Asian American Stereotypes Paper

A lot of times, I’ve realized from personal experience, that when people realize that I am Asian, they tend to compare me with the stereotypes that are generally associated with being Asian-American. Often, I am told that I am “tall for being Asian” as the stereotypes say that Asians females generally are shorter in stature and are petite with light skin and pin-straight black hair. On occasion, I am told that I look more Hawaiian than I do Asian due to my darker skin and bigger build. Though, I do hear a lot of comments regarding my eyes and about how “little” they are. These experiences have made me believe that the role that Asian-Americans play in the race conversation now is that when the conversation turns to Asian-America, people automatically look towards stereotypes along with looking at certain traditional cultures—often stating things such as, “I really like Asian foods” or, “I think that kimonos are

In his essay “Paper Tigers,” Wesley Yang discusses his own experiences as an Asian American, tying them into the larger picture of Asians functioning in American society today. Yang’s argument is that even though Asian Americans are one of the most successful ethnicities in the country, stereotypes that Asian Americans are exposed to affect the way other Americans view them. Because of personal bias and racism, human society fails to see other people for who they are and put too much emphasis on what they are supposed to or not supposed to be in America today. Stereotypes cloud people’s vision and judgment and keep some from achieving their goals because others have a pre-created

stereotyped for so long as being inferior. In addition, I feel that the reason why

Though Asians make up the largest portion of the world’s population, Asian-Americans are one of the least represented minority groups within the United States. Out of an estimated 318 million people living in the U.S., Asians account for 5.2%, or approximately 17 million people. Compared to Hispanics at 54 million and African-Americans at 42 million, Asians and/or Asian-Americans are vastly outnumbered by the two other major minority groups and even more so by the majority, European-Americans. Even though Asians are typically considered the “model minority”, they are faced with the same issues that plague many other minority groups within the U.S. today to include stereotypes, prejudice, discrimination and ethnocentrism. There has been a history of discriminatory national policies directed at the immigration of Asians to the U.S. and in times of duress, the labeling and targeted institutional discrimination of specific ethnicities of Asian-Americans as traitors based solely on country of origin and not on the deeds and actions of said U.S. citizens (Japanese internment camps of World War II).

About 18% of asian american students reported being bullied or judged for their race and ethnic background. This is because many people judge asians by stereotypes. Its not only asians that get judged, but every ethnic group gets bullied or judged as well.

Asian culture has been slandered throughout America's history by the term 'Model Minority', and through it's toxic ideals has lead to outstanding rates of depression, and the inhumane backlash has proven fatal to the Asian-American population. The term 'Model Minority' was coined to categorize Asian-Americans in 1966, during the United States civil liberties movement. During this time period white politicians were in a state of agitation because African-Americans were demanding their civil rights(Chin). The stereotype associated with the term 'model minority' is a suffocating archetype that has been pushed onto Asian-Americans; this degrading term has a harsh history that has led to heinous social pressures and implications, along with detrimental

Some may ask what exactly define an Asian American. The awareness of this controversies of the indefinite identity was during the emergence of the second generations of Asian Americans who were once known as “oriental” in the period between the 1900 to 1940s. They had shaped and constructed the idea of an Asian Americans by forging their own paths socially, politically, and economically through their experiences of being percepted as “oriental” regardless of their nativity and citizenship. In consequence, tensions among the first generations immigrant parents and second generation began to rise as changes began to transpire.

Over the weekend, as I was skimming through an online news publication, trying to reacquaint myself with the habit of news reading by clicking random headlines that bore a semblance of interest to me, a particular, and enticing, write-up on Huffington Post piqued my curiosity. In big, bold fonts, with cleverly capitalized letters at the start of every new word, the article’s heading happened to be titled “ ‘Ho Chi Chin’ Signs Targeting Asian Candidate Disrupt Maine Mayoral Race”. Intriguing, isn’t it? At the very least, it is from my perspective, taking into account not only the infrequent presence of the Asian-American community in the news media, but also the fact that that an Asian-American has managed to engage himself within the realm of American politics. The Huffington Post feature, in my opinion, accentuates certain salient points, for instance, highlighting how swiftly Dunne was to equate Ben Chin with Communism and Ho Chi Minh solely on the account that Chin is of Asian descent and “that his name rhymes with Chin”, despite the fact that Maine’s mayoral candidate Ben Chin is Chinese-, not Vietnamese-, American.

Asian stereotypes are a product of prevailing myths propagated by various media, from books, plays, movies, television, to even historical propaganda. Generally speaking, the stereotyping of Asian women often swing to extreme types: the docile, subservient sexual object, or the dragon lady. Asian Americans only make up a small percentage of the United States population and live mostly on the west and east coasts of mainland United States and Hawaii. Consequently, the rest of the American population will most likely get their exposures to Asian Americans through television and movies. Popular media exposure to Asian Americans lacks one-on-one acquaintance with Asian Americans. It hinders the process

As you mentioned, I also think the stereotype of Asian Americans being perfect stem from the Asian culture itself that values on hard work and academic success. Because of this cultural value, Asian American parents expect their children to be a ‘straight As’ student and enter an elite college. In the past, as a minority in the U.S., the Asian Americans had to work harder than anyone in order to fully exert their power in the society. Having a better education and high-paid job have been the best way to get recognition from others, therefore, they have been focusing on academic accomplishment for better life. The stereotype of Asian Americans being geeky or nerdy shown in American films can be the portrayal of this American Asian cultural value.

Media underrepresentation and representation is a major source for stereotypes. How Asians are portrayed in media is one source for the prejudice that Asians are geeky and nerdy friends; they are mostly casted as extras and minor roles, and few Asian actors have played a lead role. Yellowfacing also contributes to embedding stereotypes about Asians in others starting from a young age. Some stereotypes that branch out from media are:

Although we all have attempted to fit in, every person is completely different from others. However, we should respect these differences and address them in the correct way. Being biracial has never been simple, and I doubt that, if I continue to live in a town as small as Hickman, it ever will be. Even though I have definitely come to terms with my differences, I have never experienced a peer address me correctly.

The view of POCs (People of Color) within mainstream media has always been strewed. From the roles of Flora Robson as a Haitian maid in Saratoga Trunk to Mickey Rooney as I. Y. Yunioshi, the view of POCs in American popular culture has always been warped to portray an often negative or demeaning stereotype that appeases the white audience of American pop culture. Although many races are negatively impacted by the conceptions of the white American public, the portrayal of Asian American stereotypes in television has especially given an illusion to the American public on what to assume when facing an Asian American. Even with the growth of the Asian American voice in television and the increase in representation through new shows such as “Fresh Off the Boat” and “Marco

America consists of a melting pot when it comes to races and cultures. However, society tends to fall back onto stereotypes to distinguish each racial community. In the case of the Asian community, there are a vast number of common stereotypes that are used to label Asians. For example, one common stereotype is Asians who are foreigners. There are countless Asian people who have resided in the United States for all of their lives, yet Asian Americans are often seen as perpetual foreigners. This kind of representation disregards the fact that America is home to generations of Asian Americans who have also been a part of building America from the ground up. This stereotype is frequently mirrored in film and television with Asian characters who

Last week, everyone with access to the Internet would have came across the BBC video featuring an ordinary interview that took an interesting turn. Professor Robert E. Kelly was live on air giving his analysis of the geopolitics of South and North Korea when his two children burst in unwittingly, interrupting the interview. This hilarious snafu blew up the internet, and became an instant viral sensation.