Author Archives: Soma Ishikawa

In this article, “Apu’s Brown Voice: Cultural Inflection and South Asian Accents” by Shilpa Dave, he argues that existence of different racial or cultural identity of South Asian from white. To explain this topic, he refers to animation character, Apu from “The Simpsons”. Apu is known as Indian immigrant and his English has “Indian accent” that is racialized performance, which contains cultural background of how they speak English, racial identity as a sign of Indian American and discrimination as model minority. In this animation, the character of Apu indicates how South Asians are understood or interpreted among American.

In this article, author mentioned, “Indian accents imply a model minority and in multicultural politics this is the type of minority the United States wants to promote because they fit the image of entrepreneurs, computer engineer, and successful immigrants in general” (p.318). This statement means South Asian could be understood as racial difference and their English could not be seen as natural things. Also, “brown voice” that their characteristic accent is the cultural performative practice of manipulating that makes white American think South Asian is non-native speaker. Therefore, the performance of brown voice by South Asian who recognized as successful foreigner could not establish their any kind of presence in American communities.

The key term of this article is “brown voice”. Author indicates that “the practice of brown voice ensures that although Indians are striving to cultural citizenship, the nature of the accent will always be read as foreign and the racial hierarchies of the United States will remain intact.” (p.327) This is one of discrimination that although they have class privilege of success, they are recognized as foreign with only one accent, which lead to ambiguous nature of South Asian racial and cultural identity. Also, brown voice and character of Apu makes us realize that there are stereotype and ethnicity beyond the visual.

This article about “brown voice” could connect to another article “assimilation” by Lisa Sun-Hee Park. In this article, there is statement about “the model minority myth”. This notion represents racial discrimination through assimilation. South Asian are known as successful immigrants but in fact they have difficult problem that they could not be recognized as citizen. We could realize that the vocalization of the model minority also generates the stereotype for them and makes South Asian people feel unpleasant among their life. I think we should rethink what type of cultural stereotype exists except for physical and visual. That might lead many people to be able to see foreigner equally without holding stereotypical notion.

In the article, “If we are Asian, then are we funny?” written by Sarah Moon Cassinelli, there are some indications of ethnicity and issues of race in the sitcom, “All-American Girl” which is known for Margaret Cho. This show contains stereotypical performance and cultural image for Asian people, which generates question for what is authenticity or genuineness of Asian American. Also, this show was functioning to bring an Asian and an American face to the sitcom genre. Margaret Cho could make us to understand misleading nature of televised presentation through her standup routine and sitcom show.

In this article, author mentioned “The impersonation creates a bridge between the serious and the humorous, allowing all who witness to cross freely between the two sides” (p.138), which means impersonation is a complicated performance because it sometimes contains stereotype for Asian American with like a yellow face, however, by humor attaching to impersonation, it leads to pass an already established cultural image and understanding of nature of Asian American identities more easily. The impersonation could make us rework the imposing cultural constructions and also requires overdetermination of the practice and expressions of Asian American identities.

A key term in this article is “authentic” Asianness. At the beginning of this article, the author mentioned “All-American Girl” is “rather than focus on a specific comedic form, the show focused on the ideas they had regarding ethnic authenticity” (p.131). In fact, there are many racial representations with using jokes, for example, “adversarial relationship” (p.132) between Margaret Kim and her mother about generational conflicts of culture and assimilation. The scenes that her mother objects to Margaret’s action that demonstrates distortion of traditional cultural practice indicates an authentic Asian American family. Through the representation of Asianness, Cho would like to attempt to tell audience and make them question about what is the authenticity of Asian American and point out the misunderstanding of them.

When it comes to Asian American, discussion is often led to emphasis of the foreign aspects of race, culture and practice. The article, “Media” written by Shilpa Dave also indicates the relation between medium and Asian characteristic. Each type of media tends to compare physical and invisible aspects like culture or value with white American. Through time passed, the way of including each aspect, however, it is difficult to change stereotype completely now too. We could realize how Margaret Cho attempted to pass the authenticity of Asian through her impersonation and funny jokes involving pain and acceptance.

The article, “Beyond Finishing the Game: A Look at Asian American Grassroots Outreach” by John Fong indicates that how Asian American films could be known by audience, the way of succeeding in the release of Asian American films. There are many barrios that big budget companies reluctant to invest money into Asian American films, which leads to make difficult to distribute films. However, by utilizing “an aggressive grassroots strategy” means relying on community of Asian American, they could make money in the box office and contributes to form a solid state of Asian American market.

In this article, it is argued that Asian American filmmakers have used the Asian American community to release their films, and to great success. Especially, ‘Better Luck Tomorrow’ which took grassroots strategy, had important roll to be aware of be part of a movement. Author mentioned, “Lin and his crew built a massive pan-Asian campaign around not only the film, but an idea of “cool” defined by the film’s envelope-pushing, controversial content.” (7), which indicates Asian American people could define who they were, what they stood for.  This movement led to ethnic consciousness and this brought success for increasing number of Asian American of community.

A key term in this article is “grassroots”. Asian American filmmakers asked for support of the community among Asian American to reach the eyeballs of people. Unlike big budget company that spend a lot of money to advertise with TV commercial and print, Asian American filmmaker could have little budget, they had to limit its target and present their film by themselves. Actually, they visited locales where grassroots lives and travel to many Asian American festivals to mobilize their base audience. These grass roots campaign and traditional marketing methods could have effects to increase public recognition of Asian American films.

In the article, “Of Myths and Men: “Better Luck Tomorrow” and the Mainstreaming of Asian America Cinema” written by Margaret Hillenbrand argues, in the Asian American films, it contains many misunderstandings about masculinities and the existence of stereotype. This film used metacinematic parody as a strategy for Asian Americans in the movie industry. I think the characteristics of this film like represent stereotype as stigmatizing Asian American contributes to understand the presence of them easily and we realize that there are some their effort to fit into American society from their unique representation in their films.

1. In this article, there are many definitions and insistences for assimilation by some authors. This article is considered deeply from various perspectives and each author has different opinion for assimilation. In general, assimilation means that to absorb or incorporate into something. Also, this author indicates that something is white America. That’s why assimilation relates to the problem of immigrant, race and culture. Moreover, author demonstrates assimilation with providing the example of Asian American. And the model minority myth that contains idealizing minority which experienced discrimination promotes author’s explanation. However, despite many years of dispute is done, assimilation doesn’t become simple one also it’s clear that not “natural”.

2. W.E.B. Du Bois argued against assimilation as the substantive retention of racial difference. From his argument, “to assimilate was understood as meaning to absorb into white America which requires the negation of black experience and knowledge” (p.14). This opinion indicates the discrimination for immigrant who would adapt themselves to American life like Asian American. Disregarding their background and history which imply their effort to be recognized as one of the American people, this action leads to misunderstanding the presence of Asian American. According to the report by a Pew Research Center publication, the fact is “many Asian Americans who live in poverty and experience intense and direct racism.” (p.16)

3. “The model minority myth” is a term and important rolls when discussing assimilation of Asian American. Dominant group like America tend to requires Asian people who came as immigrant that they minority assimilate to majority and also, they have to effort to adjust themselves. Furthermore, Asian American treated as a hard worker. Seemingly, it could make a good consequence, however, it makes us difficult to see them equally. One their effort was accepted, there is possibility that we could not understand the truth how Asian American spend their life. That’s why this occurrence treated as one of discrimination for Asian American in this article. Also, this is the reason of the author called “myth”.

4. In “The Cold War Origins of the Model Minority Myth” by Robert G. Lee, there are a lot of arguments against racial discrimination for Asian people who live in America. Especially, about the relationship between American Japanese and white American during World War Ⅱ, there was a willingness to use racial categories that led to some hardship among American Japanese because simply their physical appearance. Also, author pointed out contradiction that despite American government states democracy and racial equality, they used “racial difference” to achieve their goals.