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Asian stereotypes in US Hollywood films essay
Asian americans in hollywood film essay
Asian stereotypes in US Hollywood films essay
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Analysis of Frozen River and the Karate Kid
John G. Avildsen directed while a major Hollywood studio, Columbia Pictures produced The Karate Kid in 1984 (Avildsen, “The Karate Kid”). On the other hand, Courtney Hunt directed while an independent studio, Harwood Hunt Productions produced the film Frozen River in 2008 (Hunt, “Frozen River”). Ideally, the two productions companies manifested differences in the plot and cinematography of the two American drama films. The setting of the film Frozen River took place in North Country of Upstate New York and focused on two working-class women smuggling immigrants from Canada to the Regis Mohawk Reservation in America. The film manifests the physical beauty and social deprivation
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of Mohawk reservation (Hunt, “Frozen River”). The films presented a mother's love for her children as a universal cultural trait in America. Apparently, Harwood Hunt Productions manages to produce a film with resounding positive reception. On the other hand, in producing the Karate Kid, Columbia Pictures manifested how a high school student with his mother moved from New Jersey to Reseda where they encounter the kindness and humbleness of immigrants who serve them (Avildsen, “The Karate Kid”). The film presents an interesting friendship between an Italian-American young man and an old martial arts master and Japanese janitor (Avildsen, “The Karate Kid”). The two films present eurocentrism.
In this context, eurocentrism relates to how the film focuses on European culture and values while neglecting other cultures that depicts Western civilization. The Karate Kid film manifests eurocentrism by showing an old person, Miyagi from Japanese culture serving Americans in New Jersey. The film shows how Americans mistreat people from other cultures like Daniel who had Italian roots and Miyagi. While Miyagi proposes that Daniel and Jonny solve their differences All-Valley Karate Tournament under equal terms, an American John Kreese threatens Daniel and vows that bullying will continue if Daniel does not honor the event (Avildsen, “The Karate Kid”). Daniel encountered unfair treatment throughout the tournament to the favor of Johnny the American. The film Frozen River presents eurocentrism through two women, an American and an Indian. The film shows how American women, Ray Eddy smoke and take care of their children. It also depicts the gambling culture in America among American men (Hunt, “Frozen River”). American women play equal roles with men as seen in Ray who is taking care of the children and building a family house. The gun ownership culture manifests as Ray threatens a club owner with a gun only for gun shooting to ensue. The film presents the young Indian woman, Lila in bad light by depicting her as an obese (Hunt, “Frozen River”). It also shows another Asian woman as a stripper in a club. However, the film defames the two women by showing how they participate in smuggling of immigrants into America (Hunt, “Frozen River”). The police find a scapegoat by excommunicating the Indian woman, Lila for participating in
smuggling. Notably, the non- White main character in the two films fits into stereotyped caricatures presented for his/her racial group in the films. For instance, Lila fits into the stereotyped caricature of Indians as economically challenged people and smugglers (Hunt, “Frozen River”). Indeed, Lila formed a desperate and uneasy collaboration with Ray for illegal smuggling of immigrants into America for quick money. The experience of smuggling an infant forces Lila to reconsider her participation in illegal trafficking (Hunt, “Frozen River”). However, she falls to Ray’s charms who entice her to participate in another smuggling-operation for Ray’s benefit. On the contrary, in the film the Karate Kid, the non- White main character fails to fit into stereotyped caricatures presented for his/her racial group in the film. Indeed, Mr. Miyagi an immigrant presents himself as a selfless, kind, humble, and principled martial arts master and Japanese janitor (Avildsen, “The Karate Kid”). Mr. Miyagi defeated the five attackers who were bullying Daniel. Mr. Miyagi also initiated better and fair ways of resolving conflicts among Karate class students like through participating in the All-Valley Karate Tournament (Avildsen, “The Karate Kid”). Mr. Miyagi motivates Daniel and teaches him real life lessons that reinforce his relationship with his white girlfriend. Works Cited Avildsen, John G, dir. The Karate Kid. Columbia Pictures, 1984. Film. Hunt, Courtney, dir. Frozen River. Sony Pictures Classics, 2008. Film.
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Around five children from the reservation walk into an ice cream parlor, with one being White, sit at the counter and ask to be served. The owner of the place denies them service by lying about having ice cream and cones. To break up the argument between the owner of the parlor and the White child defending her Native friends the Sheriff’s son, Bernard (David Roya), executes his idea of “making the Native children white” by pouring flour on them, then injures one of them. To break up the altercation Billy Jack comes in and carries on a monologue before starting to beat up Bernard for the disrespectful way he treated the Native children. In this scene the Native children remain benevolent, not speaking or physically responding to being physically humiliated in public and the altercations persists. Only when Billy Jack comes in and decelerates the situation and unleashed his anger on the White townspeople and Bernard does the situation end. The scene shows the White customers idly standing by as the Native children are denied service and humiliated, silently condoning the Bernard’s racism. The owner of the shop still believes he should be able to deny service to anyone despite the law saying otherwise. The Native children disrupt the previous way of life where White people didn’t have to cater to people of color, where people of color were not seen or heard in white-only spaces. White attitudes towards people of color did not change with federal legislations starting six years before 1971. The sheriff’s son, Bernard, is just as racist as his father displaying how racism is engrained though generations. The privilege Bernard possesses allows him to, for most of the film, to get away with heinous crimes with little repercussions. Billy Jack defies his teachings and the pressure of the
Gallman, J. Matthew. "Gangs Of New York (Film)." Journal Of American History 90.3 (2003): 1124-1126. America: History and Life with Full Text. Web. 2 May 2014.
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Media often exaggerate the characteristics of Asian and Asian Americans. Stereotypes in film maintain common ones like Asians who are masters of martial arts a...
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