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Things are getting better for South Asian actors in Hollywood, but we still need a South Asian leading man. South Asian men in Hollywood are still not allowed to be sexual, they can be smart or funny or nerdy, but not sexual. On the other hand, the women are overly sexualized in that they are seen as exotic or there to add spice. So even though we have come a long way in being represented in mainstream Hollywood, there are still more advancements to make.
I’m all for Asian American visibility in mainstream media and I understand the constraints of a low budget. However, I do think The Chin Chens needs to go back to the drawing board. Watch the pilot and cringe. And then watch Aasif Mandvi’s “Qu'osby Show”, for actual laughs. Though, if he really were to make a sitcom based off of the Cosby Show for Muslim Americans, I’d probably look at it with a more critical eye.
It’s really a confusing area. What do we want to see? Do we want a lead role who is decidedly Asian, facing specifically Asian issues or someone who could be any race but happens to be played by an Asian actor? If we want “Asian” issues, what exactly does that mean? Certainly not Glee’s shallow understanding. But are we looking at the Model Minority myth or questions on immigration? Affirmative action and access to healthcare? Do we want to hide our Asian Snookis, or is it okay, more human even to display the diversity of the Asian American community in all its glory, as Eddie Kim, one of the producers of the K-Town Reality Show, argues? What kinds of characters would you like to see on TV and in the media? It’s a hard line to tread - we are not and will never be truly colorblind, truly post-race (prove me wrong, please) - but if we could have our characters, what would they look like and how would they act?
There are a lot of myths about the way South Asian women are, because of course gender and sexual preferences are “inherited”- inspite of any ethnic, class, nationality differences. For instance South Asian women, as a group, don’t have sex, don’t even like sex. South Asian women are always, at any given moment, about to be arranged into a marriage of convenience (don’t lie- I know you’ve asked or been asked. Or seen Outsourced the movie).
Well the truth is there is no way that South Asian women “are”.
Anyone who has seen Mira Nair’s Monsoon Wedding (incidentely Mira Nair was one of the first supporters of Sakhi for South Asian Women, the oldest South Asian anti-domestic violence agency in NYC), will remember the wedding scenes where all the women of the house gather to decorate the bride, and reminiscence about the early days of their own marriages.
But it’s an old South Asian American truism- what goes on at home, festers at home. Public discussions of South Asian sexuality and gender- what constitutes a good relationship and what does not, the line between compromise and victimhood- are rarely engaged in. The non-profit organization South Asian Sisters (SAS) of San Francisco, CA has set out to challenge all our preconceptions in their show, “Yoni Ki Baat”.
Meaning “Talks of the Vagina” in Sanskrit, Yoni Ki Baat’s inaugural performance in 2003 sparked the beginning of an annual run of performances in diverse locations such as Washington D.C., Chicago, Los Angeles, and New Brunswick (Rutgers). Although some of the show’s content is recycled from show to show, much of it is drawn from submissions by South Asian women who annually flood the inbox of SAS. All proceeds are donated to various South Asian anti-domestic violence agencies that SAS partners with.
This year Yoni Ki Baat 7 is playing at the Women’s Building in San Francisco, with proceeds going to Narika on Saturday, March 5 2011 from 7:00-10:00 pm. For ticket information, please follow the link.
“…Asian Americans are neither newcomers nor bystanders in the struggle for equality of immigrants in the United States.” - Executive Director of South Asian Americans Leading Together Deepa Lyer on her participation in the immigrant rights rally in D.C. on April 10th.
With over 10 percent of the country’s 11 million undocumented hailing from Asian Pacific Islander (API) nations, the media can no longer present immigration reform as a solely Latino issue. Here, Lyer remarks on the little-heard stories of the AAPI undocumented and hints to the potential and power that can come through multiracial coalition building.
How many Asian American stars can you name? In Hollywood, all I can think of off the top of my head is Jackie Chan and Jet Li, but neither are even Asian American.
Asian Americans seem to shine as stars through another media platform - the Internet, particularly on Youtube.
In the New York Times article, For Many Asian American Stars, Many Web Fans, popular names come across that not only Asian Americans have heard of, but the entire Youtube audience has possibly come across at some point:
Ryan Higa - the Japanese American sketch comic
Michelle Phan - the Vietnamese American makeup guru
Kevin Wu - the Chinese American commentator and skit creator of taboo Asian topics
In fact, many more names come to my mind when it comes to Asian Americans on Youtube:
Wong Fu Productions - the Asian American trio of independent filmmakers
David Choi - the Korean American singer/songwriter
Paul Dateh - the Asian American violinist/composer
There are so many Asian American faces among the “Most Subscribed to” lists on Youtube. Uploaded: The Asian American Movement is an upcoming independent documentary about “the presence of Asian faces in American entertainment."
Kevin Wu, known more famously by the username KevJumba, explains:
“We’re a new breed of Asian-American, and I’m a representative of that.”
Asian. What images flash to your mind when you see that word? Some classmates from China, maybe some fleeting moments of anime, chopsticks, perhaps noodles.
Last month, Buzzfeed posted a list of Asian and Asian American actors who should get a shot at being love interests in movies. Public support for greater representation in film should be a given, but outcry for change in Hollywood and beyond has generally lacked. As a nation, we pride ourselves in being diverse, but our silver screen doesn’t reflect that. Just this small sampling of actors alone should prove that Asian and Asian Americans have the looks to contend with the more traditional American ideals of beauty, if anything. Many of the men have the acting chops and credentials to be A-listers but lack the audience support to grab those leading men roles. Some of the men mentioned in Buzzfeed’s post were even born here but pushed to work overseas because of greater support there than in their own home country.
Americans should not be pigeon-holed into one ideal of attractiveness. The ethnic groups on screen should reflect the faces in the audience. Asian men are already having a difficult time breaking into mainstream movies, and the battle is two fold for Asian women who are more marginalized to roles of the exotic femme fatale or submissive wife. I think it’s high time for the Asian community, in America especially, to start demanding representation in movies.
Are you interested in building South Asian community in your city or campus? Do you think that volunteerism and public service are critical for any community’s growth?
If so, we invite you to join SAALT’sBe the Change 2011 day of service!
SAALT
Stands for “South Asian Americans Leading Together”
We are a civil-rights organization that works on policy affecting South Asian Americans nationwide in Washington, D.C.
We work on a variety of issues ranging from immigration, housing, discrimination, hate crime, etc.
We invite and encourage people of all backgrounds to join our movement! We are currently looking for coordinators to join planning committees in major cities and campuses across the country. We especially encourage youth and young professionals to get involved!
South Asian immigration to the United States stretches across a long historical timeline. Although South Asians had been transported around the world by the East India Company from the 1600’s, the first recognized South Asian community- a small group of male, agricultural workers mostly Sikhs from the Punjab and Muslims. Until the 1960’s what few immigrants could squeeze by racialized and gendered immigration statutes tended to congregate in the California region where agricultural farming provided the only livelihood available to these men. Unable to bring over wives and/or family members and barred from seeking citizenship, the mostly male community dwindled. However the wave of affluent, highly educated waves of Indian immigration due to the Immigration Act of 1965 has changed the image of the Indian in America. In fact some would say that they have displaced East Asians as “the model minority” in the United States meaning in laymen’s terms that not only are Indians not American, they are the model for all the “Others” who are considering carving out a space in America. So a recent story from Texas naturally peaked my attention because finally, Indians are unbuttoning their prep school collars and getting into the country the old fashioned way- across the Southern Texas-Mexico border!
Yes that’s right. 1,600 Indian immigrants were caught crossing the border in 2010 as being but the numbers of those who have not been caught may potentially be in the thousands. To put it into context, in 2009 only ninety-nine Indians were found along the entire Southwest border. The young men, mainly Sikhs from the Punjab and Gurat as well as the conservative Bharatiya Janata Party members, all claim that they are avoiding persecution- the former religous and the latter political persecution from the leading Congress Party (the primary opposition party). These claims seems unlikely in some ways given that firstly the Prime Minister of India, Manhoman Singh, is a practicing Sikh and secondly that there has been little suggestion of political turmoil on that scale. Reaction to the rising indian immigration has been mixed, security officers at the borders are suspicious as immigration courts are inundated with asylum petitions. Added to that a number of detainees, who manage to have bail posted, allegedly disappear across the country. However some members of communities along the Southwest corridor have been opening their doors, charity organizations yes but local South Asians who have already established themselves.
Reportedly local immigration courts have been overwhelmed by the influx only account for about 2% of the total number of “illegal” immigrants that cross the Texas-Mexico border, according to a recent report from the Homeland Security Department. “Illegal Indian immigration” reportedly increased by 64% between 2000-2009, so there is hope for Indian Americans to once again top the charts.
Latest from Generasian Media - Emily Arakawa interviews Sueann Shiah! In 2014, Sueann Shiah traveled the entire island of Taiwan - by bike. In her new documentary “HuanDao,” she weaves a story of self-discovery and identity while exploring the different cultures and people who make the diverse island of TaIwan.
So, the 60th Annual Grammy Nominations were announced yesterday morning, and somehow it left me with more mixed emotions than I’ve felt in a long time. On the one hand, we have many reasons to celebrate this year–the 2018 list of nominees is the most diverse group in all of Grammy history, especially when it comes to Black and LGBTQIA inclusion. Jay-Z, Childish Gambino, Kendrick Lamar, and more were all (deservedly) nominated for record of the year. Kesha and Lady Gaga were both nominated for two Grammys each, and out songwriter Justin Tranter was nominated for his first award as well.
When it comes to inclusion in the entertainment industry, we’ve come a long way, and these nominees are just one example of that. Unfortunately, this progress has not been reflected within the Asian American community, as you can clearly see by the lack of Asian nominees for the 2018 Grammys. I can’t say I’m surprised, considering there aren’t really any huge Asian American names in the music industry. But it’s not because we’re not trying–it’s because those who run the system aren’t listening. This year I got the chance to discover Alice Gao, Niki Zefanya, Yaeji, and several other incredible Asian artists whose music deserves recognition–but none of them are getting the attention they deserve.
While Grammy nomination entries can by submitted by any artists/record companies with commercially released music, all submissions are reviewed by a group of over 350 experts in the fields of jazz, R&B, rock, classical, new age, and more. These experts within the Academy go through several rounds of screening, being advised to vote in up to 15 categories in their areas of expertise as well as the 4 general categories (Record of The Year, Album of the Year, Song of The Year, and Best New Artist). Unfortunately, if you are a lesser known artist in the US (aka most Asian American artists) signed to a label with more well known artists, your label will most likely submit their song/album to be considered for Grammy nomination over yours. At the end of the day, it’s pretty much a self fulfilling prophesy. Since Asian American artists are almost never well known enough to qualify for the final rounds of nomination, their work is not often submitted. As a result, Asian Americans are continuously left out of the mainstream. The whole thing is a cycle that seems to have no end.
Don’t get me wrong, I believe we should celebrate the victories we achieve, but I’m honestly so tired of writing and complaining about Asian American representation. You guys have heard it all before and I’m not here to preach the same message all over again, but my soul is tired y’all. While we should celebrate and cheer on our fellow POC, let’s remember that the entertainment industry is still far, far, from being the all inclusive community that we so desperately need.
