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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, 06:00:05 PM)
great article!!!
freakazoid
kimberly_hwan@hotmail.com
Friday, August 02, 2002 at 22:14:52 (PDT)
fReEdenet
Russell Wong has an Asian father and Caucasian mother. Nancy Kwan and France Nuyen had Asian fathers and Caucasian mothers. Brandon Lee had a Eurasian father and Caucasian mother. So there are Male/Asian and female/Caucasian Eurasians.
American chick
Friday, August 02, 2002 at 07:11:38 (PDT)
To T H Tien
Since you say Mexicans don't consider Guatamalens "honorary Mexicans" even though they share a similar culture then the US shouldn't consider Canadians "honorary Americans"
American is a word that can mean all the Americas. Chileans, Brazilians, etc are Americans but it is a general understanding the word "AMerican" is for citizens of the United States. Kristen is a Canadian citizen. Yes she is an American(geography) but not "AMerican" since she is not an AMerican citizen.
Also I am mixed with everything except black. I'm usually asked if I'm Asian, Hispanic, Native-AMerican, and once Italian.
In this society I feel that because my phenotype isn't "white" that I have to deny it because I just don't look it. Society especially the minorities feel that if you do identify "white" then you are a bigot.
There is nothing wrong with embracing one's European ancestry. Europeans committed atrocities but so did Asians. Most cultures have raped, pillage, and had slaves.
I know I am mixed and my phenotype isn't standard "white" but I really consider myself more white than Asian. I just grew up here and I don't feel comfortable among an all Asian group. I like going to Asian markets and festivals and have some Asian friends. I feel a connection to all my heritages but I am not Filipina, Spanish, French, Irish, English, Turkish, Chinese, or Native-American. Those are part of my lineage...my blood but my nationality is American.
I know for me it is difficult because I am not looked upon as an "AMerican" but this is where I grew up. I didn't grow up in Asia nor Europe. I have travelled a lot and there is a lot from American society that irritates me but for all its faults and ignorance I feel at home here. I'm 8th, 4th, 2nd, and who knows what else generation AMerican.
Have you heard of Nancy Kwan and France Nuyen? Both were of European-Asian extraction. However Nancy is the Asian and France the European. Nancy grew up in China with her father not in Britain. Her sensibilities are Asian. France grew up with her French mother not her father from Indo China. She is French.
So I wish you non-mixed people would stop telling mixed people what and what we are not based on our facial features.
American chick
Friday, August 02, 2002 at 07:01:42 (PDT)
we shouldn't categorize people by race period
hazel
Thursday, August 01, 2002 at 16:04:29 (PDT)
to Asshoppa:
Yup i think i'm more appreciative of diversity and more sensitive to racially derogatory remarks because I'm biracial. I've made it to the "chillin side". good observation...
to Freedent:
i dont really see how it shows that asian females get more exposure. care to clarify?
LilyWater47
Friday, July 26, 2002 at 00:25:03 (PDT)
eastern-european girl,
The Joy Luck Club pictures Asian men in an exceedingly negative light, which is consistent with its author, Amy Tan, who is married to a white man and has repeatedly portrayed Asian men poorly (must be some kind of hang-up she has).
I think what bothers Asians about Joy Luck Club is this negative portrayal and the fact that there are no other movies that have reached the American mainstream to provide a balancing portrayal or view.
In general, negative portrayals of asian men would not be as harmful, if there were enough popular movies that provided balancing positive portrayals. But there aren't.
Thespian
Thursday, July 25, 2002 at 08:15:10 (PDT)
Hey Jewish people, Irish, and Italians go crazy everytime they perceive a little slight to their ethnicity. Why can't Asians?
Thespian
Thursday, July 25, 2002 at 08:08:42 (PDT)
eastern-european girl (from Canada),
erm...no offence but please u gotta be f***ing kidding me !!..the reason breakfast at friggin tiff is on the list is because there isn't ANY ASIANS in the movie only some White guy with glasses and fake buck teeth pretending to be one like those stupid charlie chang movies Get It? god...i would be really scare if u thought he was asian
hollywood sucks
Wednesday, July 24, 2002 at 20:14:41 (PDT)
Freedent,
I think this reflects reality. I have some not so PC views about this but I think I'll leave it at that.
I've noticed that mixed kids tend to be girls too. These twins in one of my classes and my cousin are mixed and they're all girls.
Case in point, Kristin and AmandaLisa are girls.
huu76
Thursday, July 25, 2002 at 16:28:53 (PDT)
i don't think theres any reason at all to question the asian-ness of hapa's . . from my experience with them, they happen to be some of the most chillinest folk around . . which is more than i can say about some of my so-called asian 'brothers and sisters' . . i think a lot of biracial peoples tend to appreciate race and diversity a little more than others because many of them have had to battle with those question within themselves . . to those of them who have won and have made it to the chillin side, cool beans, you cool with me . .
i'm not saying its okay what the white media does to the Asian male . . painting us as nerdy asexual store-owening gangsters while they take our women . . and the 'exotic' submissive scantily clad asian women who actually fall for them . . "ni hao ni hao . . oh you're not chinese? then konichiwa . . " . . .but thats another topic for another time and place . .
asshoppa
ravingxlunatic@aol.com
Wednesday, July 24, 2002 at 22:52:18 (PDT)
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