The Portrayal of Asian Americans in Film

The Portrayal of Asian Americans in Film

Media, considered Ð''the fourth branch of the government' in United States, is one of the most influential factors of producing stereotypes of different ethnicities. Within the media, there are many different types: films, news, television shows, internet, etc. One of them, films or movies have been producing many stereotypes by representing various ethnic groups in certain ways through casting. These stereotypes are often directed towards the minority groups. However, compared to other ethnic minorities, Asians have been stereotyped many more times through film, which set the expected characteristics in them.

The framing of such stereotypes through films are greatly related to the politics, especially in the foreign relations with other countries. The target of the harsh stereotypes changes based on the relationships that United State is in with the certain group of Asians. In the late 18th century to early 20th century, the negative images of Chinese were presented in films based on the discrimination developed in America towards the incoming Chinese immigrants. Then, in the mid-19th century, the villains were "the terrible Nips [Japanese]" because of World War II (Tiana 38). During the Vietnam War, the Vietnamese became the victim. In all cases, the reasons behind which were mainly intolerance, did not matter, as long as the White supremacy was kept.

Shaped by films and movies, this idea of White superiority over the Asians developed throughout history beginning with the Ð''yellowfaces'. Yellowfacing was a common technique used in films where non-Asian, most likely White, actors and actresses played the Asian roles. Robert B. Ito, a writer and editor of Los Angeles Magazine, explains in his article "A Certain Slant" that these actors were required to "Ð''slant' their eyes, do that funny walk, and practice their embarrassingly poor Ð''Oriental' accents". It began with the film called Orphan in China produced in 1767 by Voltaire in which White actors and actresses acted out the roles of Asians, who they have never seen before (Ito 3). Such false acting implanted a false image of Chinese people which the native born Americans expected to see in actual Chinese people. Though in the earlier times, it was more understandable to use yellowface in films because of the lack of Asian actors and actresses. However, even after 200 years, this performance was still present. In the 1961 film Breakfast at Tiffany's starring the famous Audrey Hepburn, Mickey Rooney, non-Asian actor, played the role of a crazy Japanese man (Ito 8). Ito presents three explanations for the use of yellowface after the period of Asian immigrations which should have increased the number of Asian actors and actresses: one, because the audience preferred to be able to relate to the actors and actresses, therefore, they expected to see White actors, not Oriental, even if the characters were supposed to be Asians; two, because they lacked Ð''qualified' Asians or Asian American actors; and three, White actors were able to depict Ð''Orientals' better than Asian actors (4). All these justifications are not acceptable, but they show the struggles for maintaining the power of White society.

Beginning in the mid-20th century, while the idea of Ð''yellowfacing' started to fade away, and the number of Asian actors and actresses started to increase, the film makers still produced stereotypes of Asians by requiring the Asian actors and actresses to act in certain ways. In the 1960s, one of the major stereotypes for Asian women was demonstrated in the film The World of Suzie Wong (Tiana 38). All Asian women were expected to be as exotic and cherishing as Suzie Wong, a Chinese prostitute played by Nancy Kwan (38). Though such depiction of Asian women may have been very racist, the image was not so negative compared to the image of villains, which were present during war times. Also this film was "a breakthrough film" in the development of stereotypes of Asians because it illustrated the love relationship between a White man and an Asian woman (38). Such image led to the recognition of interracial relationships. Though Asian actresses acted out the exotic women, as long as they followed the stereotypes, they earned major roles in the films. Unlike them, Asian men not only had to shape the stereotypes, but they had much limited roles which were most likely related with martial arts. Bruce Lee was one of the famous Asian actors who embedded this image into the spectators' minds with his kung fu action (Kim 107).

Therefore, the common stereotypes of Asians may be separated into two categories by gender. "Asian man is portrayed as a machineÐ'--whether he is a laundryman, an engineer, or a Kungfu fighterÐ'--the Asian woman is popularly thought to be warmly sensual, imbued with an innate understanding of how to please her man and how to serve him" (Kim 108). Asian men are given the image of inferiority to the White men. This is why they are never depicted in films as lovers of White women. However, the opposite situationÐ'--White men in love with Asian womenÐ'--is illustrated in many films. Like Deborah Gee, an independent filmmaker, stated during her interview that these kinds of relationships may be referred to as "Ken and Barbie dolls" relationships because while Ken doll usually depicts a Caucasian, a Barbie doll may depict several different ethnicities like Caucasian, Asian, Black, etc. Also, this thought is demonstrated in the film Year of the Dragon made in United States in 1985 (qtd. in Shah 24). The story portrayed a relationship between, an Asian American journalist, the main female character played by Eurasian actress, and a Vietnam-veteran, the main male character played by Caucasian actor. Though she is abused by him, she still complies with his harsh ways because he rescued her from the rape by a group of Asian men (24). This film demonstrates the idea that the Asian women are more affluent by being with Caucasian men than with Asian men. These images of the relationship between Asian men, White men, and Asian women symbolize the dominate power of the White world based on the idea that if one owns the women of another, one owns them as a whole (Kim 108).

Another major stereotype developed on Asians is the Ð''model minority' label. "As a Ð''model minority,' Asian Americans today are supposed to be restrained, humble, well-mannered, hardworking believers in law and order and education" (Kim 109). In contrast to other minority groups such as the African Americans, Asians are less likely to complain. In another words,