Asians are Rising, but Whiteness still Dominates Contemporary Television as Seen in HawaiiFive-O (2010-resent!"ri# $oonAsian Ameri#an Stu%ies 1&1' Asian Ameri#ans in (ilm an% )i%eoApril 1*, 201+,o%ern television has a#tually allo-e% .or %ire#tors an% pro%u#ers to have a more %iverse #ast #ompare% to movies an% ol%er television sho-s/ Casts #an #hange -ee0 to -ee0, espe#ially in supporting #hara#ters %ue to plot lines, an% the higher %eman% .or a#tors an% a#tresses re1uires %ire#tors to pi#0 up minority a#tors an% a#tresses/ Along -ith the ease o. -at#hing television both on #able an% on the 2nternet has allo-e% television to gro- an% be morea##epting o. ra#ially %iverse #asts/Asian Ameri#ans have playe% signi.i#ant roles in T) sho-s su#h as Elementary, Greys Anatomy, Big Bang Theory, and Fresh Off the Boat. While Fresh Off the Boat may be the television sho- most people have in min% -hen #onsi%ering Asian Ameri#an a#tors3a#tresses, Hawaii Five-O (2010-resent! pre#e%e% it as a sho- that .eatures multiple Asian Ameri#an/ Still #ontinuing to%ay, Hawaii Five-O is a #li#h4 #op sho- -here a spe#ial tas0 .or#e, .eaturing t-o Asian Ameri#ans (Daniel Dae 5im as Chin-6o 5elly an% 7ra#e ar0 as 5ono 5ala0aua!, .ights an% solves #rimes/ As seen in 6a-aii (ive-8, 6olly-oo% has ta0en stri%es to a##ept Asian Ameri#ans in more heroi# an% ma9or roles, but still loves to stereotype Asian Ameri#ans an% leave them as ba#0%rops to more %esirable -hite #hara#ters/ :eonar% (reeman, Ale; 5urtoth ,#7arrett an% Dete#tive Williams are your typi#al -hite alpha males, mu#h o. they storyline an% s#reen time .o#uses on them/ Chi ,#>ri%e, an A.ri#an-Ameri#an a#tor, 9oins the (ive-8 tas0 .or#e later in the series as :ou 7rover/The (ive-8 tas0 .or#e %i..ers .rom your other#ops in #ops sho- su#h as ?C2S be#ause they are given unrestri#te% po-er .rom the governor/ (or e;ample, all .ive members o. (ive-8 use torture ta#ti#s to 1uestion suspe#ts obtain $oon 2in.ormation illegally, an% sear#hing homes -ithout -arrants/ With respe#t to ra#e, the sho- %oes a goo% 9ob o. sho-ing %i..erent types o. Asians in 5ono an% 5elly along -ith si%e #hara#ters su#h as poli#e o..i#ers, #riminals, an% e;tras/ 2roni#ally, even -ith the amount o. Asians in 6a-aii #ompare% to the mainlan% @S, the lea%s in the series are still -hite alpha males/ >e.ore loo0ing at ho- Asian Ameri#ans .all behin% the -hite lea% #hara#ters, one must un%erstan% ho- the ma9or #hara#ters are presente%/Chin-6o 5elly (Daniel Dae 5im! is presente% as a tough an% smart o..i#er that is e;tremely %etermine% to .ight #rime an% %anger/ Chin-6o 5elly is .irst presente% in the ilot as a%isgra#e% o..i#er -ho -as .ire% .or being a %irty #op, although he #laims he never %i% anything -rong/1 Still ,#7arrett as0s him to 9oin his tas0 .or#e primarily %ue to 5elly=s relationship -ith ,#7arrett=s late .ather/ 2n the pilot episo%e, an o..i#er 5elly traine% #ompletely ignores 5elly thin0ing he is %irty, but later 5elly is able to #lear his name through his %e%i#ation to (ive-8 an% the 6onolulu oli#e Department (6D!/ 5elly a%amantly #laiming that he %i% not %o anything -rong #ounter the stereotype that Asian Ameri#ans are passive an% -ill a##ept things the -ay they are/ This a%aman#y parallels Chin-6o=s #on.i%en#e an% s-agger, -hi#h #an be seen in -hi#h ho- -ell he %oes as a member o. (ive-8/ Through the series, Chin-6o is never seen -ith a -oman, an% the only thing -e learn about his love li.e is that his -i.e -as 0ille%, an% he is a bitter/ Despite being a mas#uline #hara#ter that #an .ight an% is #on.i%ent, Chin-6o is no -ay the heroin -omaniS/ (irst broa%#ast September 2010/$oon A>ru#e :ee, as a longhaire% martial art e;pert that is not able to se%u#e -omen unli0e ,#7arrett an% Williams, -ho %o so seemingly #onstantly/ Chin-6o also -or0s most o. the te#hnology at the (ive-8 hea%1uarters -hile ,#7arrett, Williams, an% 7rover har%ly tou#h the te#hnology/ (inally, 6olly-oo% still %e#i%es to inter#hange Asian ra#es -ithout the au%ien#e noti#ing/ Chin-6o is sai% to be a native 6a-aiian an% o. Bapanese %es#ent, but 5im -ho plays Chin-6o -as born in 5orea an% gre- up in ennsylvania, .ar a-ay .rom the 6a-aiian 2slan%s -here the seriesis base% an% .ilme% at/ This #ontinual ta#ti# that 6olly-oo% pro%u#ers an% %ire#tors %e#i%e to employ #an be #onsi%ere% ra#ist as it %emonstrates that 6olly-oo%=s so #alle% post-ra#ial error #annot even %istinguish bet-een ra#es let alone portray them #orre#tly/ ,ultiple Asian Ameri#an #hara#ters in the series allo- the sho- to illustrate multiple Asian Ameri#an representations/ 5ono (7ra#e ar0!, another member o. the (ive-8 tas0 .or#e represents both the stereotypi#al an% the non-stereotypi#al Asian Ameri#an .eatures/ 5ono embo%ies similar #hara#teristi#s to early Anna ,ay Wong #hara#ters/ (or e;ample, 5ono=s .irst s#ene sho-s her in a bi0ini/ This ma0es the au%ien#e=s .irst impression o. 5ono as a se;ual being-ith #lear oriental .eatures/ 2n the ilot episo%e, she uses her beauty to go un%er#over an% try an%get in.ormation .rom the suspe#te% #riminals/ The use o. her beauty to %o her 9ob #ontinues the over se;ualieltran, ,ary C/ LThe ?e- 6olly-oo% Ra#elessness' 8nly the (ast, (urious, an% ,ultira#ial Will Surive/L "inema #o!rnal CC, no/ 2* (Winter 200+!' +0-*&/$oon Jlea% #hara#ters still Dre.le#t the lega#y o. 6olly-oo% -hitenessGI/ @nli0e the lea% #hara#ters, si%e minority #hara#ters su#h as ,a; an% others are not %evelope% an% sometimes are even in in.erior/ 2n Fast and F!rio!s, RB De)era -ho -as an Asian Ameri#an street ra#er in real li.e is still beaten ba%ly by the -hite protagonists o. the .ilm/ This unrealisti# out#ome -ritten by 6olly-oo% #learly serves as a remin%er to the au%ien#e on -hite %ominan#e in 6olly-oo%/ Similarly in Hawaii Five-O, 5ono an% Chin-6o are traine% #ops -hile Williams is a %ete#tive an% ,#7arrett is an e;-?avy S"A:/ Still, Williams an% ,#7arrett lea% the poli#e tas0 .or#e/ This #learly establishes a ra#ial hierar#hy in the series as -hiteness lies above Asianess/ 6o-ever the Fast and F!rio!s, genre .ilm %oes portray Asian Ameri#ans having a .un #ulture/ Ta0ing pla#e in multiethni# pla#es su#h as :os Angeles, the .ilms %etail the party an% street li.e as .un an% e;#iting -ith beauti.ul -omen, #lubs, an% bars/ The same is %one in this sho- as the beauty an% pea#e.ulness o. the 6a-aiian 2slan%s is %isplaye% along -ith a .un nightli.e, plenty o.beauti.ul De;oti#G -omen, an% sunny s0ies/ This is all oversha%o-e% by the presen#e o. tourism -here primarily -hite mainlan%ers #ome an% Dinva%eG the islan%, ma0ing it on#e again -hite/ A last thing to note about the multira#ial 6olly-oo% that >eltran %is#usses is that the si%e -omen even though they are not -hite have very -estern .eatures su#h as being tall an% s0inny -ith bigger eyes10/ They #on#lu%e by e;plaining that Dmulti#ultural .ilm narratives sooth -hite sensibilities even -hile attempting simultaneously to appeal to young vie-ers -ith urban me%ia-savvy tastesG11/ >y aiming their #ontent mostly on a -hite au%ien#es an% arguably a -hite male au%ien#e, the pro%u#ers ma0e it #lear that -hiteness -ill #ontinue %espite the rise o. ra#elessnessin 6olly-oo%/I 10 11>eltran, ,ary C/ LThe ?e- 6olly-oo% Ra#elessness' 8nly the (ast, (urious, an% ,ultira#ial Will Surive/L "inema #o!rnal CC, no/ 2* (Winter 200+!' +0-*&/1011$oon I2n #omparison to the original Hawaii Five-O series, the 6u..ington ost #laims that, Dthe ethni# stars o. the sho- have not been levele% to #omplete stereotypes as they -ere in the .irst e%itionG12/ They give the e;ample o. 5ono -ho -as a brute .or#e 6a-aiian man but no- is a pretty an% tough Asian -oman/ >rian Ross, the -riter o. this arti#le also #laims that the ne- series is mu#h more Da#tion pa#0e%, pretty people,G an% mello-e% %o-n1A/ This proves that also stereotypes have improve% over the past thirty years, but still e;ist/ Ross also non#halantly supports the %ominan#e o. -hiteness as he %es#ribes ,#7arrett as the lea% #hara#ter an% #alls Williams as Dthe #erebral se#on% in #omman%G1C/ Ross also %es#ribes an% pon%ers at length -hether the ne- sho- -oul% meet the high stan%ar%s o. the original sho-/ The pro%u#ers an% %ire#tors -ere li0ely a..e#te% by the pressure to meet e;pe#tations espe#ially o. the ol%er generation -ho -as aroun% .or the original series/ As a result, the pro%u#ers probably .elt a nee% to have -hiteness %ominate as -ell as to 0eep #ertain stereotypes/ The %ynami# o. sho-s trying to portray a less stereotypi#al #ast relates to a point that Davi% :eonar% ma0es on Beremy :in=s rise to .ame/ "ven though sho-s are trying to be less stereotypi#al, they al-ays %rop #ertain hints or s#enes -here the #hara#ter be#omes a stereotypi#al #hara#ter as a -hole/ 7iven this, :eonar% states that %uring :insanity, T) #ommentators #ontinue% to #omment on :in=s high bas0etball 2N, his har% -or0, intelligen#e, humbleness, an% his 6arvar% e%u#ation1+/ 2n .a#t :in=s game an% su##ess relie% mostly on his physi#al tools an% 1ui#0ness, 1uite the #ontrary to -hat #ommentators %es#ribe% him as/ While 12 1A 1C Ross, >rian/ L6a-aii (ive-8 ,easures a Di..erent Ameri#a/L 6u..ington ost/ :ast mo%i.ie% September 21, 2010/ A##esse% April 2*, 201+/ http'33---/hu..ingtonpost/#om3brian-ross3ha-aii-.ive-o-measures-aPbP&AA2C&/html/1A1C1+ :eonar%, Davi% B/ LQ:inSanity an% the >la#0ness o. >as0etball/L ?e- >la#0 ,an/ :ast mo%i.ie% (ebruary 2A, 201+/ A##esse% April 2I, 201+/$oon 10the #ommentators -ere not ma0ing up that :in -as 6arvar% e%u#ate% -ith a %egree in e%u#ation or that he -as a har% -or0er, they un#ons#iously %es#ribe% him as a stereotypi#al Asian Ameri#an %espite the .a#t that :in -as suppose% to be an e;ample o. a non-stereotypi#al Asian Ameri#an/ Similarly, in Hawaii Five-O, 5ono an% Chin-6o on paper are non-stereotypi#al sin#e they are #ops, an un#ommon 9ob .or Asian Ameri#an/ 6o-ever, the sho- #hooses to highlight some o. the stereotypi#al representations o. Asian Ameri#ans in the past in#lu%ing martial arts .ighter, %ragon la%y, an% gee0iness/ >y simply highlighting stereotypi#al aspe#ts o. #hara#ters, it leaves minority #hara#ters seem or%inary, so the au%ien#e naturally %iverts their e%u#ation to the -hite lea%s/The .inal -ay that -hiteness %ominates the series is be#ause o. ;enophobia/ ,any o. the #riminals an% villains o. the sho- are Asian/ Whether Asian or Asian Ameri#an, they pose a threat to the Ameri#an people an% the s#eni# 6a-aiian 2slan%s/ The (ive-8 tas0 le% by the -hiteness o. ,#7arrett an% Williams #ombat this .oreign an% homegro-n threat/ 8.ten these #riminals are stereotypi#al as they 0no- martial arts, 0no- #omputer ha#0ing, or 9ust e;hibit thatsinister loo0 o. (u ,an#hu or Ri#0 $une in Olym$!s Has Fallen/ art o. the impa#t o. having Asian Ameri#an antagonists is to %emonstrate that the threat is #lose to home an% #an have a stronger e..e#t o. sprea%ing yello- peril into some vie-ers= min%s/ Although the sho- %oes mi; up the ra#e o. the #riminals, putting Asian #hara#ters in the villain role automati#ally puts -hiteness in the %rivers seat/ 2n one episo%e, ,#7arrett goes to 5orea to try an% .in% out -hat happene% to an ol% ?avy S"A: bu%%y/ 6e en%s up running into a ?orth 5orean playe% by Ri#0 $une an% they en% up .ighting/ ,#7arrett=s bu%%y en%s up %ying but at the #ost o. saving ,#7arrett=s li.e/ This s#ene illustrates another positive s#ene -ith -hite lea%s -here they are altruisti# -hile the Asians are trying to hurt them, again %emonstrating ho- -hiteness rules the $oon 11sho-/ 2n several episo%es, 5ono also must be save% .rom the han%s o. the #riminals by the rest o.the tas0 .or#e illustrating the possibility that Asian -omen still nee% -hite males to res#ue them no matter ho- tough or 1uali.ie% they are/ Still 5ono, li0e ,ina in ississi$$i asala, is not over %etermine% by her gen%er or ethni#ity, -hi#h allo-s her to have su##ess.ul e;#hanges a#ross ra#e, #ulture, an% ethni#ity1*/Hawaii Five-O is a great sho- to loo0 at Asian Ameri#an representation in me%ia %ue to multipleAsian Ameri#an #hara#ters -ith signi.i#ant roles/ Chin-6o an% 5ono have mi;e% representationso. non-stereotypi#al an% stereotypi#al .eatures/ ,ean-hile the lea%s, ,#7arrett an% Williams be#ome o. the .o#al point o. the au%ien#e %ue to their alpha male representation/ >y loo0ing at 6olly-oo% moving to-ar% a ra#eless perio%, pro%u#ers loo0 to satis.y -hite au%ien#es -hile only ma0ing sure that minority au%ien#es aren=t protesting overly stereotypi#al representations/ 2n loo0ing at ho- 5ono an% Chin-6o an% other Asians in the sho- are represente% it is importantto note that the stereotypes are en.or#e% -hile non-stereotypi#al things might be subtle/ As a #op sho-, Asian #riminals serve as another remin%er o. -hite %ominan#e/ :oo0ing to-ar%s the .uture, Asian representations in sho-s li0e Hawaii Five-O #an an% shoul% improve through ne- me%ia -here Asian Ameri#an au%ien#es #an engage in %is#ourse to help pro%u#ers an% %ire#tors better represent Asians on the big s#reen/ :i0e 8no an% ham say, Dthe 2nternet has the potential .or a#tors to #ultivate an% use this spa#e to #onstru#t an%3or promote resistant i%easG1&/ >ibliography1* >havani, 5um-5um/ L8rgani# 6ybri%ity or Commo%i.i#ation o. 6ybri%ityR Comments on ,ississippi ,asala/L eridians% Feminism, &ace, Transnationalism 1, no/ 1 (2000!' 1J&-20A/1& 8no, 5ent A/, an% )in#ent ?/ ham/ Asian Americans and the edia/ Cambri%ge' olity, 200I/ 1++$oon 12>eltran, ,ary C/ LThe ?e- 6olly-oo% Ra#elessness' 8nly the (ast, (urious, an% ,ultira#ial Will Surive/L "inema #o!rnal CC, no/ 2* (Winter 200+!' +0-*&/ >havani, 5um-5um/ L8rgani# 6ybri%ity or Commo%i.i#ation o. 6ybri%ityR Comments on ,ississippi ,asala/L eridians% Feminism, &ace, Transnationalism 1, no/ 1 (2000!' 1J&-20A/ LDemographi# Statisti#s 6a-aii/L 2n.olease/ :ast mo%i.ie% 201C/ A##esse% April 2I, 201+/ http'33---/in.oplease/#om3us3#ensus3%ata3ha-aii3%emographi#/html/ Hawaii Five-O/ C>S/ (irst broa%#ast September 2010/ L6a-aii (ive-8/L 2,Db/ A##esse% ,ar#h 2I, 201+/ http'33---/im%b/#om3title3tt1*001IC3/D6a-aii (ive-8 (1I*J-1IJ0!/G 2,Db/ A##esse% April 2&, 201+/ http'33---/im%b/#om3title3tt00*2+*J3/ :eonar%, Davi% B/ LQ:inSanity an% the >la#0ness o. >as0etball/L ?e- >la#0 ,an/ :ast mo%i.ie%(ebruary 2A, 201+/ A##esse% April 2I, 201+/ http'33ne-bla#0man/blogspot/#om320123023linsanity-an%-bla#0ness-o.-bas0etball/html/ 8no, 5ent A/, an% )in#ent ?/ ham/ Asian Americans and the edia/ Cambri%ge' olity, 200I/ Ross, >rian/ L6a-aii (ive-8 ,easures a Di..erent Ameri#a/L 6u..ington ost/ :ast mo%i.ie% September 21, 2010/ A##esse% April 2*, 201+/ http'33---/hu..ingtonpost/#om3brian-ross3ha-aii-.ive-o-measures-aPbP&AA2C&/html/ LState M County Nui#0(a#ts @SA/L @nite% States Census >ureau/ :ast mo%i.ie% 201C/ A##esse%April 2I, 201+/ http'331ui#0.a#ts/#ensus/gov31.%3states300000/html/ $oon 1A