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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, 06:00:04 PM)
It doesn't matter if she 'looks Asian,' especially since 'looking Asian' is based upon stereotypes of what an Asian should look like (i.e. slit, slanted eyes). Also, being half-Asian is a large percentage, unlike having "one drop" of Asian blood. In terms of her ethnic makeup, she IS Asian.
But the main issue is how she sees herself. If she is into her Asian roots and Asian culture, then I would consider her Asian. If she totally rejects her Asian heritage, then I would consider her 'yellow skinned,' but not TRULY Asian. If she does not want to associate with the Asian-American community, then the Asian-American community will have no part with her, and SHOULD NOT consider her 'the next Asian-American beauty.'
asianDude
Wednesday, August 14, 2002 at 23:58:04 (PDT)
Rre Stuff,
Actually, I think Kristen looks more Asian than white, but I think she considers herself white and probably acts more white too.
She'd probably only reflect her asianess if it serves some benefit to her.
huu76
Wednesday, August 14, 2002 at 20:32:41 (PDT)
I think Kristin Kreuk is a great actress among all others. We should claim her as an Asian American celebrity. Her mother is Chinese. So that makes her half Chinese. Just because she doesn't have facial features of an Asian, you think she can't be can't be an image of Asians in the American media? To me, I do think she has facial features of an Asian. It shouldn't even matter about that. Just because they're Asian, but they don't "look" Asian?! That's ridiculous. I think she's a great role model for other Asians and people of Asian descents out there.
kristine
Wednesday, August 14, 2002 at 08:32:36 (PDT)
CA hapa:
I think it's been several months since anyone made a statement of any nature anywhere close to "Kristen is not Asian because she looks white." People here aren't judging her based on reverse-one-drop rule, but on the fact that, regardless of her ethnicity, she doesn't seem to know anything about Asian culture or language, and doesn't consider the community as her own.
T.H. Lien
Monday, August 12, 2002 at 16:54:19 (PDT)
huu 76,
you're right: Kristen Kreuk looks "Caucasoid", she's comparable to Bruce Lee's daughter.
I know whom you mean with the dark-haired Russians and I correct you:
brownish-black or dark-brown straight hair combined with dark-brown big eyes, "white" but well tanning skin, snub-nose, tendency to broad faces with pronouncing cheekbones, eyes slanted but no mongol fold.
I.e. a racial strain related to Western Turkic tribes, you have good chances to meet such people in "Tatarstan" and Turkmenistan. They must have mixed with Russians in the "Tatarstan" area. No hapas in a stricter sense. They are essentially Caucasoid without extremely Caucasoid features.
In former Soviet Union you can find true blond hapas. Why? -It's the descendants of Genghis Khan's tribe which is now scattered over whole North Asia.
rare stuff
Monday, August 12, 2002 at 16:29:08 (PDT)
This is an interesting topic, because it isn't limited to Kristin Kreuk. Each person has their own opinion regarding people of mixed heritage. Some believe the part of a person's background with which they most closely identify shall be their racial identity, while others think only the "pure bloods" can hold claim to their specific race and everyone else is a "mutt." The latter reminds me of the "one drop theory" used against the Jews, the Africans, and other oppressed peoples of the past; one drop of "tainted" blood (Jewish/black/etc.) in your family tree condemned and separated you. Just because now the "tainted" blood is not of the minority (read: white) does not make the exclusion any different or more right.
I consider Kristin Kreuk to be Asian/Asian-Canadian, but as a hapa (person of mixed heritage) as well. I am a hapa and consider myself to be a number of things, from hapa and Japanese American to Swedish American and Asian. I'm not just one of these many things, or any of them first or second or third; I'm all of them at once.
Though I know no matter what I say can change everyone's minds about how they feel, I'd like it if those out there would just think on what I've said and accept it as another opinion.
Ultimately for this forum, though, I would like to look to Ms. Kreuk for the final word. How does she view herself?
CA Hapa
Sunday, August 11, 2002 at 03:07:23 (PDT)
If you're half&half, then you can fall either way, especially if you look AND act more like one than the other.
Halle Berry may have a lighter complexion, but you'll never mistake her for a white woman. Since she's been raised to identify with blacks, then she's black.
Kristen may look more Asian, but she was probably raised to identify with whites (is there a trend where kids identify with whoever dad is?). Correct me if I'm wrong. A lot of Russian have black hair and fair skin, you're not going to start calling them Asian just because they're from Kamchatka peninsula (actually, Ukrainian women look like that too).
I'm contradicting myself but my basic point is that Kristen is more white than she is Asian.
huu76
Saturday, August 10, 2002 at 16:31:55 (PDT)
First of all...People shouldnt be judged by their ethnicty. Shes a very talented actress whos very gorgeous. Why does she need to represent the asians... why cant we all just be one? Its not like she criticized asians...She Never did reject her asian heritage... in one of her interviews, she said that shes different from other actresses because of her asian backround... and she was proud of that. Thats more than enough for me...
shes gorgeous and talented...she never denied her azn heritage
Saturday, August 10, 2002 at 16:15:01 (PDT)
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