am.
The special will examine the impact of the East Asian community is having on the mainstream America.
I think everyone should try to watch it.
dumpling
Tuesday, August 06, 2002 at 11:03:29 (PDT)
Has anyone noticed that in Fortune magazine there are so many ads featuring Asian men? It's like every time I flip a page, I see an Asian man's face!! And they are potrayed as CEO, founder of a startup, professional, etc. Not a bad thing. I wonder if it is the same thing in other business publications...
dumpling
Tuesday, August 06, 2002 at 10:41:13 (PDT)
Native Americans would never betray the United States.
As badly as they've been treated, the U.S. is still the only country that would let them protest without running them over with tanks.
Also, do you think China, Russia, India would treat their minorites better?
North America isn't perfect, but it's still a lot better than other places. It's also their homeland, regardless of who's in charge.
huu76
Monday, August 05, 2002 at 18:45:54 (PDT)
New AM Image & Its Affects on AF:
It's really nice to hear and see that the Asian Male image is being portrayed in a more positive light. With the rise of sports stars like Ichiro Suzuki and Hollywood celebrities, etc. This does serve to promote Asian men to the masses and counters the negative stereotypes that often are associated with being Asian and particularly Asian men.
One thing I must say though, and it sounds a bit negative. I wonder even if the Asian Male image grows in the spotlight ten-folds on the positive side, I wonder if it really will help the AF fall in love with the AM, well in the US and other western countries anyhow? I think it will serve to promote the Asian Male to the non-Asian Women in a big way. These women had not known enough about Asian men to really appreciate them in the past. But as for AF, I think they, especially the ones who grew up around other Asians had always known the good side of their Asian Male counterparts. And to a large degree the AF have chosen to reject the AM anyways. Just check out the Asian Gender Divide Forum. This is a bit sad to say, but I think I serve a noticeable and worthy point for us ponder.
Why I bring this up? Well, I see the imagery of other minority men in the country go from bad to worse and then into some positive territory. In the meanwhile there were never notions of their female counterparts rejecting them, as there are with the Asian American population. For example, the Black men have always been stereotyped as a thug and a loser in the media, but the Black women have never been seen to abandon them..like Asian women in groves abandoning Asian men.
I'm an Asian man and I do not feel like the AF have abandoned me personally. I date interracially quite often, but the past serious relationships have been with AF. So please don't see me as a bitter, ugly Asian man who's been slighted by Asian women. But being a man with options in the dating arena, I do find that sometimes the race issue is negatively suggested..and more with AF than non-AF. Then again perhaps the AF is just more aware of the race issues and the struggles of the AM. Such is a positive note.
In the end, a more positive AM image is good for the Asian community, I think.
A slightly Angular Perspective
Sunday, August 04, 2002 at 15:24:14 (PDT)
ka,
1 billion dollar is a significant amount to the Japanese. That war was really our war, no matter what the political rhetoric said. Now we have Part II of that same war from the son of the father who fought the original war.
That nice piss on the native americans again. Isn't it nice to know the USA has never consistently honored any agreements with the native Americans. That is the signal largest injustice of all injustices that this country was built on. In the far future I would not be surprise if foriegn covert operations ultilize the native American population as a rebel force. But speculations like that are best left for trade paper backs.
East Timor...which aspect of the country are you referring to? The conflict between them and Indonesia. The status as least develop nation. Sure we should assist them or try to give them a leg up. But currently I don't think that country is our nation radar blip yet.
I think your suspicions are too uncalled for at this point. NK is trying desperate to get normalized relationship now. I think we can give them a benefit of a doubt for the time being.
AC Dropout
Friday, August 02, 2002 at 06:13:01 (PDT)
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