Asian American Stereotypes

A Civil Rights movement is surfacing in the West Coast as Orientals from different backgrounds are coming together and identifying as “Asian American.” These men, women, and students are challenging racial stereotypes and finding their place in America. This movement branches from other radical ideas of anti-Vietnam war and black civil rights movements. Japanese, Chinese, Filipinos, Koreans, and South Asians are demanding for exoticism and media stereotypes to be put down in America. They demand to be equals in both the law and in society. Students and other youths were the driving force of this movement, but it is now spreading to the older generations and affects every Asian American whether they are in cities or in suburbs.
The movement

Hollywood movies characterize Asians as inferior with thick accents, who are unable to grasp American culture. Asian males and females rarely play major roles in cinema. Even when they are casted, Asians are assigned the role of a lost tourist further demonstrating how Americans view them as clueless and in need of guidance. There is more than one concern in the media. The issue of blackface is well documented, however yellowface has received less attention. Instead of Asians receiving the roles of characters they identify with, white Americans are given the role. This issue can be seen in the television series Kung Fu were the producers of the show casted Caucasian male, David Carradine as the main role instead of Bruce Lee, a Chinese martial artist. The producers believed that Carradine would portray the Chinese character better than Lee. The Asians in the Western media do not resemble the people in real life and these media stereotypes need to stop portraying Asian Americans as inferior. Even in school boards, Asian Americans are seen as inferior and have a lack of

Similar to when the American colonies sought for representation in British Parliament, Asian students are seeking for representation in the education system. University students are fighting to be seen as equals in their schools. As black Americans are fighting for their rights, so are the Asian Americans. In Seattle Central Community College, the Oriental Student Union (OSU) was demanding for the school to hire five Asian administrators. When the BSU began protesting to have black studies and hire black administrators, the OSU, led by founder Alan Sugiyama, saw that the school was not hiring enough Asian administrators and began protesting as well. Not only was the Union demanding for more representation in the school administration, but the OSU also claimed and accused the college’s first black President, William Moore, of institutionalized racism. After the sit-in, the SCCC apologized to the Oriental Student Union for the remarks that any school administrators had made about them and agreed to hire Asian administrators for the following school year. More students in other colleges and universities are also joining the movement to allow for racial equality and