Subjugation of Filipino-Americans to Hip-Hop/Rap and R&B and Their Role as Performers

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In its current state, the perceptions of Asian Americans in mainstream media show little progress over their perceptions of the past. From the derogatory remarks made about the Chinese when they first migrated from China in the 1820s to the offensive, yet subtle, comments made about the Asian minorities in the United States even to this day, there is a blatant correlation to why these thoughts are still present in this society. Although these have been issues that have lasted for as long as the first migrations from these foreigners began, one person cannot deny that there are certain perspectives that invoke the beliefs of certain stereotypes on others who do not share the same background, either socially or ethnically. More specifically, the typical label that most Filipino-Americans endure today is the idea that they are more likely suited to listen to rap, hip-hop, or R&B than any other music genre, simply because that is what is thought to encompass that group of people. Another idea that is attributed to this specific community is that most of these people, more often than not, are going to be able to perform publicly, whether by singing a cappella or dancing a well-choreographed routine or free styling in more contemporary means. It is from these mentalities that constitute a majority of the preconceived notions set forth upon this group of people, but without any logical or reasonable backing, how can it be that these ideals can perpetuate as being true? As a youth of this community, it is hard to distinguish whether these perceptions come from the “innate” personal attraction towards this type of music and performing arts or rather that these adolescents are somehow persuaded by the media to believe that this is som... ... middle of paper ... ...is, they also allow this with the power of media to group them together with other associated minorities, even though that is something that is not be desired. Works Cited Devitt, Rachel. "Lost in Translation: Filipino Diaspora(s), Postcolonial Hip Hop, and the Problems of Keeping It Real for the "Contentless" Black Eyed Peas." Asian Music 39.1 (2008): 108-34. JSTOR. Web. 4 Mar. 2010. . "Filipino Hip-Hop." AllExperts. Web. 03 Mar. 2010. . Roces, Mina. "Filipino Identity in Fiction, 1945-1972." Filipino Identity in Fiction, 1945-1972 28.2 (1994): 279-315. JSTOR. Web. 6 Mar. 2010. . "Why Are Filipinos Obsessed With Rap, Hip Hop - Discussion Forum." AsiaFinest. Web. 05 Mar. 2010. .

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