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Nicola's Map on Asian/Americans in Film (AAST355), (9/31/2023) "…

- - - - (10/3/23) As depicted by Hayakawa and Wong's characters in The Cheat and Daughter of the Dragon respectively, Asian/Americans are perceived to be aggressive and malicious as a result of the threatening belief of "Yellow Peril." Hayakawa's character, Arakau in The Cheat was indeed evil, but one scene that really exemplified the disparity in race is the courtroom scene at the end of the film. The courtroom is filled with white, middle-aged men angry at Arakau even though he was shot. And while being shot does not justify his actions, it perpetuates the unfavorable representation of the Asian/American community. We see the same ideology of Yellow Peril appear in Daughter of the Dragon, where Wong plays the evil femme fatale avenging her father. And we can even relate this to the Shih Kien-Han, the main villain in Enter the Dragon. Shih Kien-Han is the head of a narcotics gang, who owns a large, illegal fighting ring and an underground lair where he tortures his victims. In one scene, we even witness him kill one of the spies on the island by dunking them in a pool of acid. Interestingly enough we see two different types of representation of Asian/Americans in this film: Bruce Lee's character embodies the valiant, honorable soldier, while Shih Kien-Han is the vile and wicked. Beyond the characters they play in films, this negative characterization of Asian culture is actually rooted in the injustices of the casting process in the West. If the West genuinely wanted to be authentic and portray Asian culture accurately, they would have offered better roles to Asian actors and actresses like Anna May Wong and Sessue Hayakawa. But given the racial divide at the time, their roles were limited so they could only afford to depict Asian culture the way the West allowed them to.
        
        (11/14/23) The racial anxieties and hostilities toward East Asians also extends towards South Asians as we see in the film The Reluctant Fundamentalist where Changez Khan is interrogated invasively at the airport in the Philippines. He is further discriminated at his workplace for the color of his skin despite being a self-made success. Even though he attended an ivy league school, was granted a scholarship, and he works at an exclusive firm as journalist, he is deemed untrustworthy by his coworkers for the color of his skin.
  - - - (10/31/23) Vang believes that the Gran Torino is a revolutionary films that focuses on a demographic often excluded from the model minority.
  - - - (11/28/23) The quote, "multicultural redemption narratives thus teach mimicry of power instead of its abolition," implies that the Crazy Rich Asians uses a facade of being wealthy to elevate the Asian community and transcend racism, without actually trying to abolish racism. In fact, the stratification in social class in the film makes the eradication of racism seem even less unattainable than before. Looking back at this film, The Reluctant Fundamentalist serves as a response to the "mimicry of power" depicted in Crazy Rich Asians. For instance in The Reluctant Fundamentalist, Changez has all the attributes of success - he attended an ivy league school, is granted a scholarship, and works at an exclusive firm, yet he remains a target of discrimination because of the color of his skin. Essentially, we see that capitalism and social mobility is employed as a "racial remedy," so for Asian/Americans viewers it seems as though anyone can abolish racism simply by being rich and ascending the social ladder, almost narrowing the possibilities to abolish racism. Sugino suggests that future films "limit the imagination of Asian liberation to the confines of wielding the very power one seeks to escape," as a comment on the irony of using wealthy to eradicate racism but also as a way to reframe our understanding of multiculturalism.
- - - - (9/14/23) Like many of her other films, Anna May Wong is cast into another common archetype, the "exotic" femme fatale villainess avenging her father. However for Sessue Hayakawa, the character he plays is completely different from the role he played in a a previous film we watched, The Cheat, where he is portrayed as a malicious man. Instead of again contributing to this offensive archetype, Hayakawa plays a more redeemable role as Ah Kee, the intelligent detective in Scotland Yard in the movie, Daughter of the Dragon.
    - - (9/14/23) Despite not knowing her father, Fu Manchu, for most of her life, Ling Moy sets out to take over her father's revenge mission on the Petrie family. Such devotion and commitment resonates with themes of filial piety and familial obligation which is a common value among Asian cultures.
- - - - (9/19/23) The message of this film is ahead of its time, because it questions the role of males as the breadwinner of the family. During this time period, it was still common for women to be stay-at-home wives, leaving it to the men to support the family financially. In this film however, Lucy is depicted to hold more power authority than her husband since the beginning of the story because he only seemed to have a career in directing because his wife was acting in his films. Even further, Lucy takes it upon herself to disguise as a Geisha and follow Paul to Japan after finding out that the producers are financing Paul to direct a silent film. Lucy exudes devotion to her husband and demonstrates that she is secretly more capable of leading the household more than Paul, an emasculated male who feels that he needs to prove that he does not need his wife to act in his film to be famous. The premise of the movie actually centers around Paul's fragile masculinity and inability to accept that his wife is more famous than him.
    - - (9/19/23) Since the film centers around Lucy disguising as a Geisha, she must also assume and appear as a Japanese woman. So throughout the film, Lucy, played by Shirley MacClaine, is constantly seen with her face painted white with heavy makeup, wearing a kimono and a wig, with flowers in her hair. She also speaks more softly with an imitation of a Japanese accent to fool everyone including her husband. The idea of "yellow face" in this movie reduces all Asian cultures into one type of Asian, Japanese women, which neglects to incorporate the various values of other different Asian cultures, while also playing into the stereotype of exotism and foreignness. According to Marchetti, this development of "yellow face" borders on exotism rather than attempting to genuinely understand the different intercultural aspects of Asia.
    - - (9/19/23) Even in a film where the main character truly isn't Asian, Lucy as Yoko is perceived to be submissive, gentle, and domesticated, which just shows how offensive the Western perceptions of Asian women can be. When sitting at the table around the film crew, all the Geishas are constantly timid, smiling, and giggling, and following along with their conversations, never really inputting their opinion or stance. They are at the bidding of the white men and could even be likened to exotic dolls rather than actual human beings. Though being a Geisha comes with its responsibilities, the Geishas are also dependent on the Geisha house for protection, which is historically accurate. Sadly, this cycle will never end for Geishas and their inability to find dependence from the house prevents them from ever achieving freedom.
- - - - (9/26/23) This is the first film we've watched where two individuals of different races are truly in love and live happily with one another at the end of the film. The film presents the beautiful union of two people coming together despite the differences and obstacles they faced along the way. The main couple also embodies common archetypes stemming from imperialistic history. For instance, the main female character closely resembles a "damsel in distress," as she's stuck as a prostitute with a son to provide for, and until her heroic rescuer, who happens to be a white, somewhat wealthy man swoops in to save her. For instance, there are many instances where Suzie is left vulnerable and upset, especially when Ben leaves her for his wife, until Robert swoops in and comforts her. Such encounters can also be a result of Suzie trying to conform to his idea image of an "American" woman. Although, the sight of a successful interracial couple is refreshing, there are some hints of commonly used tropes.
    - - (9/26/23) In the beginning of the film, Robert seems honest and noble, only going as far to pursue Suzie for his art. In fact, he embodies the noble "Hollywood" masculine character, in contrast to Ben, whom is less put together and upright. But later in the film, Robert turns to be slightly more violent and toxic, even going as far as stripping her from her clothes after Ben, a business man who proposed to Suzie, buys her expensive clothes. He goes as far to say that she looks like a "cheap European streetwalker." This change in attitude could be a result of his jealousy but the way he overtakes Suzie is essentially sexually assault, which once again demonstrates the submission of Asian women to a white man. His domineering attitude is also hypocritical of the upright, honorable nature he portrayed in the beginning.
        
        (9/26/23) While it has been some time since we watched our first film, The Cheat, we still see the common anti-feministic implications that paint women as frivolous and selfish. Just as Richard refuses to invest money into Edith, Robert in The World of Suzie Wong strips Suzie of her title as a reformed Western lady when he rips off the dress Ben bought her. Though Edith is not all innocent, Richard and Ben render money inaccessible for their significant counterparts.
    - - (9/26/23) On the ferry, Robert begins drawing a portrait of Suzie. She catches him staring and runs away from him. Robert tries following her and along the way, is given her bag by another passenger to return to her. As he follows her, she reports him to the police for stealing her bag when in reality Robert was given her purse to give back to her. This event could be looked at two different ways. First, Robert seems to be fascinated with her facial structure which represents how the quintessential, white men is intrigued with the strange and exotic culture of Asian women. In addition, after Robert is accused of stealing Suzie's purse, the other passenger on the ferry tells the police officer that he was just returning the purse back to Suzie. signifying the commonly accepted notion at the time that white men can do no wrong and always have good intentions.
        
        (9/26/23) I connected these 3 films together because the topic of submissive Asian/American women reemerges in each of these films but through different actions of the main leads. In Toll of the Sea, Lotus Flower's love and devotion for Allen only ends in disaster as she is cajoled into giving away her only son to Allen and his wife. She is seemingly viewed as a tool made to make a baby for the couple as if she didn't hold sentimental attachment herself to the baby. This very act also demonstrates that Asian/American women have long been exploited, which dates further back to the Western colonization of Asian cultures. In a similar manner, the timid nature expected of Asian/American women is exemplified by Lucy in My Geisha, where she impersonates a geisha in Japan. In every scene where she is dressed up, she exhibits doll-like qualities to imitate real Geishas. While this role-playing accurately depicts the responsibilities of a Geisha, it goes to show that Geishas or even Japanese women in general, are perceived to be weak, modest and feeble. In the third film, The World of Suzie Wong, the same concepts are portrayed when Robert strips off the expensive clothes Ben bought Suzie and throws them into the street. In the reading, Recuperating Suzie Wong, Feng attributes the objectification of Asian/American women as a result of the Western fascination towards Asian culture. The ideal women in Asia per Westernized views is foreign and "exotic" just as a Lotus Flower or a gentle, doll like a geisha. But once this ideal image of the the exotic is disrupted, it leads to instances of hypersexualization as experienced by Suzie.
        
        (10/26/23) While the previously mentioned films are fictional, the documentaries we have watched portray the same idea of subjugating Asian/American women, the only significant difference is that the Vietnamese women in Surname Viet, Given Name Nam are domesticated internally by the ideals of their conservative culture.
- - - - (10/3/23) In the beginning of the film, we learn the purpose of Bruce's journey is to avenge his sister who was chased by a criminal gang. Before she can be killed by the gang, she takes a glass shard and kills herself instead. This concept of honor suicide is a common practice especially during the feudal era in Japan because it was considered the most honorable form of punishment. Rather than be killed, it was more honorable to kill oneself. And per this practice, Bruce's sister did the same thing, which is the last act of honor she will ever commit in her life. It also serves as her only means of escape and ownership of autonomy to avoid her impending violation. This idea also emphasizes the importance of duty and reputation among Asian cultures, since often times it was even considered shameful to die at the hands of an enemy.
    - - (10/3/23) Similar to Hayakawa's role in The Cheat or Fu Manchu in Daughter of the Dragon, the main villain in this film is Asian. Shih Kien-Han is the head of the narcotics gang and kung fu tournament, and is depicted with malicious nature. In fact, he even possesses a brass knuckle with sharp knives, painting him as a very violent character. Along with this, he owns a large fighting ring, spearheads a drug gang, and owns a secret, underground lair where he tortures his victims. In one scene, he even kills one of the spies on his island by dunking him in a pool full of acid. This display of violence feeds into the "Yellow Peril" ideology once again, as these Asian cultures are depicted to be evil and a threat to the peace of civilization. This depiction also contributes to the Westernized fear of Asians and their invasion of the West, despite the anti-imperialistic agenda portrayed by Lee's character.
    - - Anti-imperialism
- - - - (10/5/23) The main character, Ben, is the epitome of a typical, overachieving Asian/American in high school. In preparation for college applications, he is doing everything and anything he can to secure a good college, which means participating in all the clubs, studying hard for his SATs, and volunteering at local hospitals. Besides this, many common stereotypical tropes are also incorporated into other characters of the film. For instance, another overachieving Asian/American character, Daric is president of all the extracurricular clubs at school and is even part of tennis club which is often stereotypically associated with Asians because it is the easiest sport to play but most beneficial on college applications. For our main character, Ben, it seems as though his only purpose in life is his college applications as he continues to take part in all these activities because "it looks good on his college application." He doesn't seem to be passionate about any of the activities he's partaking in including basketball, which speaks for the overachieving Asian/American role he plays.
    - - (10/5/23) After Ben is chosen to be a part of the JV basketball team, Daric, states that he was only chosen to be on the team for "cosmetic reasons," because Ben is never actually chosen to play and remains on the bench for every game. Daric even goes as far as to publish a journal on this, which leads to Ben becoming famous. But Ben does not like this or the idea of being a token Asian/American so he quits the basketball team. This idea of being a token Asian/American disgusts Ben who is obsessed with upholding his reputation as a straight A's, perfect student. And the publication of this journal article only cracks down on this perfect image of him, which is why he is so upset with Daric for writing it in the first place.
        
        Identity Crisis
        
        (10/5/23) Throughout the film, Ben appears to be disinterested in everything. He partakes in all these activities for the sake of his college application but never actually seems to enjoy any of them. In fact, he seems emotionally empty and lifeless and the only times he ever seems to be interested are when he's with Stephanie or when he's committing his criminal activities with his group of friends.
        
        Power Trip
        
        (10/5/23) Ben finds himself pursuing criminal activities and they continue to become more dangerous as the film progresses. In the beginning of the film, he even states that his straight A's gave him the freedom to do all kinds of questionable crimes. He feels suffocated under the pressure of his academics and college applications, so his form of escape his crime. In his own twisted sort of way, his side hustles and quiet misdemeanors are a way for him to take revenge on the stereotypical image he is expected to maintain, the perfect Asian/American student who excels in his academics. For him, participating in crimes such as writing cheat sheets and stealing test banks is the only thing in his life where he doesn't have to uphold a certain image or live up to a certain standard. It also gives him an adrenaline rush that he normally wouldn't get from his academics. This power trip really escalates to the point where he can no longer get satisfaction from smaller felonies, which leads to him dealing in drugs and stealing from Steve's house. At the end of the film, Ben is never caught for killing Steve and he even states that "there's no turning back," which could refer to this idea that he enjoys a life of crime and cannot just be satisfied with committing smaller crimes.
- - - - (10/19/23) Vincent Chin's death can be considered one of the most important turning points in Asian/American activism. On the night of his death, Vincent Chin was simply celebrating with his friends for his bachelors party in a park in Detroit, until he was beaten by white autoworker, Ronald Ebens, simply for being Asian. In fact, the perpetrator killed him assuming that he was Japanese and not because he was Chinese. Even further, the judicial system failed Vincent's family, and released the perpetrator, so he escaped any legal repercussions despite killing several Asian/American men that night.
        
        (10/19/23) In class, we discussed the concept of "passive Asian/Americans," which perpetuates that Asian/Americans are submissive to the Western culture. This idea may have influenced the legal system in some way to take the shortcut and release the murderer of Vincent Chin's based on little evidence. But what the judiciary team in charge of Vincent Chin's case probably did not except was the mass retaliation and movement made solely against their decision to release the killer of Vincent Chin. Per the "passive Asian/American" concept, they most likely expected Vincent's family and the rest of the Asian/American community to accept the outcome due to little criminal evidence. After the outcry from the Asian/American community, the case became a civil rights Supreme Court case.
        
        White fragility
        
        (10/19/23) In an excerpt from Detroit Blues by Helen Zia, she describes that there was an economic recession during the late 1900s and as a result she was laid off by the automotive company, Chrysler. Similarly, Ronald Eben's stepson, Michael Nitz, who was also involved in the murder of Vincent Chin, was also laid off. I find it interesting how Zia never resorted to violence despite getting laid off by a job she left her family for. Whereas Nitz, hunts down Vincent Chin and his friends after seeing him at a strip club because he was so angry and aggrieved. His counterproductive reaction to being laid off illuminates the effects of white fragility and using Asian/American as a scapegoat for the economic decline during this time period.
    - - (10/19/23) In one part of the documentary, a poster of the AutoWorld Exhibition was shown, which depicted a Japanese car flying in the sky and bombing Detroit. The picture is a racist criticism on imported Japanese cars. At the time, Japanese cars were proven to be more technologically efficient than American cars but due to World War II and their hostility toward Asian/Americans, Japanese cars were mocked as shown in the poster below.
    - - (10/19/23) In the documentary, we see that the American community band together in retaliation against the Asian/American activist movement. In various ways, the death of Vincent Chin sparked solidarity in many different ethnic groups but for the West, it led to the normalization and downplay of violent acts against Asian/Americans. America's hostility towards the Asian/American community renewed the bandwagon of anti-Asian sentiment. However, Asian/Americans among the Asian/American community, also stood fierce among the adversities and sought justice for Vincent Chin in the 1980s.
- - - - (10/26/23) Masculine and feminine gender roles were heavily defined during this time period after the Vietnam War. At one point, one of the woman being interviewed described that women were expected to live by 4 virtues which included sewing and cooking for their husbands. Through the recounts of the women being interviewed, we find that Vietnamese women were expected to play maternal figures that and any sort of feministic ideologies were struck down by society.
    - - (10/26/23) In previous films, we witness the submission of Asian culture by other cultural groups such as the Western domination of Asian/American women, specifically in interracial relationships. However, this documentary narrates the internal submission of Asian women within a cultural group. The documentary centers around the population of Vietnamese women that is silenced and subjected to a domestic life by the opposite gender despite their talents, wisdom, and insight.
- - - - (10/31/23) The main reoccurring theme in this film is redemption. At the start of the film, we see Eastwood plays a bitter, racist elderly living in solitude. In fact, his character. Walt Kowalski, is a radicalized racist, white supremacist constantly reiterating racial slurs. He also strongly believes in self-reliance and refuses help from anyone including his own family. This is especially apparent when he refuses to tell his family about his deteriorating health. But after a series of events, he surprisingly befriends his Hmong neighbor, Thao and his sister, Sue. After Sue is raped by the gang that terrorized Thao, Thao furiously plans to kill the gang members. But Eastwood, who had finally come to accept their cultural differences and and appreciate their commonalities, decides to take the fall for Thao and let himself be killed by the gang members so that they can finally get arrested. From the beginning, we never would have expected Kowalski to sacrifice his life for anyone else, let alone an Asian/American youth he once held racial prejudice for. But he redeems himself with this final act of sacrifice because his death not only avenged Sue but also saved Thao from a life of crime and violence.
        
        (10/31/23) Even before Walt's death, he progressively redeems himself as a mentor of Thao. Throughout the movie, Walt teaches him about his skills and talents to show how his labor proves beneficial to the economy.
    - - (10/31/23) Kowalski's sacrifice frees Thao and Sue from the fear of being further exploited by the gang. But most significantly, absolves himself from the guilt of killing soldiers during the Korean War and the pain of losing his beloved wife. I believe this is what makes him so accepting of his death. From the beginning, it seems as though he was already accustomed to the idea that he may die soon, which is implied by how strongly he refuses any support from his family, retirement plans to a senior living community, or medical treatment for his cancer. He believes he deserves to live in despair and loneliness to atone for all the people he killed during the Korean War, and as a result deals with his cancer alone and purposely detaches from society. However, Sue and Thao are able to "break down his walls" and ignite compassion in him once again, which makes it easier for him to accept the idea of dying for the sake of Sue and Thao. So his sacrifice not only serves to show the good in Kowalski but frees from the guilt he's carried, sort of serving as his last act of salvation.
        
        (10/31/23) The introduction of Walt's immediately family in the beginning of the film counteracts his relationship with Thao and Sue, who he believes his closer with than his own family. This is emphasized in the scene where Walt is coughing up blood in the bathroom. His family fails to check up on him, while Sue is the only person to check up on him. His family is perceived to be more materialistic and selfish, and it seems as though Walt's son is only by his side in order to attain the materialistic items that will be released to him after Walt's death, whereas Sue and Thao genuinely care for his well-being.
      - (10/31/23) There are many biblical references in this film that relate to the theme of absolution. In fact, the term absolution is associated with Christianity because God died on the cross to "absolve" humanity from their sins. Furthermore, at most churches, the act of going to confession and performing penance is also meant to "absolve" one from their sins. Absolution is essentially when a congregant is given the grace of forgiveness of their sins and to discourage them from further sinning. One memorable allusion to the bible at the end is position of Kowalski where he lies on the ground after being shot by the gang members. He lies down in a position similar to Jesus on the cross, also know as the "crucifix position" where his head is low and his hands are raised, which could further be related to the themes of absolution and acceptance of death.
- - - - (11/2/23) The film, Saving Face, explores the generational conflicts and traditionalist roles of a Chinese/American youth with her mother. Both Wil and Hwei-Lan diverge from the normal familial structure defined by Asian/American society, but they way they respond to those criticisms manifests differently. Wil is strongly defiant of this traditional perception and desired to be with her girlfriend out in the open, not caring about the expectations of the community. However, her mother, who is single and pregnant, is more afraid of society specifically the Asian/American community because it is the only community she has ever known. This fear may also stem from how her father responds to her daughter's rebellious nature.
    - - (11/2/23) In opposition of the normalization of the heteronuclear family, Wil's family consists of her unwed, pregnant mother, and her traditional grandfather. We often see Wil stand against the traditional beliefs of the Asian/American community specifically the idea of filial piety or familial obligation. Both Wil's mother and grandfather, in addition to the rest of society expects Wil to submit to their authority and embody the caretaker role of the family. But Wil does not fall into this stereotype, as she has a girlfriend, has a full-time job, and is successful without actually upholding the standards of the Asian/American family. The normative Asian/American family is predominantly collectivist in nature, meaning that self-autonomy is deemphasized, and the higher priority is group identity. But Wil breaks this stereotype and pursues a more individualist lifestyle.
        
        (11/9/23) The typical Asian/American family is predominantly collectivist, meaning that self-autonomy is not priority, and group identity take precedence above all else. In Saving Face and Crazy Rich Asians, we see that the main characters break out from these collectivist ideals to pursue more individualist lifestyles. For instance, we specifically see this in Wil who has a successful, full-time job and Nick who lives in New York away from his family in Singapore, refusing to take over the family business.
    - - (11/2/23) This film is one of the first films where the struggles of expressing one's queer identity is explored. Sexuality and masculinity is a common theme that is often examined in Asian/Americans films, even in much older films, but the theme of queerness and homosexuality still remains a taboo topic because it reconfigures the traditional heterosexual notions that are upheld in Asian/American culture. Wil grapples at the intersection of her identities: Asian/American, queer, and female. All these identities oppose the normal standards of the community, but Will resists these criticisms in a headstrong manner.
- - - - (11/7/23) Acculturation refers to the modification or assimilation to another culture's ideals and values, oftentimes the predominant culture. In this case, the predominant culture in Mississippi is the Western culture. Mina has no trouble assimilating and adopting the ways of the Western culture, however, her parents are more resistant, only going as far as to interact with individuals of their own culture. Her parents force the same principals on her and disapprove of her being so accepting of the Western culture. This struggles of acculturation is analogous to the immigrant journey and experience that many individuals displaced from their homes due to political turmoil must undergo. As an immigrant in a country, where the predominant culture is not they're own, they must also combat the fear of losing their cultural identity which is why Mina's parents, Jay and Kinnu are so desperate for Mina to only interact with other Indian people.
    - - (11/7/23) The tensions between Uganda and the Asian community are fueled by colonialism. As shown in the national broadcast with dictator, Idi Amin, where he announced the forceful act of expelling Asians from Uganda. After doing some avid research, the motive behind the expulsion of Asians from Uganda, was specifically directed toward the Indian minority who traveled to Uganda while it was still considered a British Colony in order to help build the railroad. Once the railroad was built, many Indians settled in Uganda and became rich property owners and enjoyed higher-quality living than the native people of Uganda. As a result, Idi Amin forced Indians to leave their homes in Uganda and relocate in attempt to rebuild Uganda into the ideal "African Americans Uganda."
    - - (11/7/23) Previously in Toll of the Sea and The World of Suzie Wong, we witness another interracial couple bearing societal expectations and criticisms. They struggle with openly expressing their love for one another due to their cultural differences, so they must their feelings in secrecy. While in Toll of the Sea, the Lotus Flower and Allen do not have a happy ending ending, Suzie and Robert in The World of Suzie Wong do successfully end up together, similarly to Mina and Demetrius in Mississippi Masala. However, between The World of Suzie Wong and Mississippi Masala, we no longer see that white savior cinematic trope we often see in Asian/American films because it no longer applies in this movie. In addition, Mina and Demetrius must leave where they are, specifically Mina must leave her family, in order to be happy together.
        
        (11/7/23) Again we see that the main couple in Toll of the Sea, The World of Suzie Wong, and Mississippi Masala are interracial, hailing from different background. Unlike Toll of the Sea, Suzie and Robert in the World of Suzie Wong, and Mina and Demetrius in Mississippi Masala have a happy ending. But in Mississippi Masala, we see that this happy ending comes at the cost of Mina leaving her family for good. In order to gain her happy ending, she must sacrifice a large part of her life. In this way, it is similar to Toll of the Sea because Lotus Flower loses her son.
- - - - (11/9/23) The difference in social class is also a major topic that we see throughout the film. While the Youngs are one of the most wealthiest families in Asian, the way they carry themselves through elegance and poise also determines their class. This is essentially why Peik Lin and her family are not included in the same circle as the Youngs and are excluded from such events despite being just as wealthy. Ultimately, the social hierarchy is not based on income but rather class as well. This also creates a conflict between Rachel and Eleanor. Rachel stands drastically below Eleanor's standards because she is not considered mainland Chinese, is not wealthy, and behaves differently than traditional Chinese families. In fact, the Young family would be considered "old money" because their riches have been passed down and inherited over several generations. So as soon as Eleanor and Nick's grandmother, Ah Ma, find out that Nick plants to propose to Rachel, they do everything in their power to break up the engagement. Prior to this, they were okay with Nick dating and seeing Rachel, but the idea of the engagement threatens their reputation and wealth. In comparison to Rachel, Eleanor and Ah Ma would rather have Nick marry someone of their class to consolidate their wealth and power, hence continuing their legacy.
    - - (11/9/23) The main conflicts in the film stems between Nick Young's mother, Eleanor, and his girlfriend, Rachel. Ironically, most of the protagonists are Chinese, but where they are born and grew up determines whether or not someone is really "Chinese." Because Rachel is not born or raised in China, many of Nick's family including Eleanor still view her as a foreigner, despite being of Chinese descent. In fact, in one scene, Nick describes Rachel as purely "Chinese" but Eleanor corrects him saying that Rachel is "Chinese/American" implying that being born and raised in New York makes her less Chinese and more American. In America, being Asian whether or not you are born in America, does not change the fact that they are Asian, but in Asian, the location of where one is born determines whether they are "mainland Chinese" or "overseas Chinese."
    - - (11/9/23) Once again, the theme of Filial Piety reemerges several times throughout the film. Similar to the film, Saving Face, traditional Chinese ideals overlook individual fulfillment and goals and prioritize family harmony and collectivist behaviors. One important tradition that must be completed as a family according to the Young family is the tradition of dumpling making. The whole scene juxtaposes Rachel's lack of family traditions because she does not have a big enough family to carry on this tradition. She especially states that her only family has always just been her single mother, so she envies large families. In addition, Eleanor desires Nick to come and stay at home to ultimately inherit the family business, rather than stay in America to pursue his own goals.
        
        (11/28/23) Throughout many of the films we have watched, filial piety is a common theme. In Crazy Rich Asians, filial piety emerges in the form of Eleanor's self-made decision for Nick to come back home and inherit the family business. In some ways, filial piety can also relate to the progression of generational trauma. Evelyn in Everything, Everywhere all At Once, falls short of her father's expectations and filial obligations she's expected to uphold. In fact at one point of the film, Gong Gong tells Evelyn that she is not his daughter because she chooses to leave China to live in America with Waymond. Gong Gong further exacts the same disappointment he has for Evelyn to her daughter, Joy, strengthening the chain of generational trauma. Essentially, both movies depict that filial piety advances through toxic parenting, which eventually leads to dysfunctional family patterns.
- - - - (11/14/23) As a consequence of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the fear of Southeast Asians is perpetuated which Changez experiences at the airport and at his workplace.
    - - (11/14/23) Throughout the film, Changez is looked down upon for his race despite being a self-made success. Even though he attended an ivy league school, was granted a scholarship, his father is a respected poet, and he works at an exclusive firm as a journalist, he is deemed untrustworthy by the public and his coworkers at the firm, simply because of the color of his skin. These xenophobic tendencies are amplified as a result of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. When Changez travels from Manila, Philippines to the U.S. he is once again picked out of the group for being South Asian and is interrogated by federal agents.
- - - - (11/28/23) Despite being a sci-fi film, the story explores many philosophical themes such as nihilism and existentialism through symbolism and the concepts of the multiverses. The term, nihilism is also associated with pessimism and negativity, which are some characteristics that many members of the Wong family exhibit. From the beginning, we can tell that Evelyn feels that she does not have much of a purpose in life besides her obligation to her family as the sole caretaker. When Alpha Waymond encourages Evelyn to take action, she refuses and believes that there is another Evelyn in another universe that is better suited to fight Jobu Topaki. Only when Jobu Topaki threatens her family does she finally stand up to take action despite the absurdity of the situation. And aside from Evelyn, Joy is another nihilist in the film, but it is more heavily demonstrated through her alter ego, Jobu Topaki. In fact, Jobu Topaki's main goal is to kill herself and destroy the entire universe because she has lost her sense of purpose and meaning in life.
        
        (11/28/23) The one symbolic circular object that opposes the nihilistic philosophy are the googly eyes that we see on the washing machines and the rocks at the end of the film. In alignment with Waymond's the googly eyes represent optimism and hope. Just like Waymond, they embody happiness and kindness. At the end of the film, before Evelyn is about to be ambushed Jobu Topaki's minions, Waymond gives Evelyn the final push, finally bringing her back out of her nihilistic mindset and making her realize that she needs to fight with love and compassion, rather than violence.
    - - (11/28/23) It is apparent that there are unresolved wounds from Evelyn's relationship with her father that have transcended into her relationship with her daughter. Evelyn also feels inferior in her relationship with her father and bows down to his traditional views, even going as far as to deny her daughter's happiness for the sake of maintaining the facade that her daughter is not a lesbian. She knows that her father would not approve of her granddaughter being a lesbian, so she inhabits that same mindset, which strains her relationship with Joy. Only at the end of the film do we see that once Evelyn stands up to her grandfather about her daughter's sexuality, Evelyn breaks the chain of generational trauma.
    - - (11/28/23) There are many symbols that reappear throughout the story in the form of a circle such as the Everything Bagel, the black circle drawn on the foreheads of Jobu's Topaki's minions, the reflective surface of the mirror, and the washing machines. Each of the characters are going through their own nihilistic and existential crisis, but the circular symbols implies that they all feel that their is a constant loop of disappointment: Evelyn regrets moving to American with Waymond, Waymond feels a lack of intimacy in his relationship with Evelyn, and Joy feels strained in her relationship with Evelyn. Essentially, the bagel represents their void of emotions and acts as the living symbol of the collective existential crisis all the characters are going through.
- - - - (9/7/23) Young Anna May Wong's character, "Lotus Flower," also intertwines with the idea of depicting Asian women as exotism and purity. Her character strongly represents these attributes as she is shown to have a childlike but unapproachable demeanor just as an exotic Lotus Flower in a garden would appear like. In a way, the film fetishizes the role of the Lotus Flower as an exotic, almost unattainable character that is destroyed in the hands of a white man.