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ASIAMS.NET |
ASIAN AMERICAN ISSUES
Kristin Kreuk: Next Asian American Beauty?
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 scool 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?
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WHAT YOU SAY
[This page is closed to new input. --Ed.]
(Updated
Tuesday, Apr 1, 2008, 06:00:19 PM)
Kristin Kreuk is an Asian American celebrity and very beautiful. Why should she be penelized for looking less asian, or for acting in a part that is not obviously asian? She has not denied her Chinese half. We should be a happy that an asian is getting roles that are not stereotypical.
Hapagirl
Monday, March 04, 2002 at 06:21:30 (PST)
Ghost Writer NYC, you seem to be the only sensible person on this topic. We both share the same viewpoints (go back and read my earlier posts). Indeed, these kinds of things only promote that asian females AND males who marry whites have children that are more beautiful than Asian/Asian couplings. This is indeed a media manipulation designed to brainwash people, but reading some of these posts, I'd say it's much too late.
I've already mentioned how some asian american beauty pageants had the audacity to consistently choose hapas as the winner over full blooded ones. Look at the national news media, when you get outside of the local markets like San Francisco, they overwhelmingly tend to choose hapa women over full blooded asian american reporters.
Again, I reiterate that I have nothing against hapas or interracial people. I do think there's something wrong with an AmeriKKKa that tries to dictate to us what beauty truly is. Something the African American community can well attest to.
I remember years ago, I was talking to several white guys on the job, and they started talking about girl preferences. One of them states that he likes amerasian women, hapas. Ha ha.
Never fooled
Monday, March 04, 2002 at 01:27:16 (PST)
all of you people are idiots, i hope you don't mean that by saying asian american. you're referring to her as being half asian and half white because the american part of that title points to her being white. i consider myself american even though i may not be white. funny how she's asian "american" even though she's a freaking Canadian.
idiots
peazzy215@yahoo.com
Sunday, March 03, 2002 at 20:31:51 (PST)
Is it a requirement to look Asian to be Asian?? or do you just simply have, fully or in part, asian blood in your body?? Can't we just accept that she is absolutely gorgeous and be proud that she is a fellow Asian, half or not?
Kimberly T
Kaiton88@aol.com
Sunday, March 03, 2002 at 14:31:39 (PST)
not fooled by dumbass:
please help me understand you by answering the following questions...
1) if acknowledging beauty in mixed ancestry demonstrates an individual's lack of self-respect, how would u define a person who cant see beauty in other ethnicities?
2) how is it that beauty portrayed in half breed asian a "sick notion"? are they an illness? do they lack in their physical, mental, or emotional capacity? are their existance destructive to the asian society?
3) sounds like you're blaming "hollyweird" for the false portrayal of asians. i agree that the asian depiction in the media is not always accurate. but who is really to blame for this? is the media a reflection of the people's interest? or are people thoughtless individuals whose buy into everything the media saids?
4) in the earlier post, you've stated, "Lucy Liu is gorgeous, but no way will the average studio head pick Lucy over someone like Kristin when it comes to a leading role in a romantic/sexy movie." Many do believe Lucy Liu has played sexy roles, more so than kristen. What exactly are u complaining about?
TO EVERYONE WHO WANTS TO MAKE A REAL DIFFERENCE:
Asian americans have alot of buying power in the united states. our average income is higher than all other ethnic groups, including the caucasians. corporate america realizes this, and they depend on us to make money. we must find out which companies are supporting the shows that are depicting false portrayal of asian americans...and write to them, explaining our views. if they refuse to acknowledge our requests, then we wont support thier business by buying their product or service. they'll get the picture sooner or later. this is one approach that can make a positive difference. hating on our own kind (this includes bi-racial people, for those of you who are too close-minded to accept) would never lead us anywhere.
be
Sunday, March 03, 2002 at 12:15:56 (PST)
I think Kristin considers herself as white. I'm sure her mom raised her as white.
I'm biased, to a certain degree, against AF/WM couples. Just being honest and not trying to hide anything.
I don't mind seeing the occasional couple, but when they start outnumbering "AF/AM" couples, that starts to bug me.
In case anyone's interested, I spend a lot of my time in Toronto, Canada. The rest of the time, I'm in wonderbread country.
Anyhow, I'd still like to know if she's bilingual. To me, it'd tell me a lot about her.
I agree with TSJ's point about being whatever the flavour of the month is.
huu76
Sunday, March 03, 2002 at 05:39:51 (PST)
What I find attractive is, of course, a matter of personal opinion. I can't believe you would label me as a non-selfrespecting AA just because I don't think that the "pure Asian" look is the most beautiful one. So I guess by your rule, to be a "true or self-respecting" individual, a white person would have to express that white people are hands down the most beautiful, and black people would have to say the same of thier race. What kind of logic is that?
You have the wrong idea anyway. I am not, by any means, attacking or disrespecting the way Asians look. I don't generally find that all-(ANY ethnicity) look beautiful, but that definitely doesn't mean I think they're ugly! I simply prefer the unique over the common (unique as in a unique blend of ethnic features). So I think Kreuk is prettier than Michelle Kwan. Does that hurt your feelings in some way? Does it make me such a horrible member of the Asian community?
a self-respecting AA
Saturday, March 02, 2002 at 23:31:16 (PST)
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