Asian American Masculinity in American Film

A Presentation by Kraig Partridge

How does the Media depict Asian American

Men?

?

How does the Media depict Asian American

Men?

?Drag picture to placeholder or click icon to add

Drag picture to placeholder or click icon to addUnder-Representation of Asian Characters

Only 3.4 percent of all television characters in 2007 were Asian.

70.70%

14.80%

6.70%

3.40% 4.10%0.30%

Share of all 2007 TV/Theatrical Roles

According to the Screen Actor's Guild

Caucasian African AmericanLatino/Hispanic Asian/PacificUnknown/Other N. American

What effect does this have on the viewer?

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zFpwypkVBQk&feature=related

Polarization of Asian Self Identity

“Whitewashing” “Asian Pride”

Asian Self Identity“It overwhelms me with sadness to admit it… I bear the brand – the label – Americanized… I travel with the current… I was ambitious. I sought success. For what I have won, I paid the price. Am I American? No. Am I, then, Chinese? Not in the eyes of Ah Sing.”

-Charlie Chan in Keeper of the Keys by Earl Biggers

What’s in a Stereotype?

History of Asians in America-Influx of Asian immigrants in the late 19th to the turn of the 20th century. Immigrants are quickly seen as an economic threat.

History of Asians in America-Influx of Asian Immigrants…-Anti-Asian sentiment grows to encompass social threat. “Yellow Journalists” describe the “Yellow Peril.”

History of Asians in America-Influx of Asian Immigrants…-”Yellow Peril…”-Anti-Asian sentiment manifests itself in Anti-immigration and Anti-Chinese Legislation such as the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882.

History of Asians in America-Influx of Asian Immigrants…-”Yellow Peril…”-Anti-Immigration Laws…-Anti-Asian Propaganda distributed during WWII, intensifying Anti-Asian sentiments. Approximately 110,000 Japanese relocated to “War Relocation Camps” in 1942.

History of Asians in Early American Film-New motion picture technology helped spread images of the “Orient,” both authentic and staged.

History of Asians in Early American Film-New motion picture technology…-Sessue Hayakawa becomes one of Hollywood’s first leading men, playing multiple romantic heroes.

History of Asians in Early American Film-New motion picture technology…-Sessue Hayakawa…-In 1931, Fox Film Corporation casts Warner Oland as Charlie Chan in Charlie Chan Carries On, the first success for a Charlie Chan Film.

History of Asians in Early American Film-New motion picture technology…-Sessue Hayakawa…-Charlie Chan-The Good Earth (1937) debuts, reinforcing the tradition of “Yellow Face” actors.

Popular (and still very prevalent) Stereotypes

Asexual, Effeminate Kung Fu Masters

Nerds Foreigners

Popular (and still very prevalent) Stereotypes

The Mysterious

“Other”

The “Eunuch”, Effeminate or Asexual Man-Asian culture is traditionally seen as feminine, subservient, submissive through a Western lens.-Asian men are hardly ever depicted as romantic characters, and are often desexualized.-M. Butterfly by David Henry Hwang

The Kung Fu Master, Wise Old Man-The “Ancient Traditions” of Asian culture are often played up.-Asians are highly skilled, especially in the Martial Arts.-Asians practice mysterious, alternative methods.-Mr. Miyagi in The Karate Kid

Nerds, Geeks, “Mathletes”-Asian American men, especially adolescents, are strongly depicted as nerds.-Distinction between Asian Americans and “true” Asians.-Long Duck Dong in Sixteen Candles.

The Foreigner, Immigrant, “FOB”-Asian characters overwhelmingly speak broken, accented, or little to no English.-They are culturally different, and often unaware of American cultural “ways.”-They are often depicted in menial, labor related occupations.

Intersections of StereotypesRomeo Must Die (2003)

In Conclusion…

Works CitedA Chink in the Armor. Dir. Baun Mah. White Light Films, 2004. Online.

Center for Asian American Media Home. Web. 18 Jan. 2012. <http://asianamericanmedia.org/>.Cohen, J. (1992). White consumer response to Asian models in adverting. The Journal of Consumer Marketing, 9(2), 17-27.Dong, Arthur. “Hollywood Chinese.” American Masters. PBS. Seattle, WA. Television.Mastro, D.E., et al. (2003).  Representations of race in television commercials: a content analysis of prime-time advertising.  Journal of Broadcasting and Electronic Media, 47(4), 638-647.Mok, T. A. (1998). Getting the message: media images and stereotypes and their

effect on Asian Americans. Cultural Diversity and Mental Health,

4(3), 185-202.National Asian Pacific American Legal Consortium. (2005). Asian pacific Americans in prime time: Lights camera and little action, 1-13.Taylor, C. & Stern, B. (1997).  Asian-Americans: Television advertising and the “model minority” stereotype.  Journal of Advertising, 26(2), 47-61.The Slanted Screen. Dir. Jeff Adachi. Perf. Daniel Dae Kim. Asian American Media Mafia, 2006. DVD.Yeh, David. MANAA | Media Action Network for Asian Americans. Web. 18 Jan. 2012. <http://www.manaa.org/>.