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AAST 355 - Coggle Diagram

- - - - Manager describes her as "exotic." A clear sign of orientalism
  - - - This Chinese detective could be seen as civilized. He wears a typical suit while Manchu is in full Chinese attire
  - - - After spending time with Ling Moy, Ah Ke offers to go with her ito China. Shows his lack of loyalty to the white man.
        
        Ah Ke realized Ling Moy doesn't love him and is about to backstab him. He comes to his senses and runs off to report her.
- - - - Bruce Lee follows the way of the Shaolin Temple
    - - Interrupts by training someone. Highlights the difference between the two cultures.
  - - - Is a human sex trafficker
        
        Does this play in to the role of Asian men being sexual deviants?
  - - - She still ends up killing herself when challenged by the white fighter. Why do Asian woman always end up killing themselves or have some sort of tragic death?
  - - - Even acknowledging these social issues, he engages with the prostitutes offered by the white woman. These prostitutes aren't solely Asian.
      - Bruce doesn't accept any of the prostitutes. Is it good he doesn't engage with prostitutes or bad that he portrays himself as asexual?
  - - - Han's daughters can be seen as the dragon lady. They're dangerous and only loyal to Han.
        
        They were only ever seen once and never contributed to the plot. Really shows the invisibility of Asian women in this film.
- - - - A fire was potentially made to stop any deals with Meyer and the I Hotel
- - - - Attempts to get her to pose for him. She refuses assuming that she was offering her typical services
        
        She is like an ornament to him
        
        While he sees her as an ornament, Suzie offers to be his permananent girlfriend.
        
        She feels rich when she's with Richard. Could he be exotic to her?
        
        She gets a bit jealous when Richard goes out with white woman
        
        Ben asks her to be his permanent girlfriend
        
        Tells Suzy to take dress off the moment she wears European clothes. Says she looks bad with it on.
        
        "She isn't really a human being so she couldn't possibly have any feelings" -Richard
        
        The first gift that Richard gives Susie is a headpiece. That symbolizes ornamentalism and how he views her.
        
        Dresses her up like a traditional Chinese empress. Says that it will get a lot of money
        
        White woman said Richard managed to make Suzie look "positively maternal"
      - Sailor attempts to rape her. Richard fights for her.
    - - Suzy pretends that she's in a relationship with Richard. Acts like a rich girl and pretends Richard is making lots of money.
        
        Brings all her friends to his room while he's out for dinner
        
        Susie attempts he's flirting with one of her friends and starts fighting her. Assumes Richard isn't "loyal" when they're not even in a relationship
      - Wants to claim that Richard beat her to "save face". Highlights the cultural difference between the two
        
        Actually gets more blood on her face to sell the idea.
        
        Her friends see this as a good thing?
        
        Other white guy in bar doesn't do anything?
  - - - Bar next door shows a bunch of asian women with white men. Why aren't there any asian men? Isn't this Hong Kong?
        
        Officer said the hotel was for poor people but man white people were there? What did he mean? The prostitutes?
  - - - Even when in a relationship with Robert, Susie still runs off to care for her child.
    - - "If you give up painting, you'll die inside, then I die" Sounds awfully like the lotus blossum.
  - - - Banker can't offer a job if Richard attempts to marry Suzie
- - - - Lee was actually labelled as "too Chinese for a role". I believe a previous reading covers how the idea of the "Chinese" is entirely created by Hollywood during the 20th century. The reason yellowface occurred was because actual Chinese actors didn't fit the idea that white directors had in mind.
- - - - No cinema is completely distinct.
- - - - Ebens was annoyed by the attention Vincent as getting. pg.38
        
        Reminds me of the emasculation of men. American society isn't used to Asian men being desirable. Also reminds me of the Filipino problem where Filipino men would go to dance halls and interact with white women.
- - - - When watching The Toll of the Sea, I didn't consciously realize a huge difference with the film being colored or black and white. I think the color cinematography may have changed how certain scenes may have been directed.
      - How did the audience at the time interpret the updated color? Did the film purposefully accentuate ethnic differences with color?
        
        Apparently there was no skin tone accentuation in Toll of the Sea. Why would a reviewer be disturbed by the lack of difference if there are many other signs to determine a person's ethnicity?
        
        Prior to the 19th century, many of the Chinese were considered white. Yellow only occurred when they were lumped with other Asians.
    - - There weren't any critiques about the landscape when everything was filmed in California. This was probably because the ideas of Chinese landscape were artificially created by Westerners.
      - Lotus Flower is flattened by color and becomes an ornament in the garden.
      - Won's performance was labeled cinematic and modern. This is likely because she is Chinese and acted all the ways white men viewed Chinese women.
  - - - Chinese culture and gardens were recently revalidated. The Chinese were previously seen as grotesque and artificial.
- - - - When did Yellowface stop being acceptable? Why did it stop? Was the stop related to the denouncement of Blackface or did it take much longer?
        
        Did yellowface ever stop being acceptable? There was a Snapchat filter for it.
        
        Blackface is not as normalized as yellowface.
        
        Could this be connected to the "racial-spectrum"? Looking at racial issues from a black and white lens, there is no room to directly address or acknowledge the issue.
        
        Does being a model minority contribute to this issue? Asians are sometimes known to be quiet and respectful, which may discourage Asian Americans from speaking up about this issue.
        
        There are only a handful of publications on Yellowface
        
        The "yellowface" keyword doesn't exist in catalogs
        
        Why doesn't it exist? Asian Americans have such a rich history yet one of the issues that plagues the communities isn't even properly documented?
    - - "Asians were legally excluded while fictional Asians were popular onstage and onscreen."
        
        Another clear sign of orientalism and ornamentalism. Americans only cared about the Oriental "look". They didn't want to be in proximity of Asians, rather, they preferred watching their own stories of them, like dolls in a playhouse.
    - - Was it considered American to be racist towards Asians? How many non-Asian or Asian immigrants reinforced the "perpetual foreigner" stereotype in the belief that they would be more "American"?
  - - - The casting of Johansson could be another instance of Orientalism. While she isn't Asian, she is widely known for her physical appearance. Since the original character was Asian, the character could be hypersexualized as a fictional Asian woman.
- - - - Dragon Lady
        
        Personifies naivete and self-abnegation
      - Butterfly
      - She's connected to a real label, the "lady of mystery"
      - "If Asian women act in ways that bear out either stereotype, then according to Chu's logic, they must be victims of 'internalized' racism or sexism."
    - - In some of her roles, she committed suicide. This way of death is used to wipe all sense of responsibility from other characters.
        
        While she is technically responsible for her own death, it raises the question if others would've borne any responsibility if it was a white woman instead. Why couldn't the other characters bare any responsibility for her death?
  - - - She made direct comments about how she was tired of her roles.
    - - This is a clear resistance to Orientalism.
  - - - Some of her movies pushed the "dragon lady" or "butterfly" stereotype
        
        "Dragon lady" stereotype-"masculine" female figure who will double-cross anyone. Has anti-white race hatred. Is deceitful.
        
        "Butterfly" stereotype-Asian women are fragile "lotus blossums". Naive and self-denial
        
        The means to dismantle these stereotypes is defensive. The dominant culture's views of Asians in America dictates what Asian American film studies think.
        
        How does a culture shift between these two seeming different stereotypes?
      - Romance plots never actually show a successful relationship between an Asian man and woman. This is a way to emasculate Asian mean and to incease the "mascultinity" of white men.
      - Wong's critiques assume that these films aim to "reproduce the world faithfully"
    - - Artists and producers capture just as much as Wong herself.
        
        These people contributed to real woman being labeled the "lady of mystery"
      - Star system - discursive and economic practices that enable star discourse, or management of celebrity, to take place.
      - Anna May Wong tried to use her popularity to secure another role of O-Lan. Potentially different from the roles she usually plays?
        
        Since she didn't get the role, she decided to go to China to find ideas for media. She actively sought out projects and attempted to develop the ones that she could be featured in.
      - The audience was interested in Wong's personal life. Beyond the "truths" of her roles.
        
        Wong used this to increase her own iconicity
- - - - Ideas of White benevolence, leadership, humanity, and superiority benefit White people all over the world.
      - White actors can play "raceless" roles while colored actors play race-specific roles
- - - - Family broke up once they arrived in America
        
        Don only lives with his mother and little brother. They aren't at home when he returns. Broken family dynamic.
        
        His brother ran away since he was scared to live in their home.
        
        Brother has been hanging out with a gang. Did he feel safer with gang members? Maybe they provied him the family that he didn't have in the household?
        
        He got arrested. May is being accused of attempted murder
        
        His family won't attend his graduation because of his brother's final hearing. He doesn't feel like he deserves a diploma
        
        They live in a dangerous community. His nephew was shot in the neck but fortunately survived.
        
        Mother is with husband (stepfather) in another house. Don lives alone.
        
        Stepfather only cares for Don's mother.
        
        His real father sacrificed himself to the Khmer Rouge to protect his family's journey to the U.S.
        
        Don has to wait the whole day to talk to his mother.
        
        Being unsupported, he constantly feels lonely at home.
        
        Oldest brother is married to rich wife. He feels embarrassed of the poverty in his family.
        
        He has a family and went to college. How was he able to achieve all of this? Why isn't Don getting the same opportunities as his brother?
        
        Older brother ignores him even during Cambodian New Year. Don is hurt by it. He misses him.
        
        Don wishes he had a "normal family"
  - - - Asians seemed to struggle taking the composition test. Was ESOL a thing during this time?
        
        Don failed the composition test. He knew what he should have been doing but didn't do it.
        
        He cheated the other composition test to graduate
      - There seems to be a divide between Asian students. Some are graduating. Others are failing.
    - - His failing of math classes contradicts the "model minority stereotype". This emphasizes the invsibility of small Asian groups such as Cambodians in the overarching Asian American identity.
      - Teachers and counselors don't seem to like him as a student
        
        He didn't show up to class and insulted either the teacher or other students.
    - - Teacher immediately comments on the assignment to the entire class.
        
        It seems the teacher doesn't know the potential trauma that his paper is about. I don't think her approach was culturally competent.
  - - - Sent to the answer machine when calling 911
- - - - Only allows certain queer lifestyles to be legible
- - - - Mere visibility does not necessarily lead to empowerment pg.7
    - - Kaling didn't like how her show was being held to a different standard than other shows. She didn't want to be involved in politics.
  - - - In order to for individuals' cultural practices to be accepted, they must see themselves and their specific communities to be represented within the media.
- - - - In different countries, "Asian" represents different things.
      - Even within a specific Asian American culture, there are many subcultures that stem from different generations and events.
- - - - When Burmese guy is told about this, he acts "suspicious."He looks like he's plotting something against the white man.
      - While the Burmese guy is helping Fannie with her recreational time, Richard is working hard to provide for his family.
      - Fannie didn't pay maid when it was her responsibility
      - Conflict over the gown? Maybe she bought it without asking? Raised more funds for Fannie's org
    - - A co-worker also says Richard is investing in the wrong stock.
        
        Fannie gives all her money to co-worker to invest in the right stock
        
        Her ten thousand dollars is gone
        
        Burmese guy "cares" for her after she's fainted from this and kisses her without consent. The ten thousand is actually Red Cross funds.
        
        Burmese guy covers it for a favor
        
        Richard's stock paid off. He finally has money
        
        Fannie has enough money to pay back Burmese guy.
        
        It was never about the money
        
        Attempts to rape her and leaves an invory mark on her.
        
        Fannie shoots the guy.
        
        Richard unveils the real reason for his 10k check to Fannie
        
        Richard frames himself as the shooter to protect his wife
        
        Richard gets suspicious on how Fannie "lost" her money.
        
        He forgives his wife. And continues to take responsibility for the shooting
        
        Richard is declared guilty, and Fannie exposes herself as the actual shooter and shows her ivory mark. Burmese guy gets arrested
- - - - Are film directors expected to create a correct portrayal of race, sex, etc.?
  - - - There are some "resisting spectators" but people are usually seduced by the film
- - - - Performance was based on British media
        
        These issues didn't originally form in the U.S. but were further enforced. It is not surprising that the British would provide such a depiction of South Asians considering British imperialism.
      - Bakshi is depicted as an object to be commented on. Sounds like ornamentalism. Is described as a "cultural thing"
        
        Bakshi's presence at the party isn't questioned because his Indian racial difference complements American identity without threatening American interests.
      - Established its "modernness" by seeing British narratives as a thing of the past.
    - - South Asians were associated with their cultural artifacts. This is a clear indicator of ornamentalism.
        
        Brownface actually encouraged Indians to be thought of as a collection of cultural mannerisms and objects used for comic effect
- - - - If AA women can't be imaged outside of sex, her self-formation must occur in terms of redefining sex
- - - - Grandma actually finds her outfit practical
    - - The mother was interested in Raymond because he seems to be financially successful. This highlights the emphasis on finances in many Asian cultures
      - Asian mothers believe "Americans are divorcing all the time"
        
        The divorced Asian women isn't remarrying.
        
        Why isn't she? Who's stopping her? Her culture?
    - - Her father doesn't want to be called a "father". The ideas of "saving face" are clearly passed down from previous generations.
        
        The father worries more about how people see him rather than what her daughter will experience.
        
        The father doesn't want her to be lonely and she doesn't want to be lonely either.
      - Was the mother also interested in adult films?
        
        Maybe the mother wanted to explore her sexual identity but was never allowed to.
        
        Gets setup on a date by her daughter. She feels shameful to even go on a date
        
        In this moment, it seems the protagonist and her mother has switched roles. The daughter is interviewing her mother's date.
        
        Even when she allows herself to explore her sexual preferences, she doesn't accept her daughter being gay. Why the hypocrisy? How does this benefit her in any way?
      - The mother's true love ends up revealing the ugly reality of the many marriages
  - - - The principle of "saving face" is so engrained in her, it's prevented her from expressing her true emotions when it's truly needed.
- - - - This is a very similar to the rhetoric used for Americans. Rather than Black Africans, it would be White Americans.
      - It's interesting that the Jay's friend is saying this. Instead of fighting or showing solidarity, he suggests that he leaves.
  - - - There is also an African American police officer. I wonder what struggles he faces during the racial prejudice of this time period.
      - It is considered an "American" thing to sue.
      - The film goes from showing the traditions of an Indian wedding to a group of African Americans hanging out.
        
        I think this is the first time we've seen a comparison of race beyond white and Asian
        
        Demetrius doesn't like his little brother hanging out with "crackheads" on the street corner.
      - Demetrius's father serves the white people. Similar to Asians (25:10)
        
        I suspect Demetrius's father wants him to date Alicia
      - "As long are you're not white, you're colored" (43:38)
        
        Shows unity between minorities for the first time.
        
        He only talks about racial unity when it benefits him.
    - - Indian Americans don't seem to accept Jay as an Indian American. He is still regarded and insulted as a Ugandan
      - Jay doesn't talk about Okelo
  - - - Harry doesn't seem to care much about traditional wedding culture.
        
        He brings Mina to an American bar. This shows how much he's assmiilated as an American.
        
        Mina is more interested in Demetrius. Demetrius dances with Mina to make Alicia jealous?
        
        How will their families react to both of them dating outside of their race? How is that viewed in their cultures?
        
        Mina doesn't want to be walked in by Demetrius. Is it because he's black?
        
        Indians attack Demetrius who is in bed with Mina.
        
        The "racial unity" is gone.
        
        Demetrius loses most of his clientele because of this interracial mixing.
        
        "People stick to their own kind, you'll be forced to accept that when you grow older" -Jay (1:32:15)
        
        Tyrone expects Mina to be Mexican. He implies she doesn't belong in Mississippi since she's Indian. What does he mean by that?
- - - - Also gets sexually harassed
- - - - Husband was drawn to the idea of tea (Jake)
        
        Drawn by the search of tea? The description sounds exoticized
        
        He doesn't taste anything? What does that mean?
        
        He doesn't like clones?
    - - He appears to be more of a father figure than the actual father.
      - Is Yang a servant to this family? Why did the direcor make him Asian?
        
        He is a robot. SImilar to how Asians are seen as robots.
        
        There is a subtle difference where he was able to bond with the family while an Asian probably wouldn't have.
        
        He could have his head and voice as a voice assistant.
        
        Even with how much he's bonded with the family, he's treated like any other piece of tech from the company.
      - He was only "operational" for five days
        
        Why does Mika have such a close relationshiop with Yang after only five days?
        
        They both share the appearance of Asians. Perhaps it's someone she feels like she can relate to.
        
        He was supposed to be a Chinese sibling to Mika
      - Yang can decompose but is a robot ("techno-sapien")?
        
        Broken core
        
        Yang was able to have a romantic partner
        
        Has to ask about being honest
      - He's been with multiple families before Jake's
        
        Outlived his original family
    - - Has a very close relationship with Yang
      - Is adopted
        
        She's confronted with the question by other kids at recess
    - - He claims that the foreign bots have hte most spyware
        
        This may represent his views beyond the robots he works with
        
        His bias is clear. it wasn't spyware, it was his memories.
    - - Wants to buy Yang's memories
        
        Something about it feels related to Ornamentalism. They want to take Yang's experiences ("culture") and put it on research/showcase it, like an ornament.
    - - Love interest?
      - Is a clone
        
        Was a clone of someone Yang knew
      - Questioned if he was Chinese
        
        Asked questions about Asian identity
  - - - The husband hides all of this from the rest of his family. Who is this benefitting?
- - - - I believe this was done on purpose. By giving Asian Americans a platform, Hollywood risks losing the control and narrative that they have crafted about Asian Americans.
- - - - Old man cautions her of these white foreigners
      - She sees the presence of this white man as a gift? Talks to the sea.
      - The white man started to be infatuated by the woman who rescued her.
        
        White man offers to take her to the United States
        
        Is he "rescuing her"? Is the lotus flower also infatuated with him? Why does she appear to submit to his requests?
    - - The ladies don't seem to approve of her liking of the white man.
      - Why were the initial words exchanged between the ladies in Mandarin? They also used an Oriental font when translating it to English.
      - Lotus Flower only speaks English now?
        
        When did she learn English?
        
        The way the scene is played, it makes her seem superior to the other women who don't speak English.
        
        The ladies plant seeds of doubt on their relationship.
        
        Why are these interracial relationships considered "unsustainable"? Why are the Asian women being forgotten in the relationship?
        
        It's a bit ironic because the Asian immigrants in the U.S. were seen as less masculine, in part because they left their wives behind in China. Wouldn't it make these American men just as emasculated if they also forgot their Asian wives? Is it different because their wives are Asian?
    - - The other men also doubt Allen's relationship
        
        She is different
        
        What do they mean? Racially different? or something else?
        
        What was the time period of the film? Did these white men have the right to legally bring Chinese brides back home?
        
        Man shows a wealth white woman and a traditional Chinese woman.
        
        What was the point of this? To show how backwards and old Chinese culture is?
    - - She already had her outfit planned out when she moved?
        
        Why is she so willling to adapt to Allen's American culture?
        
        Why was the only fashion book she could get her hands on inherited from her grandmother? Was to show how outdated Chinese culture was?
        
        This was another way to alienate her from American culture.
      - Allen is not bringing her with him
        
        Leaves her crying. Doesn't promise to come back for her. He pushes the belief that American men will simply forget about their Chinese wives.
    - - I may be looking too deep into this, but was it really necessary to mention "since childhood"? This further implies that the American girl is not alien, while the Lotus Flower is completely alien.
      - Lotus Flower pretends that she receives love letters from Allen.
        
        Why is she so desperate to make this relationship work? There are plenty other people she can talk to
        
        Could Allen also be exotic to her since he's a white man?
        
        She also writes these letters to give her son hope
      - Lotus Flower had son who she cares for alone
    - - Allen has returned to break the news to her.
        
        Allen, his wife, and Lotus Flower sit down to chat
        
        What was Lotus Flower's intentions with this chat? Was she trying to stall in order to show Allen his son?
        
        Could this be used to show that Chinese women shouldn't be trusted? Whose fault is the son?
        
        She lies about her son to protect Allen. Tells son to run off.
        
        Lotus Flower reveals her son to Elsie. She asks her to take him with them to America.
        
        Lies to her son saying that she isn't her mother but a Chinese nurse.
        
        Elsie accepts and takes the son back to America
        
        1 more item...
  - - - This is a clear sign of orientalism. A peacock is typically considered exotic, which is exactly what Lotus Flower is to Allen
- - - - What was the police doing during all of this? Was the black police officer at the scene when it happened?
        
        Police referred to Vincent as an "Oriental gentlemen"
    - - What does she mean by this? Her husband could've done it too? Was this type of Asian hate tolerated back then?
      - The white guys claimed that he wasn't racist. What was he then?
        
        The wife seems more concerned and guilty about Chin than Ronald does. While they try to dismiss the accusations of it being a racial crime, the wife mentions that there were talks about closing the factory
      - Ronald was more concerned about himself and Father's day while in the jail cell. He didn't seem to care that he just killed a man.
      - Ronald was only sentence to 3 years of probation and a $3k fine.
        
        Neither the mother or the dancers were asked to give a testimony on what happened. Why not? Who did end up testifying? Even the officers didn't go to the court.
        
        The judge's excuse was that he has too many sentences to worry about the other side's story? What type of judge doesn't want to hear the full story of a case?
    - - Their discussion in the bar reminded me of the model minority stereotype. I believe they described the Japanese automotive industry as too strict with lower wages. Claims Japanese automotive workers had to be submissive(almost like a servant) to secure a lifetime job.
        
        The depression lead to anti-Japanese sentiment because of their automtive industry. They were doing too well, therefore posing a threat to the U.S.
    - - Vincent was adopted. He was able to assimilate.
- - - - Her work now describes a new visual language for globalization
      - She broke the typical black-white dynamic with an African American and Indian couple in the U.S.
        
        Many other similar films offer an optimistic and occasionaly utopical picture of racially mixed societies.
- - - - "suspicion can be turned on Americans just as easily as it is directed toward dangerous-looking foreigners, as it resides primarily in the eye of the beholder"
      - Changez is the majority. the American is afraid of the uprising he so feared in his own country happening here.
- - - - Looking at American history, white Americans would've loved if Asians were automatons. They would've been like farm equipment when working them in the railroads or agricultural industry.
        
        They were never registered as fully human
      - Model minority myth contributes to this idea of joylessness.
        
        Superhumans and less than-than-human threat
        
        "A machine is always part of the machine"
    - - Model Machine Thesis
        
        Best kind of workers, worst kind of enemy
        
        These machines could bear a life of struggle beyond human comprehension
- - - - Asian Man is Raymond. He wants a divorce.
        
        Raymond has some secret persona that shows on the camera.
        
        His alternate self just knows kung fu?
        
        Why does it have to be kung fu? It couuld've been any type of fighting.
      - Has a very traditional view on her daughter's gay relationship.
        
        Has communication issues too.
      - Evelyn runs a laundromat with Raymond.
        
        Why did these characters have to run a laundromat? It's a stereotypically Asian job to work.
      - She picks up many different hobbies because she thinks she can do something more with her life.
      - Evelynn is living her worse self.
        
        Could this be a commentary on how Asian women who follow traditional values turn out to be their worst selves?
    - - Daughter of Evelyn. Has a female partner.
      - Is Jobu Tapaki in the main universe
        
        Was caused due to overtraining in verse jumping. Because of Evelyn
    - - Joy's partner. Is white.
    - - It's his birthday.
      - Flys from China. Notices Joy's poor Chinese.
      - Constantly looks down at Evelyn
      - Alpha Gong Gong wants Evelyn to kill her daughter.
        
        There's some parallelism between this and familial sacrifice. Rather than sacrificing for her family, she's sacrificing for the world. Perhaps there's the same flaws?
    - - Antagonist of the movie
  - - - Shows Gong Gong being disappointed when he finds out he has a daughter rather than a son.
    - - The auditor is a white woman.
        
        She is "doing her job" but doesn't have any humility for Evelyn who's displaying symptoms of a mental breakdown.
      - Why is Evelyn's family trying to get so many tax deductions?
      - The auditor assumes things since their family is Asian. Such as "respect for elders"
      - Raymond thinks she was having a mental breakdown beacuse he discovered that he wanted to divorce.
- - - - Ben appears to follow "model minority stereotype" being an overachiever.
        
        Lets other white classmate copy off his work. Is he being submissive or a servant to the white man?
        
        Ben has a crush on Asian girl. This is one of the first times Asian man has a love interest
        
        Stephanie assumes Ben wants to be a doctor? Internalized stereotype?
        
        Stephanie wants to be a cop
        
        Boyfriend seems like a badass? Opposite of Ben
        
        Steve says he knows people that can give Ben an internship. Is Steph's bf but asks Ben to take her to the formal? Is this an instance of ambivalence? Knows that Ben likes her
        
        Steve has another girlfriend? She's white. First instance of interracial dating.
        
        Stephanie makes no sense. Puts blame on Ben when Steve tells her that Ben is taker her to prom.
        
        Also involved in scamming? He enjoys toilet papering classroom
        
        Involved in robbery and drugs?
        
        First time an Asian is seen doing drugs in a film.
        
        Manages to get out after OD? Other overachieving Asian gets out with him.
      - Virgil is not socially great
        
        He isn't take seriously by his cousin, Han or Ben when doing their scheme.
    - - Why are Asians working against each other in this film? Everyone wants to have a good college application but no one is open to other perspectives.
        
        Goes on some rant about making own rules yet he exploits his Asian peers for his own advantage
      - Uses his narrative to push affirmative action. I see some connection to the anti-colonialism ideas covered. The overachieving student used an illusion to push his own agenda.
      - Operates his Decathlon like a college party?
      - He has a gun? How does he balance all the extracurriculars, his schemes, his drinking, and everything else?
        
        The entire group were hyperagressive. Wanted to prove themselves after being emasculated by society.
- - - - Hostage situation
        
        Changez is a suspect and a professor.
        
        "He doesn't want to sing those songs...He's an American now"
        
        Why is it always assumed that assimilating into American culture means being against one's native culture?
        
        He attended Princeton. Treated nicely in America as a model minority.
        
        Immediately gets asked if he's on financial aid when he mentions that he's from Pakistan
        
        "Those who have the gift are outsiders"
        
        He changes from being a dictator to being a manager at Underwood Samson. Which one was the truth?
        
        Has the best answer when quizzed by his employer
        
        Has a love interest with a white woman. She has a boyfriend that recently died.
        
        She assumes that he would know why 9/11 happened.
        
        She was drunk driving which killed her boyfriend
        
        Her art exhibit puts an Orientalist view on Changez
        
        He felt awe when 9/11 happened
        
        Was forced to strip when going to airport
        
        Was called Osama by an American and had his tires slashed
        
        His dad is very traditional. Too proud to ask for financial assistance from his son. Disagrees with Changez's job
        
        Bobby is a spook.
    - - Are there concerns that American military will get involved? What do they do if it's a native?