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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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Discussions posted during the past year remain available for browsing.
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WHAT YOU SAY
[This page is closed to new input. --Ed.]
(Updated
Tuesday, Apr 1, 2008, 05:58:14 PM)
I love Trading Spaces. When my husband saw Vern for the first time, he said "Hey, there's an Asian dude" and later he said "wow, he can come to our house and decorate!" of course I was not too happy about THAT comment as I like my decor style...but my husband was happy and surprised to see an Asian male on TV for once !
hannybunbun
Thursday, September 12, 2002 at 06:15:59 (PDT)
[207.172.11.148]
Vern rocks. My boyfriend and I watch Trading Spaces all the time, and he's our favorite designer. He is very talented, but easy-going and funny. He always gets along well with the people he works with. He often incorporates Feng Shui and other Asian elements into his designs. I would love for Vern to do my house!
curious girl
Tuesday, September 10, 2002 at 12:06:23 (PDT)
[206.34.216.7]
Vern Yip....I caught a show on cable called "Trading Spaces." It's some crazy interior design show. But there is this Asian Interior Designer called Vern Yip who I think is a step in the right direction in increasing the facets of the AM image in American society.
Vern is not a martial artist. Vern is not a nerd. Vern is an affable anal interior designer. Which is totally cool and chic.
AC Dropout
Tuesday, September 10, 2002 at 08:30:44 (PDT)
[24.90.98.143]
NYC AM,
I hear ya¢´ buddy. That happenned to me too. Now I¢´m with a WF, it¢´s kinda funny but we¢´ve never discussed race at all either. We appreciate each other for who we are and have a great time together
TKS
Sunday, September 08, 2002 at 21:29:26 (PDT)
[196.40.43.74]
[You're all going off on a tangent here. This page is about changes in the AM image. --Ed]
AA Female,
I understood that Asians are the fastest growing ethnic group in North America. Both the US and Canadian governments depend on skilled workers overseas to keep their economies thriving. I don't honestly don't see Asians becoming exstinct anytime soon. Besides, yes IR does exsist but the majority of Asians are still dating other Asians. Even with 2nd or 3rd generation ABA.
Proud 2 b Azn (AM)
Saturday, September 07, 2002 at 16:09:38 (PDT)
[64.228.39.94]
AA female,
Asians genes are the strongest genes on Earth. No matter how diluted it is, you'll always see the Asianess stand out.
A girl on my floor in residence was half Chinese, half Jamaican. She had a darker complexion but she still had asian features (eyes, lips, yellowish complexion) that were noticeable.
Michelle Branch is only 1/4 asian and you can see her asianess (small chin, more youthful appearance for an 18yr old).
Kristen Kreuk's complexion is Asian, it's got a sort of yellowish/bronze colour at times. She's also got really dark eyes.
Jane March has the kind of lips you'll find on some Vietnamese women (has slightly slanted eyes too) and she's got a white complexion. She's got the small chin too.
Anyway, the more asian genes get spread around, the younger the world will look.
huu76
Friday, September 06, 2002 at 18:12:51 (PDT)
[64.231.96.20]
Just to add to my previous commments:
I mentioned that my current girlfriend is a WF and my last 2 were AF. Well, I did dump one AF for the WF, but not because I felt slighted by AF, or trying to get back at AF etc. I love AF physically, find myself more naturally attracted to them...etc. But both those AF let me know in their own way that they'd rather be with a WM, and that I was one of the few AM they actually were attracted to. I had dumped the 1st one for the 2nd one, only to find myself in the same predicament. Hence I chose to ask out a WF, and we never even discuss race, or how Asian things, Asian that..denoting inferiority to Whites. We just make love and have a great time.
Anyways I just wanted to make my points clear. That I'm not trying to get back. I just go with my best options, like any self-respecting man should.
Anyways I'm really glad I find some many men who can relate to my experiences.
NYC AM
Friday, September 06, 2002 at 13:51:46 (PDT)
[24.90.169.63]
"With only 4% of the population and an almost nonexistent immigration flow from other Asian countries and both sexes obsession with the "fairer" white race, give fifty years and the Asian race will never have existed. "
Yes, AA Female, this is quite sad. But this is going to happen regardless of what the Asian American man does. If he chooses to only date AF, he will have a better than 50% chance of being single for life. You seem to be be blaming the AA man. I wish things in America were different. But the AA man has the right to be "happy" too. And yes, my girlfriend is a blond white girl. And yes, she was much sweeter than the 2 previous AF that were my girlfriends just prior to her.
NYC Asian Man who chooses to exercise his options
Friday, September 06, 2002 at 13:40:20 (PDT)
[24.90.169.63]
Have you ever considered that Asians in this country will be a dying breed?"
Good point AA Female. We AMs can be reached a lot easier than AFs I think. Many of us AMs believe that the trend seems to point toward more and more AFs selling out, dating everyone but, dismissing us and in general, just not considering us . Many AMs, when faced with fewer options and disappointment with our women, turn to non AFs as a result. So yes, we AMs are slowly but surely depleting our pool as the numbers climb. Only then will we all realize (in due time) that we've all been duped. We will have successfully
outbred ourselves.
There have been recent discoveries in China of lost White tribes. Only their bones remain. Whatever happened? This is the same fate that awaits us. Many AAs aren't even aware or concerned. It matters about as much as the ozone layer. It seems no accident that Western countries keep Asian populations at @ 4-5% of the population. And you're right about immigration being kept in check to keep those figures from rising above the current ones. There are many ways for 'the man' to effectively keep us forever in the minority. This is no 'natural' occurrence.
Toy Sunner
Friday, September 06, 2002 at 10:01:19 (PDT)
[64.12.96.14]
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