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Marco Zhu's Coggle Map - Coggle Diagram

- - - - “In her study of the materiality of film itself, Laura U. Marks describes how video can bring to being what is lost and unsaid, while also failing to do justice to the densities of experience at the level of senses. She describes filmmaking as the attempt to capture what is gained and lost in social experience… They describe the dominance of visuality in understanding the world when seeing does not necessarily mean knowing.” This quote highlights how visual scenes in films do not fully convey the truth of the whole story. Marks claims that visual representations are not sufficient at displaying the truth. The statement that “seeing does not necessarily mean knowing” emphasizes that what visual images are displayed on screen shows the audience what can be seen visually, but the visual images displayed on screen do not display a deeper understanding of the image. This is a recurring issue as society often makes assumptions about ideas that they do not know the full context of. In both films, Asian American women are heavily sexualized and portrayed as submissive. However, these films do not talk about the racial backgrounds and history of how these racial gender stereotypes are formed.
- - - - 1:00:10-1:01:15: This scene depicts the societal norms that Asian women, specifically prostitutes, are supposed to be submissive and easy or fit into the lotus blossom stereotype to get with along with the sailors, but when Suzie refuses to go to the sailor’s room, the sailor is angered because he expected Suzie to obedient by pleasuring him and he displays power over her by beating her up which can be connected back to gender dynamics.
        
        Bar scenes consist of only Asian women and White men. All Asian women introduced in the film are in sex work.
        
        Suzie has an obsession of pretending to live fake lives. Maybe because it brings her satisfaction. For example, introducing herself as Mee-Ling "the virgin." which we know is the complete opposite of her life as she is a prostitute with a child.
- - - - Unescorted women may not enter bars legally because the law is meant to prevent prostitutes from gaining access to clients. Asian countries dealing with prostitution problems as it is very common.
        
        When Suzie shows up in Robert’s room with European clothing that Ben bought her, Robert has a repulsive reaction and strips Suzie out of the clothes because it did not match her oriental look and true beauty. Towards the end of the movie, Robert gives Suzie traditional Chinese clothing and has a much different reaction and inspires his new painting of her.
        
        Comparison with Harrison (1995) and the focus on dominant logic. The film depicts the class hierarchy with British on top, Americans in the middle, and Chinese at the bottom.
        
        Mention of Deborah Gee’s “Slaying the Dragon” and claims to to be one of the most conventional of the sources in contrast to the character of Suzie Wong and how it portrays Asian American women and stereotypes.
- - - - Williams is stopped by the cops and criminalized because he is black.
  - - - Throughout the scene, we can see that women are heavily sexualized (50:50-52:15) as they are submissive to men seen in 47:20-47:30 and women in this film lack a major role.
- - - - Lee's role in this film highlights Asian resistance to imperialism.
- - - - The film highlights Ben's and Asian men's lack of masculinity highlighted in films by showing Ben making the basketball team, but not getting any playing time and the school getting excited when he gets in the game when his team is losing badly.
        
        44:20-44:35 This scene adds onto the stereotype that Asians are not athletic.
        
        Similar to The World of Suzie Wong, women do not get much of a role in this movie as the movie is more male heavy and there are a few females with major roles such as Stephanie. Additionally, there are scenes where women are sexualized as well. There are also some scenes where women are seen to be submissive such as at 1:15-1:16:15 where Stephanie seems like she does not want to be with Steve, but does not speak up.
      - 37:05-37:30 the friend group goes to a party where they get bullied for being out of place and not belonging, telling them they belong in bible study.
      - Steve seems to prioritize good grades, finding a career, and getting into college rather than his relationship with Stephanie.
- - - - The Better Luck Tomorrow reading talks about Justin Lin’s success from the movie. The film highlights the lack of masculinity that Asian men depict in films as Ben’s friend group is often pressured into doing things and often takes their actions to the extremes to try and fit in. Ben and Steve fight over Stephanie leading to Ben killing Steve symbolizing Ben reclaiming his masculinity.
- - - - 7:10-7:40 ish. No Filipino officers. Filipinos just had to serve to the officers.
        
        7:50 ish. Depicts how society viewed interracial couples. The white lady talks about how she had to walk separately from her husband to avoid judgement. Prominent issue and the challenges of interracial couples can be seen in various other films such as The World of Suzie Wong.
        
        Manila Town: a communal organization that helped the minority community. Aided the elderly fill out their forms and provided a meal plan for the community.
        
        "This land is too valuable to let poor people park in it." This quote shows how the government prioritized wealth and the development of civilization over the livelihoods of these Asian American citizens.
    - - Mysterious fire kills 3 tenants. Not sure if it was a coincidence or pre-meditated.
        
        Scenes around the 40-50 minute mark shows police entity fighting the crowds and trying to deal with the situation while the crowd was still resisting. Reminded me of when police were trying to stop Suzie Wong and Robert from getting to her baby.
        
        Authority swiftly evicts all the tenants living in the I-Hotel and tell them to move out of town, but they had nowhere else to go. Some didn't even get the chance to take their belongings, but once they were evicted, there was no way of getting back inside and gathering your belongings.
        
        Overall, this film highlighted government corruption and neglect to minority communities across the U.S.
- - - - 13:30-14:20 Chinese immigrants usually took the jobs of laundry and restaurant work. More educated immigrants got to work in the car factories and tried their hardest to assimilate and fit in.
        
        39:30-40:05 court jurors only listened to the white defendants and did not call in Vincent’s mother to hear her story.
      - 35:25 Picture of a car that has stereotypical Asian features that I found interesting.
  - - - 46:20-46:50 Asians are taught to be lowkey and not participate in activities or politics. Asian Americans taught to stay in the background and be reluctant to speak up. The protests really changed Asian American cultures around about not being involved or having their voices heard.
        
        Overall, the film highlights racism in American society as Asian Americans were not treated equally and faced prejudice. Asian Americans have been failed by the U.S. justice system as they are not given equal rights.
      - 1:15:40 Ron is happy and relieved after being found not guilty as if that is the most important part. Does not show any regards to the death of Vincent Chin.
- - - - “After a century of seeking acceptance by distancing from one another, Asian Americans were coming together to assert their right to be American.” Illustrates the transformation in Asian American culture from assimilation and staying quiet to a movement along the Asian American community and others to assert equality and their identity.
- - - - This film shows another side of the Asian model minority as Bonus and family are Cambodian refugees and are not given the opportunity to have the privileges that these other Asian Americans do.
        
        The setting and conditions of this film are very prominent as it highlights the poor living conditions Bonus and his family live in. Living in the projects really gives you an idea of life for Bonus and his family. 9:10-9:50 This scene has cop cars outside of his house for an alleged stabbing and he mentions how he is afraid to go outside and say anything because he does not want to put himself in danger where as if this occurred in another neighborhood, the circumstances would be different. Bonus has been robbed twice, however, he is uncertain to call the cops, but when he does, they do not show up. I believe this is the case because of the area that Bonus lives because often police officers do not want to head over to areas that have higher crime rates and when they get a call for something less urgent or not life threatening, the cops do not bother on coming and wasting their time, where as they probably would if the neighborhood was wealthier.
        
        Bonus and his youngest brother were very different in their own ways. Later in the film, his brother goes to court for the crime he commits, while Bonus is on his way to graduate high school.
        
        37:30-38:20 His response shows a deeper understanding of the unfortunate situations a good amount of refugees have to live through. Mentions how the flawed system is a cause of this reality.
        
        The general emotion I felt when watching this film was sympathy as it shows the lives of refugee families who do not have the most ideal living conditions and most of the time it is difficult to change their circumstances. I really felt for Bonus when he had to graduate high school without his family there since they all went to his brother’s hearing. Bonus also questions if he is deserving of graduating and getting his diploma.
        
        Connection with Saving Face and a.k.a. Don Bonus: These two scenes highlight the importance of family support. As Wil's mom does not accept her sexuality and Don Bonus' family not showing gup to his graduation, the two question their value. Wil questions if she should be Hwei's daughter and Don Bonus questions if he even deserves his diploma.
- - - - My favorite scene was of Kevin from Edmonton singing Anh Hung by Pham Ly.
        
        Overall, I enjoyed this film, it was a very fun watch with a lot of jokes about Asian society that I can relate to.
- - - - 23:30-24:45 Her mom is judgmental about Jay as she judges him for not taking his shoes off at the door, being loud, being dark, and consuming too much soy sauce. Hwei’s judgments show that she is not as open to American culture as Wil tries to defend him by saying that Americans like their soy sauce. This is prevalent as being apart of the LGBTQ+ is more accepted by American cultures, while it is not accepted by Asian cultures which Wil’s mom follows.
        
        1:12:50-1:13:40 Wil comes out to her mom and she is in denial. When Wil comes out, she tells her mom that she loves her and that she is gay. Hwei asks how can you tell me you love me and be gay as if being gay is a sin. Hwei is in denial as she exclaims that she is not a bad mother and that her daughter is not gay. Wil can not deny that she is not gay and suggests that she should not be her daughter.
        
        These two scenes highlight the importance of family support. As Wil's mom does not accept her sexuality and Don Bonus' family not showing gup to his graduation, the two question their value. Wil questions if she should be Hwei's daughter and Don Bonus questions if he even deserves his diploma.
    - - 1:19-1:21:30 wil’s mom doesn’t marry the guy and her dad is mad and is still worried about his reputation and being embarrassed.
    - - 1:25 Wil doesn’t kiss Vivian because she is still scared about societal judgment which causes Vivian to catch her flight since Wil can not show that she is not worried about publicly displaying their relationship.
        
        Towards the end of the film, we see Wil and Vivian dance and kiss in public for the first time, but Wil is not ashamed to embrace her love. Some people leave out of discomfort or unacceptance of their same-sex relationship, but the two do not care what others think about their relationship and we see the acceptance of her mother as she gives the couple a thumbs up as it seems like that was what she needed when trying to find her own identity.
      - Hwei seems to open up to Wil’s sexuality after she leaves the wedding and she feels free and not having to marry Cho who she doesn’t truly love, but just wants to marry him for the acceptance of her father.
- - - - 1:30:45 Jay talks about how he feels about Uganda. Uganda is his home, and he is criticized by Indians which angers him because he has a deep connection with Uganda.
        
        When Jay returns back to Uganda and finds out about Okelo’s death, he reflects to himself and comes to the conclusion to accept and support Meena’s decision to be with Demetrious when he gains a new perspective of life after his experiences and wisdom gained from his journey.
        
        Film includes an interracial relationship with Meena and Demetrious. This is the first black African and Indian couple from the various films we have watched thus far in the semester, but the familiar theme of societal judgment and norms are prominent to this couple and other interracial couples as they face discrimination and judgment for their relationship.
        
        Highlights cultural norms and expectations between the Indian community and American society as Meena feels as since they live in America, society will not care about her relationship with Demetrious while her parents respond that they care and questions if nobody cares, who will? This conversation contrasts the difference between the two communities and how their perspectives differ. American society is seen to be more welcoming and understanding of interracial relationships while it is frowned upon in Indian cultures where arranged marriages are common in their cultural traditions.
- - - - Changez is an example of the model minority stereotype as he is an American immigrant who is ambitious and attends an ivy league school of Princeton University on a scholarship and finds a job at Underwood Samson in New York.
        
        Changez 'relationship with Erica was complicated as Erica is still grieving the death of her former boyfriend and she has a hard time moving on from her past. Even though they were dating there always felt like there was some sort of a distance between the two. Additionally Erica always felt as if she was cheating on her deceased ex boyfriend with Changez, leading her to commit suicide.
        
        After 9/11, Muslims were heavily discriminated against and seen as terrorists within American society. Throughout the film, Changez experiences a rise in suspicion and hostility towards him for his ethnicity due to 9/11. Additionally, he feels out of place at work as it represents the capitalist system. Changez tells Bobby how he was satisfied at first.
        
        51:28-51:35 “you picked a side after 9/11. I didn’t have to, it was picked for me.” This phrase highlights how Americans depicted ideologies and perspectives towards Muslims after 9/11, especially seeing them as terrorists, but Muslims were not given any opportunity to turn down these depictions of themselves, they were discriminated solely based on their race.
    - - As Changez visits Chile, he has an interaction with Juan-Batista that makes him question his identity and role in living in the United States as he feels out of place and feels that American ideology counteracts his values. Juan-Batista makes Changez realize that he is being a servant to America’s capitalist system. Changez’ interaction with Juan-Batista leads him into planning on quitting his job and returning to Pakistan.
        
        Upon his return to Pakistan, Changez becomes an advocator against American exploitation which also raises some suspicion towards him.
        
        Bobby shoots Changez 'brother on accident because he believes that Changez is responsible for a killing.
- - - - This film has a lot of religious aspects to it as it intertwines Hinduism into the film with visuals of Hinduism god statues, religious chants, and an entity called Pishacha, the devourer of souls.
        
        40:35-42:00 Sam is scolded by her mom for leaving the party. Sam talks back to her mom about her being a housewife.
    - - 44:50-45:35 Russ smokes in front of Sam and she seems scared, then takes a hit causing her to cough. This displays how Indian Americans are seen to fit into the model minority myth again as Sam is portrayed as someone who doesn’t do drugs.
        
        Film has an interracial situationship with Sam and Russ, but Russ dies off from being attacked by the invisible monster.
        
        51:45-52:45 Sam and her parents try to talk things out, but her mom does not seem to be understanding and open-minded of how Sam is feeling, which can be common with a lot of immigrant families because of how different cultures have different ideologies.
      - 1:02-1:07 Sam’s mom hugs her and starts believing her about what is going on in her life.
        
        Sam and Tamira finally capture the entity in the jar symbolizing them overcoming their personal conflicts by defeating this monster that lives inside of them.
- - - - A distorted relation between Asian children and their parents are often displayed in Asian American cinema such as Saving Face and Everything Everywhere All At Once. This can be a common theme illustrated to viewers because Asian cultures can have a difficult time adjusting to American culture which can lead to miscommunication and frustration. As My Robot Baby portrays this theme, they send the message of being open-minded and controlling your emotions when being a parent.
        
        21:50 scene of the robot crying in the closet to mirror how Marcia cried in the closet when she would get yelled at as a child.
- - - - The idea of same sex relationships is not widely accepted in Asian cultures which is seen in this film as Evelyn is accustomed to traditional Chinese culture because of her father while Joy has assimilated to American culture. This is similar to Saving Face as Wil is in a same sex relationship with Vivian, but her mother, Hwei, does not approve of it. The idea of the lack of acceptance by Asian parents of same sex relationships can be common in films to show how Asian cultures have a difficult time adjusting to different present day cultures, specifically in America.
        
        13:30-15:20 We get a flashback of Evelyn’s life growing up and we see that Evelyn lacked family support growing up as her parents did not want a daughter and they did not approve of her dreams.
        
        29:00-31:00 ish Waymond puts on the ear pieces and fights off the security team with martial arts. Martial arts is associated with Asians in many films such as Enter the Dragon.
        
        Language barrier between Evelyn and Dierdre which could have caused the set back in her finances.
    - - Both Evelyn and Joy have conflicts with their family life. Evelyn tries to obey her father’s wants which affects the joy of Joy and her homosexual relationship. The lack of parental support is present in this film through Evelyn and Joy which is similar to the lack of parental support in A.K.A Don Bonus and we can see how it affects individuals.
        
        Additionally, Evelyn growing up with a poor relationship with her parents and Joy growing up with a poor relationship with her parents as well is a mirrored experience between the two which reminded me of My Robot Baby from the Robot Stories film.
        
        1:55 Evelyn starts accepting the truth and starts attacking different characters with happiness after Waymond tells her to be kind which offsets the characters trying to get Evelyn. However, Joy still begs Evelyn to let her go because being together hurts the both of them and their relationship which Evelyn agrees and lets Joy enter the bagel. Evelyn tells Joy that she always wants to be with Joy even in all the universes because she does not want Joy to have the same childhood that she did. This eventually leads to Joy returning from the bagel portal. Through all the adventures that Evelyn went through in the different universes, she has come to the truth that there are some things she has to sacrifice for the things that mean more to her in life. In doing so, she has restored her marriage with Waymond, fixed her relationship with Joy, and has fixed her mental health as she has come to the conclusion that even if her father isn’t proud of her and what she has been doing with her life, she is proud of herself and that is all she needs.
        
        Overall, I enjoy this movie as I found it to be very funny and one of the strangest movies I have ever watched, even stranger than Erie County Smile. I found it interesting how Evelyn changed throughout her journeys through the various universes.
- - - - “Better Luck Tomorrow was a leap forward from the days when Asian American filmmakers bore the burden of representation, required to undo years of being both perpetual foreigners and model minorities, redeemed by uplift success stories.” Asian American filmmakers were expected to portray the perpetual foreigners and model minority stereotypes, but Better Luck tomorrow opposed these expectations with characters that do not fall into the stereotypical model minority, rather high achieving teens who get in trouble with the law. The introduction of these diverse portrayals of Asian Americans in cinema lead to many success stories.
        
        “The genre-busting Better Luck Tomorrow may have shocked audiences addicted to the model-minority myth, but many Asian Americans delighted in its familiar, if audacious, premise.” Many viewers of Asian American cinema were used to the typical model minority stereotype, but Better Luck Tomorrow brought a more complex, nuanced view of Asian American cinema.
        
        “Forty years after Chan is Missing, twenty years after Better Luck Tomorrow, the future has arrived in a movie that not only conjures the hybridity of Asian American culture but asserts that multiplicity as the quintessence of the American imagination.” Over the forty year span, the release of EEAAO redefines the cultural opportunities for Asian American cinema.
        
        “What is Asian American about EEAAO? Everything. The Asian American experience is a multiverse of cultural influences and mashups, and EEAAO gets that, with the ever-present contradictions and embrace of family central to the mix.” EEAAO involves various aspects surrounding the Asian community to create a great representation of Asian Americans in cinema. Shows the complexity in the Asian American experience within the film.
        
        “Today, Chan’s no longer missing. Better luck is already here. If there is an Asian American soul, it is there in that reflection in the water, ever changing, but always visible if you know where to look.” Indicates the effects of these influential Asian American films. Each film has developed chronologically over time, each building off of one another, creating what we know as Asian American cinema now.
- - - - “These two incidents remind us that discussions concerning race and representation are inevitably heated and difficult, and that even when images of minority communities succeed in gaining visibility there can be disagreement about what political gains have really been achieved. But it is also important to note that these debates reflect more than a simple disagreement between two individuals. Rather, the disagreements described here are between organized collectives who are strategically working to impact change in the representation of Asian Americans in the media.” Indicates that Asian American media can be very complex. Gaining visibility for minority groups can come with pros and cons. Gaining visibility can be an achievement that raises awareness and more attention to these groups, but it doesn’t necessarily reach the political and social gains these minority groups envisioned.
    - - “The activists in this book include organizers, policy makers, media producers and professionals, and everyday consumers each of whom identify as Asian American, relying on the collective notion that their diverse and disparate voices are stronger when united than divided… Rather than seeking to wholly remake the film industry or challenge the system of media structures that uphold racial hierarchies and inequalities, media activists are simply fighting for access to greater participation and a recognized voice in the process that already exists.” Recalls the history of Asian American activism with racial protests and how unity has been a core value within Asian American activism. Accepting the outlet of media, Asian American activists strive for the opportunity for advocacy.
        
        “This problem is attributed to two factors: first, the fact that images of Asian Americans fall into problematic and limiting categories in our visual imagination, reflecting a lack of respect and subordinate social status, and second, that Asian Americans are often distanced from the ability to control, direct, or even participate in telling their own stories.” Highlights the two main limitations towards Asian American media activism. Firstly, lack of respect or a bad image towards the group is prevalent within the media. On top of this limitation, the group has had a lack of access to the outlet of media or the ability to contribute. “Thus, media activists seek to remedy the social problem of the oppression of Asian Americans by changing media representations.” Due to these limitations, the growth of Asian American media activism has grown and seeking new achievements by the day.