Author Archives: Clarisse Kaitlin Barrion

1.In Shilpa Dave’s piece titled, “Apu’s Brown Voice”, he explores the effects and meaning behind the concept of “brown voice” and South Asian accents. The author argues that brown voice reinforces a stereotype and viewpoint on South Asians in the United States, despite what they may actually be going through or their actual positioning in society. The emphasis on this stereotype has now formed views on South Asians and perpetuated stereotypes against them, setting unnecessary expectations with negative implications.

2. Some of the examples that Dave includes are from television shows that include South Asian characters with accents, most notably Apu from The Simpsons. The author shows how the popularity of the show has led to the creation of the stereotype of what South Asians act and sound like, whilst also revealing something about Americans themselves and the impact of television. As Dave states himself, “Apu, a fictional construction, helps us to revise theories of racial performance and thereby examine American racial hierarchies and formations of Asian American communities in popular culture” (Dave 316). As a result, we see the effects of voice and how it forms the way we view other races and ethnicities. The author also cites outside sources and books in order to justify and illustrate some of the differences in how Asian Americans and South Asians in America are different and not necessarily included in the same category due to historical differences and perceptions. For example, as Dave states, “South Asian immigrants have been highly individualized as a group by their cultural behavior that separates them physically and psychologically from the term and group identity of Asian American even though their racial classification has been Asian American” (Dave 329). Consequently, by being separated from the label of Asian American, there is some differences that give South Asians some of the privileges of whiteness, due to some of the colonial history they have faced. Therefore, they are set at a different standard than most Asian Americans and are expected different things, with the intense model minority mindset present.

3. The term that this entire article is centered upon is “brown voice”. The author defines “brown voice” as the “act of speaking in the Indian English accent associated with South Asian nationals and immigrants” (Dave 317). It is what separates South Asians, but also gives them privilege and a feeling of otherness. Furthermore, Dave mentions “British colonial mimicry” which is the “native adopting the habits and mannerisms of the colonizer or in this case the Indian becoming the perfect British citizen” (Dave 328).

4. The points that the author mentions reminds me of how some people feel that Crazy Rich Asians has a lack of representation and is “not Asian enough” because it primarily features Chinese people and there isn’t a presence of a Singaporean accent. Furthermore, there are few  South Asians or “dark-skin” Asians present in the movie, so many people have been critical for the casting choices and direction that the movie took. It reminds us that although Crazy Rich Asians is a step in the right direction of representation, more needs to be done in order to gain equal and adequate representation of all ethnicities and races.

1. In Sarah Moon Cassinelli’s piece titled, “If we are Asian, then are we funny?”, the author identifies some of the problems involving race in the American sitcom, All-American Girl. Within the show, that starred Margaret Cho, there were multiple instances and examples of racism and stereotypes being perpetuated, along with the pressures that came with it. The author raises the question of what it means to be Asian-American. Additionally, they show the negative effects of stereotypes that are presented in American television, which causes confusion and frustration in society.
2. Cassinelli utilizes quotes from Margaret Cho’s memoir, I’m the One that I Want, in order to exemplify some of the direct experiences and insight from what it was like to be on the show and reactions to it. For example, the author cites a moment from Cho’s memoir in which she states, “…the Kim family caused many to deem All-American Girl as racist because the familial portrayals ‘did not ring true as an ‘authentic’ Asian-American family’ (Cho 140)” (Cassinelli 132). In this quote, Cho provides her own personal take on what it was like to be on All-American Girl and some of the societal problems that stemmed from it. Because people had a clear expectation of what they wanted to see from Asians or Asian-Americans, the show would often receive backlash or negative comments if they did not meet these expectations. The pressures that Cho faced were also cited, such as when “others would ask Cho to try and alter her face” (Cassinelli 134). This illustrates the types of situations that Cho was forced to be in during these moments and show some of the racist and rude responses she would receive along the way. Comments such as that one emphasized some of the problems present in society as they are unaware and have unreasonable expectations.
3. One of the key concepts the author introduces is the idea of “Yellowface” and the term “stereotype”. Yellowface is the “performance that ‘marks the Asian body as unmistakably Oriental…” (Cassinelli 136). This is related to what would appear in All-American Girl as they were often stereotyping, or oversimplifying of cultures.
4. Similar to the body issues that Margaret Cho was facing in her time on All-American Girl, in Lisa Park’s piece, “A Letter to My Sister”, the author’s sister faces similar struggles. Cho had undergone “self-loathing and masochism…and extreme weight loss” (Cassinelli 134), in order to be accepted and to fit in. This mirrors some of the actions taken by Park’s sister, by undergoing surgery and facing mental illness.

1. In Justin Fong’s article, “Beyond finishing the Game: A Look at Asian American Grassroots Outreach”, the author attributes some of the major successes of Asian-American films in the box office to some of the strong, community-based grassroots techniques that are utilized in order to spread the word about new movies and releases of Asian-American content creators.
2. The main sources of evidence that the author uses are directly from real-life films that have debuted and utilized the grassroots technique in order to reach out to specific audiences. For example, the author mentions the movie, The Debut, and explained that one of the ways their team reached out to their audience was through “massive email lists…and street teams roamed Daly City and other locales with postcards and T-shirts and the film’s stars were present and available to meet audiences” (Fong 5). Explanations similar to this one help the audience to understand how the grassroots technique works and some examples of it within the community, in order to show that it is real and present. Additionally, the author provides some numbers in order to quantify and back up the success of the movies, showing how movies such as Better Luck Tomorrow grossed over “$3.5 million in the box office and over $15 million in DVD sales” (Fong 6).
3. One of the major terms that the author presents is “grassroots, community-focused marketing”. The author does not formally define this, but in summary it is where people utilize and target their own communities as a way of creating movements. In this case, it is the advertising of different Asian-American films. It is an intimate and unique way for creators to reach out and connect with their audiences, while also spreading the word about their films.
4. At the end of the article, the author mentions how “traditional marketing methods done in tandem with grassroots efforts can result in something even more effective” (Fong 9). I can relate this to how some of the latest Asian-American films or films featuring Asian-American leads, such as in Crazy Rich Asians and/or To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, are advertising their films. In both examples, they utilize the traditional teaser and trailer releases in order to spread the word. Additionally, Asian-American groups and individuals have been supporting the movie and mobilizing within the community through their respective organizations. They share the sentiment and common goal of increasing Asian-American representation in the media and understanding/accepting their own personal identity.

1. In the chapter, “Who Am I?: Creating an Asian American Identity and Culture”, William Wei argues that young Asian-Americans have felt unaccepted by society. As a result, there have been a number of trials and hardships that they have undergone prior to coming together as a group with a strong knowledge and understanding of their identity. Despite being born and raised in America, many Asian-Americans hold the sentiment that they do not belong and aspire to be accepted by others, whilst understanding their roots.
2. The author includes three major sections in this chapter in order to make his point and introduces his ideas by stating that, “Asian-Americans had to refute societal stereotypes that had degraded them…reclaim their history…and reconstruct a culture that reflected their experiences (Wei 47). This statement ties together most of what is discussed in the chapter and outlines some of the hardships that Asian-Americans underwent in order to reach the point that they are at today.
   1. Throughout the essay, the author utilizes historical examples in order to illustrate the feelings of young Asian-Americans in response to their portrayal in the media. The examples of these problems and the actions taken by the Asian-Americans themselves are the primary way that the author is able to support their claim. For instance, in the section titled “Refuting Stereotypes”, Wei describes “racial stereotypes that have portrayed Asians as a ‘special’ species…but rarely as humans” (Wei 48). Thoughts such as this one had caused misconceptions and rumors to rise about Asian-Americans, which in turn lead to the formation of many insecurities and confusion within the community itself. Asian-Americans were becoming confused about their own identity due to the way they saw themselves in the media, whilst the general American public was formulating a false view of what Asians and Asian-Americans were like. The expectations of this caricatured identity had only worsened over time by being perpetuated in the media, causing Asian-American groups such as the “Asian Americans for a Fair Media (AAFM)”, to form and focus on “coordinating protests against racism in the media” (Wei 51).
3. One of the main keywords that the author introduces in this chapter is, “stereotypes”, which are “essentially false images that obscure the complexity and diversity that is an inherent feature of Asian-Americans as well as other people” (Wei 50). This concept plays a major role in the chapter as it is the basis for most of the prejudice that Asian-Americans face.
4. In AsianAm 53, I learned about the concept of racial triangulation, which is the first connection that I can make to this chapter. The theory compares Whites, Blacks and Asian Americans in society and illustrates the differences between them on the scale of being superior/inferior and being a foreigner/insider in the country. The image (found below) shows the root of the feeling of “otherness” that comes from not being fully accepted by society, as Asian-Americans are ultimately viewed as foreigners. This has lead to Asian-Americans having to take charge in order to own their identity and create bonds with one another.
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