What narrative comes to mind when you think of Asian-Americans? Smart, obedient students? No-nonsense tiger-moms? Immigrants with thick accents? Over the
last few years I have come to know and associate with many people of
Chinese ethnicity. My perception towards this group of people has changed
drastically because I have heard and seen stories told from many different angles,
rather than the one or two I’ve experienced through the media. While there is
always truth that lies behind stereotypes, many times they can be
misleading.
Asian-Americans portrayed in media tend to be overachieving and intelligent; but socially awkward and unaware, only excelling in academic-related fields. Look at Data from The Goonies. He's the smartest member of the treasure-hunting squad but lacks social awareness. As more of a follower and less of a leader, he wears a big goofy trench coat and speaks in broken English constantly referring to himself in the third-person. Raj in The Big Bang Theory is incredibly intellectual but also incredibly unable talk to women. Russell from Up is an overachieving Wilderness Explorer who is just one badge away from finally advancing to the rank of Senior Wilderness Explorer. All over the internet you'll find the "High Expectations Asian Father" meme with quotes like "If at first you don't succeed...don't come back home" superimposed over an Asian man's face.
The “stories” being told about Asian-Americans are one-dimensional and can cause
others to take Asians less seriously or only take them seriously in certain,
usually academic, situations. How many action or romance movies have you seen
with an Asian-American lead? It’s
pretty easy to imagine having an Asian doctor; but can you imagine America with an Asian
president? About 5% of Americans are Asian but there is only a 2% representation in Congress. There is a common Asian story line depicted in the media and it can have a direct impact on our society. By constantly seeing the same depictions in the media, I think some Asian-Americans might only expect themselves to excel in certain fields. There are people all around that only expect them to excel in certain fields. They live in the same culture and environment as the rest of the country, why be limited to a single niche? We all have the ability to be whatever we want. Opportunities and experiences developed because of the creativity, innovation, and
leadership of Asian-Americans could be completely missed or ignored.
While the Asian-American stereotype may feel overwhelming, there are new stories emerging! When Jeremy
Lin burst onto the NBA scene, “Linsanity” spread throughout the entire nation. Fresh Off the Boat presents the story of
an Asian-American family that encounters situations and struggles that families
of all ethnicities and backgrounds can identify with. Entertainment and role models like these can
help break down misconceptions and add new layers not only to the Asian-American story, but America's story as well.
This was an interesting read, thanks for writing about this. My husband speaks Chinese and has learned a lot about Chinese people and their culture. They are to be respected and not laughed at.
ReplyDeleteYou make some great points here. I think this happens a lot to anyone who is from a different culture (in comparison to ours). We tend to put "culture tags" on them and make these general statements about individuals- single storying them.
ReplyDeleteYes, this single story is so true. My grandmother is Japanese and faced these stereotypes and my father faced them as well. Something interesting that I learned was that my grandmother didn't care if her kids answered all the questions at school. Instead she asked if they asked good questions at school - because anyone can memorize and answer a question. But not everyone can understand the material and think about it in a new way to ask a deeper question. Anyway, I really liked your points!
ReplyDeleteIt's interesting because growing up in Wisconsin we have very different Asian stereotypes. I'm curious to know why this is, because people from everywhere else seem to have the same idea of an Asian single story that you discussed.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing these insights. I went to high school with a lot of Korean kids. It was interesting to hear more about their culture, and no, not all of them have straight A's or get perfect scores on their SATs.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed your single story. Your single story is so true about Asians and parents. I am full Vietnamese and am constantly stereotyped that I am suppose to be smart and become a doctor. I also got stereotyped that if I do not get good grades my parents will lecture me for hours. However, this is false, my parents are the complete opposites. They just want me to get the best grades I can get and graduate college.
ReplyDeleteGreat analysis. You picked some great supports, but it would have been nice to see some news sources to back up your case.
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