Isn't it ironic?

The film we watched concerning Asian American males in the media was interesting and educational. I had not really thought about the issues they discussed. The film highlighted the perceived inability of Asian American men to play romantic leads or strong male characters. Because American culture does not necessarily see these men in this light, there is a lack of representation in television and on screen. The film recognized that in order for more Asian American actors to gain representation, writers and producers must create roles for them to portray. Many writers picture their characters as a certain type, and Asian American males normally do not fit into those roles. Thus, the solution would be for writers to either create characters without any particular ethnicity in mind or to create characters for Asian American men specifically. In class, a classmate argued that the lack of demand for Asian American actors and actresses in the media is the reason for the lack of their representation. However, I do not see this as a valid argument. How is this demand calculated? Who says that there is no demand? Another argument made was that the Asian American community composes a small portion of the United States population. Therefore, there is no extreme need for their representation. However, the same argument can be made for other ethnicities that are still portrayed in the media. Just because the Asian American group is so small does not mean that they do not deserve representation.

I was somewhat disappointed that the film only addressed Asian American actors and not actresses. I understand that the problems affecting Asian American actresses are different in some aspect, and covering both genders would require more work. However, I feel that we should recognize that while actresses of our communities may be seen as more acceptable and represented, there are still not enough of them in the media. I would like to see or read more about Asian American actresses. It is ironic that in our class that is dominated by a female population we watched a female directed toward the males. However, I do recognize that both Asian American actors and actresses face similar struggles.

Dao, I totally feel you. One of my best friends is an amazing singer, and since we were younger, she’s aspired to move people with her voice. Her parents, though, were not so supportive. She’s taken so many steps to get her to her goal, but she questions herself constantly because of the influence of her parents. They don’t understand how much talent and potential she truly has. What is ironic is that the majority of Filipino culture has to do with performing—singing, acting, dancing; we just love to perform. Parents pride themselves at having talented children, yet they discourage them from actually doing something meaningful with their talents. It’s all about stability and MAKING MONEY. Our parents came here to give us better lives filled with opportunity. And yet, these opportunities to make change through the media are completely discouraged by the older generations.

-Laurie Bailon

*sorry this is late!! i was having computer problems yesterday.