1) In Wayne Wang’s film, Chan Is Missing, Joe and Steve’s search for their missing friend reveals the Asian American immigrant experience characterized by assimilation, identity conflict, as well as language and generational differences. Through Chan Hung’s own story, the film disproves the model minority myth by showing that such success is not the case for every individual and with good reason.
2) When the English language teacher, George, was talking about “Chinatown politics” , he likened being Chinese-American to a Chinese bakery-made apple pie – it looks like an American one on the outside but tastes different because of the different Chinese baking techniques that went into making it (Chan Is Missing). Henry reminds the main character, Jo, that he is a foreigner even though he knows the alphabet, reemphasizing George’s point that Jo is a Chinese apple pie as opposed to an American one. The apple pie is not just a metaphor for being Asian American but also of assimilation as a Chinese person can never truly be considered American. In the conversation between Joe and Steve at the pier, Jo talks about how many Chinese people have been in the U.S. for a long time and have yet to find an identity. Steve’s frustration and confusion as to why Jo is so “hung up” on identity and Chan reflects how the struggle for identifying one’s self in the U.S. is different for second-generation Asian Americans who were born here. Generational differences and resulting misunderstandings are also conveyed through Steve who commonly speaks of Chinese immigrants as stereotypes (“Is this what Chinese scholars do in their hot tubs…?” when Jo tells him a Chinese riddle) and who sees people acting a certain way in order to blend in as “playing the game” (Chan Is Missing). According to Henry’s reasoning, Chan left for back home because “he had a hard time identifying with the mainland Chinese when he was eight thousand miles away” (Chan Is Missing). Through Chan’s backstory related by Jo, the struggle of moving and living in a new country is demonstrated as Chan “had it all…he was almost upper class and he comes here and he can’t find a job” (Chan Is Missing). Not only is it culturally disorienting, but from an economic and social standpoint, Chan Hung has to completely start over as opposed to having a more solid foundation in his home country. Such a stark difference in living in two different countries further illuminates how Asian immigrants struggle on many planes and why the title of the model minority myth is reasonably not met by many. The language barrier and its limits have the potential to breed “cross cultural misunderstanding” as the lawyer woman searching for Chan puts it (Chan Is Missing). Chan ended up having an incident with the police based on “culturally related assumptions” that highlighted the differences between English and Chinese language and what each language emphasizes in speech: grammar vs. relation to the bigger picture respectively (Chan Is Missing). Chan’s ex-wife briefly details what it’s like to be an immigrant through her ex-husband’s struggle such as having to learn English and apply for citizenship. From the stories about Chan Hung, he didn’t seem to find much success assimilating with his considered lack of success compared to Mr. Lee, his sponsor. This demonstrates the model minority as a myth as it cannot be applied to all Asian Americans and their experiences. At the end of the film, Chan Hung’s relative lack of success is interpreted through the many viewpoints of other Asian American characters that knew him (narrated by Jo) at the end of the film, their different perspectives reflecting the differences across perception and experience for every Asian American in their own stories.
3) The term “FOB” standing for “fresh off the boat” was referenced by Jo and Steve in the film. It is often used to describe people typically of Asian descent who have immigrated into the U.S. However, its use tends to carry a derogatory air to it as it is often applied to Asians in general no matter how long they have been in the U.S. However, Jo corrects boats to a more recent mode of transportation: “They come off of jumbo jets”, indicating how immigration is still happening in modern times while also indicating the term’s outdatedness (Chan Is Missing). The term, assimilation, is also referenced by the English teacher, George, who talks about the different kinds of Chinese immigrant experiences there are: those who wish to keep all their homeland beliefs and ways of life, and those who wish to assimilate by adopting western values instead. In his explanation, George reveals the limitations of assimilation for Chinese immigrants when he says “they’re not white” (Chan Is Missing).
4) Charlie Chan, the first Asian detective portrayed in media, is referenced by George when he said that Joe didn’t look like “anyone’s conception of Charlie Chan” (Chan Is Missing). This comparison of Jo to Charlie Chan signifies that Jo is portrayed as a more assimilated Asian American who differs from Charlie Chan in that he speaks English more fluently rather than through euphemisms. This growth of not only the Asian detective but of the Asian man on screen through Jo’s characterization and portrayal is a helpful step in the direction of representing Asian Americans and their experiences more accurately.
References:
Chan Is Missing. Dir. Wayne Wang. Kino Lorber Edu, 1982. Kanopy. Web. 11 Sep. 2018.