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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 Edgemont. 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, 06:00:06 PM)
Speaking as a young asian girl myself, I think that it doesn't really matter "how asian she is". She is very beautiful and a great role model and I'm sure many guys don't really care!
GO KRISTEN!!
Jade
Wednesday, July 10, 2002 at 08:10:57 (PDT)
This is a bit off topic, but Michelle Branch is part Indonesian (1/4 I think), probably of Chinese ethnicity.
My point is that, man, Asian genes are strong. Depending on the picture, she either looks fully Asian or at least half.
huu76
Tuesday, July 09, 2002 at 23:19:51 (PDT)
Kristin is a great role model , and she does sorta look like she is asian. When I first saw smallville, I couldn't decide if she was asain or not, so I checked it out. She may be completely asian but I would consider her as an asian american celebrity.
Azngrl
Tuesday, July 09, 2002 at 21:57:33 (PDT)
i think she looks a little asian myself. but is the question really about whether she look asian? does it matter if she looks more asian or white? she is still chinese no matter what.
Lilywater47
Tuesday, July 09, 2002 at 21:20:42 (PDT)
I thought she looked half-asian~ or at least 1/4~ but wasn't certain until i cruised in here~ and i'm glad be right~ hehe.
I know several Canadian-Chinese girls~ and a few Euro-asian girls~ Some look more asian, some look more caucasian~~ some are really pretty and sweet~ either way, she's great in smallville~
Reverie_Papillon
Tuesday, July 09, 2002 at 19:52:08 (PDT)
Well it's about time that a Beautiful Asian American (eventhough born in Canada) actress has shine out best from amongst the rest of the western dominating actresses which after a while you really do get sick of them. But now with Kristin being classified as the next Princess I think it's great that she's had the chance to display her talent on Smallville and not many asian actresses do make it to the top as it's always dominated by the westerns but I really do believe that Kristin is destined to be the Hottest SUPERSTAR and that's all that matters.Hopefully now we'll start seeing a change in peoples values towards asian girls and have them commentated on there pure heart rather than portraying them as easy girls which I despise and hate western guys for saying nasty stuff like that in the first place and Women you know what I'm talking about. More respect to Asian WOMEN please everybody. Afterall we're all human.
VINCENT
Tuesday, July 09, 2002 at 19:28:44 (PDT)
My husband and I were able to spot Asian descent in Kristin Kreuk as soon as we saw her. My father saw it too.
Asian American men? What about Keanu Reeves? Tiger Woods? Jason Scott Lee?
Both my children are half Chinese ... I can teach them to embrace their mix of heritages, I can only hope that the communities will embrace them back.
ABC
Tuesday, July 09, 2002 at 18:27:48 (PDT)
First and foremost, Kristin is absolutely gorgeous. It is wonderful that her nationality is somewhat hazy to the rest of us. Although it is obvious that she has some mixed heritage, and unless you're quite blind, that she is part-Asian, it is truly inspiring to see a beautiful, bi-racial actress on television. She doesn't just stand as a role-model for Asian-Americans, but for all multi-racial and minority groups. Perhaps many of you are still living in pre-modern times. Here, in the Bay Area of California, we have literally thousands of bi-racial and multi-racial couples whose children, like Kristen, are stunning. I, for one, am in complete awe that such beauty is possible. And yet it seems natural that, when race barriers are broken, and people can again recognize that we are all the same on this earth (regardless of color and shape), beauty in both physical and superior forms, is a possibility.
M. P.
Tuesday, July 09, 2002 at 16:09:24 (PDT)
Kristin Kreuk is not only qualified to be a role model for Asian-Americans, but especially for half asians as well! I'm already inspired by her, myself being 1/2 chinese, 1/2 irish/polish.
Rapty
raptoria7@aol.com
Tuesday, July 09, 2002 at 15:33:03 (PDT)
Is it just me or does she not look much Asian? Should she be considered an Asian beauty or a hapa beauty? There is a subtle yet significant difference.
Deng Ai
deng_ai2000@yahoo.com
Tuesday, July 09, 2002 at 13:27:05 (PDT)
I kind of find the question to her appearance as asian simply absurd. It's so completely obvious that Kristin is of asian decent that only ignorant and perhaps dense people could fail to recognize this. She is DEFINITELY a role model.
tina
Tuesday, July 09, 2002 at 13:19:49 (PDT)
Ok. I see we have someone who make progress in the media. But do we even have a asain male who made any progess at all. Just wondering.
progress
Monday, July 08, 2002 at 20:13:45 (PDT)
All I have to say is that she does surprise me. I never thought she had any asain blood. She looks pure white to me. But that really doesn't matter at all, as long as she's a success.
Azn Blood
Monday, July 08, 2002 at 20:09:50 (PDT)
to zippo:
you're quite right. the media fails to acknowledge asian males as viable actors and real men. it's so wrong. it is one thing that should change in the near future. you made some very good points about the stereotypes.
to Huu76: that's great that the show is maybe playing her character off as more asian. however alot of caucasians wear asian-accented clothing as well. it's a trend.
Lilywater4 7
Monday, July 08, 2002 at 19:56:27 (PDT)
Zippo:
Principal Kwan, an authority figure on the show IS Asian American and portrayed by an AA Male actor.
TV Watcha
Monday, July 08, 2002 at 12:51:08 (PDT)
She's hot and that's all that matters. I'll marry her anyday
StarPlatinum ~The World~
Monday, July 08, 2002 at 10:33:15 (PDT)
Anyone who's been watching Smallville lately, have you noticed that it seems Kristen's character is adopting more and more Asianess? It seems like her makeup now is supposed to mimick what Asian girls look like normally.
Maybe I'm just seeing things. I thought I caught a few glances of her wearing Asian inspired clothing too. Nothing drastic, just the odd hint here and there.
huu76
Monday, July 08, 2002 at 03:29:51 (PDT)
we should claim everyone, Asian features or not. But this is an AA site, so the question is whether we should claim her as a "sister."
Hell, why not! What have we got to lose?
it's not like every asian will burst into flames if we made a wrong move.(oh, burn me, not my mother! i'm the one who says she's asian...my mother only watch chinese tv)
in terms of progress, it depends on whether or not the show plays it off as 1)cashing in on the trend of asianess, 2)ignoring the fact that she is asian, or 3)an acceptance on the fact that there are asian people in this country.
But is it progress? As an asian male, I am glad that Asian women are visible and attractive in the media, even if it is for the wrong reasons (for now). But if you ask me, real progress comes if an asian male is also given a role that is not stereotypical. You know, the day when mainstream media acknowledges me as a human being, and that I don't have to be a kung fu master, a king, or ten times better than everyone else in order to be worth represented. Hell, why not, throw an Asian guy in there...
now that's f***ing progress!
zippo
Sunday, July 07, 2002 at 20:22:29 (PDT)
What? She's totally Asian looking! Is this something only us halfbreeds can see? Besides, what's the point of pumping up her Asian-ness? Social progress? Racial equality? That won't happen until people stop *caring* about how much skin-darkening, eye-slanting, hair-crinkling DNA a person has: it will happen when the world is too full of loving mongrels to worry what "race" it ever was.
f*** you, racial separatists!
Saturday, July 06, 2002 at 19:10:58 (PDT)
This is so retarded! What does it matter if she has an asian featuers? She has some asian blood in her..that's all that matters..and yes I would consider her as an asian american sucess!
Pj
Saturday, July 06, 2002 at 14:47:53 (PDT)
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