Asian-American Representation In The Media
Asian-American stereotypes can be found easily throughout history and everyday interactions (even in this period of sensitive internet outrage and strong feelings of political correctness) that has perpetuated the prevalent model minority myths; the secretive mute immigrant, the mathematical prodigy, and the child laborer. These myths can be prominently seen all throughout the media today—from news outlets, television shows, to even academy award-winning films. Representation of Asian-Americans in the media has increased since the days of Breakfast at Tiffany’s; however, whitewashing still occurs frequently today and when Asian-Americans are cast, they’re given small, stereotypical one-liner roles which misrepresents the Asian-American population. Asian-Americans have faced actual discrimination and exclusion that has contributed to more assumptions and stereotypes made about them. It’s how oblivious individuals are to it that make it seem like there isn’t anything bluntly racist in conversations, jokes, comments, and so many more. There isn’t anything new. Asians have been made fun of, mistreated, and assumptions have been made constantly about who they are as a people; personalities, work ethics, and language.
One prominent example being the Yellow Peril white people faced in the early 1900s and even the 1950s—the main reason why Asians have been forced into concentration camps and immigration acts passed in order to prevent the “threat” Asians posed to the west. For instance, according to Nicholas D. Hartlep, an Asian-American professor at Metropolitan State University, “[T]he paranoia that led up to the lawful internment of innocent Japanese-Americans during the early 1940s are… salient examples of Asian maltreatment. ” Americans were afraid of all Japanese-Americans to be intelligent government spies sent from Japan and thus led to the unfortunate containment of them all in internment camps. Another example of Yellow Peril put into play would be the Chinese Exclusion Act as well as more subsequent laws applied that restricted Asian immigration. These factors and assumptions have ultimately contributed to more assumptions and stereotypes to be made about Asian-Americans as well as lack thereof in the media. These stereotypes make it harder for Asian-Americans to be taken seriously.
Hollywood film productions were introduced in the early 1900s as well, and in the past, Asian-Americans were rarely cast in movies compared to white actors who participated in yellowface. For example, in the iconic movie Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Mickey Rooney, a caucasian actor, plays an unbearable caricature of a Japanese photographer. Rooney’s eyelids were taped back, holding up the corners of his eyes, given fake buck teeth, and had an over-exaggerated Asian accent. In fact, he looked exactly like cartoon caricatures of the Japanese during World War II. Consider that it was already difficult for Asian-Americans to find work in America, especially in the film industry, so it is discouraging when white actors so easily replace roles that are meant to be played by minorities. Another instance of whitewashing is in the film The Good Earth about a poor Chinese family during World War I. In this movie, white actress Luise Rainer, plays a Chinese-American and, in the end, won an Oscar award for Best Actress. Many actresses have won awards for yellowfacing, more than their counterpart Asian actresses.
Compared to the past, actual Asian-American representation in the media has increased; however, racism and stereotypes unfortunately still persist. For example, on an episode of New Girl, a popular sitcom on Fox, the main character encounters an Asian man. This Asian man doesn’t say a single word in the whole episode. Instead, his role was to sit and listen to the main character and his dilemmas. Later in the episode, the Asian man holds Nick like a baby and rocks him back and forth in a swimming pool. Perplexed at first, Nick ultimately becomes unphased to the Asian man and his foreign ways. In today’s pop culture, silence is one of the main characteristics Asians have. No lines are given, or there’s rarely any there.
Another example of this can be seen in the movie Pitch Perfect where the Asian acapella sister cannot speak above a whisper and merely stands around in the movie with her round eyes and, yet again, exotic ways. According to Korean-American actor, Edward Hong, "The Chinese actors say: 'We are just flower vases. We don't speak; we just stand there and look pretty,' " (qtd. in James and Ng). This continues one of the many model minority myths of the hard-working Asians who will always be there when needed as pushovers in today’s society. They’re merely used as props, overlooked, and never the main character of the story or the star of the show.
Additionally, whitewashing is still an issue today, even worse, as casting directors and moviemakers depend on caucasian actors and actresses to play Asians instead of casting actual Asian-Americans. Although there is a lot of controversy and backlash from these occurrences, they remain problematic as the same issue continues to present itself throughout modern day films. For example, Asian Americans are merely the third wheel that follows African Americans and Latinos in the United States, an afterthought among afterthoughts. It isn’t suggested that African Americans and Latinos are supplanted in the conversation on race, cinema, and the larger media. Rather, aim to give cinema and media studies a reason to center Asian America beyond its current depictions and stop the yellowfacing and whitewashing in today’s media.
