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Digital Concept Map AAST355 (READINGS) - Coggle Diagram
Digital Concept Map AAST355 (READINGS)
Week 1 Reading
Feng’s “In Search of Asian American Cinema"
The obscurity and complexity of defining "Asian American" due to the fact that it is quite impossible to represent every experience and encounter of individuals and communities. Leads to the question "Is there a unified Asian American culture?
Kind of leads back to the question of whether there is a "unified Asian American culture" but what this article and Seshagiri, there's always that two empires where you can't really belong to a single national story. So it doesn't really agree with the question from the first article.
The usage of the "-" can be quite limiting and exclusionary of itself due to the separation and isolation of the word
The concept of "Asian American Cinema" kind of phases out the clear differences among the groups, languages, and cultural origins. Feng argues that the market for Asian American cinema has turned to more of looking for Asian faces only.
How Asians are seen by outsiders kind of pushes them to act together due to the political situations of the general group
Desai's “Film”
Film is an institution that kind of sets a racial order with the American nation
Emphasizes difference between political and cultural citizenships. Political being the legality of the citizenship and cultural being where you truly believe you belong and feel seen
We should go beyond assessing representation as "good" or "bad" and move towards the processes of representations coming into coherence.
Week 2 Reading
Stereotype, Discrimination, and the Discourse in Colonialism (Bhaba)
Wants audience to focus on the process of stereotype. Wants to focus less on the positives and negatives and more on the development of how stereotypes are to come
Both Bhaba and Desai understand the important of not being just black and white with AA concepts. They want readers and just society to stop labeling things and think deeper.
Stereotypes has to hide from its own truth (basically fiction) in order to work. Creates a sense of fixity and staticness.
I can definitely see how fixidity plays with stereotypes, I mean once its in place, its pretty hard for it to be changed or taken away by society. People pretty much rely on that one definition.
Ambivalence has to kind of be present in order to support a stereotype. Can't really prove a stereotype true or false.
Making Movies and Magic (Hooks)
Hooks challenges expectations that films should fully reflect or imitate the world in which we live in.
He has this idea of movies having the purpose of "pulling away from the familiar" and going into a world of beyond and less of reality.
This concept to me was a no brainer since with film I think that there is such creative freedom we need to have some non realistic films to get those imaginative brains out there. But Looking back, I feel like what if the movies weren't very "fantastical" and there wasn't a lot of that, which is why Hooks is writing this maybe?
Also noticing his opposition of the idea of "visual purity", that the film should be treated as a work of art rather than for its politics.
But also with this, Hook asserts that it has a "pedagogical role" (pg2). It kinda looks like HOoks is saying movies has a mission to change how we see images and see in other ways.
FILMS
The Cheat
Highlights the political climate due to the change of the film later on due to criticism from the Japanese community
You see that both films share kind of a dissent and negative outlook towards the Japanese communities, affecting the way the film portrays.
Had specific stereotypes of Asian men and how they are lustful, possessive, aggressive, etc. for white women. Creates a sense of stereotype that Asian men are like exotic so they are going out of there way to like be involved in the white community. Especially as the only Asian character.
Portrayal of "white male savior" complex to the white men especially in the courtoom towards the end of the movie.
Main theme: Orientalism
The use of dark red lighting also symbolizes his orientalism and like his foreign figure. There's also cultural pieces and ornaments in Arakau's home to exaggerate his exoticism.
His setting also reinforces his differences from his White counterparts
Toll of the Sea
Contrast in the way Asian Americans were shown in the film compared to the "The Cheat". Lotus flower here is more reserved, more domestic, less aggressive. Two different portrayals of culture and mannerisms of Asian Americans.
"Chineseness" is not primarily in skin colour but more in costumes, storyline, name (Lotus Flower), and environment.
3:17:4:09 We see a reverse of like male savior complex, Lotus Flower here is the one saving though not physically saving
"little Chinese girl" kind of stunts her and makes it seem like she's not fit of the mature roles and such.
17:25-18:00 Lotus Flower is really excited to go with Allen but there is the scene where he is crumbling the bright red flower. Shows he made up his mind and is technically "done" with her.
31:56-32:10 Lotus Flower is really in denial that her husband left her. The broken English she is saying as she reads the letter shows how she always has that cultural and language barrier.
On the other hand, the child can speak perfect English and is acted as a white boy. Honestly, this is just like blatant racism and yellow face. I don't like the use of a white actor for an Asian actor because it just feels like you're replacing the authenticity of Asian culture.
12:55 The explicit difference between the camera panning from Chinese woman and the white woman is apparent. It is quite obvious we are looking at both people in the perspective of the white male (colonial gaze) that makes these differences prominent.
Honestly, blatantly just discriminating but not that surprising for me because I expect reactions like this in a society where Asian people or any foreigner is seen as a "lesser" from the white community during these times.
The Butterfly - Anna May Wong is shown as a more submissive and "soft" character in my opinion in contrast to the Dragon Lady
Anna May Wong in both films portrayed in two different ways
Daughter of the Dragon
The theme of exoticism is very apparent in this film. Throughout the film, through clear dialogue, clothing, background, and music kind of emphasizes this about Ling.
6:00 Ronald describes Ling as exotic and intriguing
Her aggressive and firmness compared to other "soft" asian women is also softened by the love and obsession she has for Ah Kee.
Depiction of Asian women are sexualized in this film with Ling being a oriental dancer.
2:17 in the poster announcing the show
Honestly just basic racist and sexualizing stuff makes it hard for me to see even if its just the poster. Not the biggest fan of oversexualizing women, especially Asian women in marketing platforms like the poster.
Dragon Lady- Shows her in more of a less submissive, at a certain angle and perspective she is seen as this "villianous character (?)"
To me she is quite admirable in my opinion with how she holds herself and is determined to get what she wants
The connection that the Dragon Lady and Suzie have is that they are more initiative taking and try to get what they want despite being stopped by the sexism and toxic masculinity and racism they experience.
Departs from previous narratives of Asian Americans that we saw, like the Asian allies of whiteness and disposability of Asians on screen (Lotus Flower, Ling Moy)
The World of Suzie Wong
Theme 1: Hypersexualization of Asian Women
23:00 Suzie attracts a lot of the men at the bar. There is contrast between her and the "nerdy looking Asian" girl as well, which in the movie has a stronger "Asian" accent, a clear contrast from Suzie's fluent English. Saying she got "sex appeal".
21:40 the clear contrast of the bright red dress of Suzie Wong in the bar, physically attracting the eyes of the audience and the other sailors in the bar.
47:02 Suzie offering her services to Robert portraying her as a submissive and "easy" individual, which kind of seems like thetff film is hinting at the easygoing of Asian women in context with other men. f
Connexts to Theme 2: Objectification fo Asian women
52:32 The Chinese women are labeled as "Oriental" individuals. The moemnt Robert mentions he paints portraits of the Chinese community the tone and attitude of the white woman kidn of shifts to like annoyance/disgust
Suzie is literally just seen as a sculpture, figure that is used for just the use of art and painting. Degrades and objectifies her greatly.
Both asian women are trying to navigate this white dominant society by having a voice and a presence;
1:17:200,1:24:00 Robert explicitly states that Suzie "isn't a human being", "doesn't have any feelings", and just doesn't know what she is talking about.
To me, Robert is completely disregarding Suzie's humanity and that she is just some "dumb Asian" who is only good for her beauty rather than her worth as a being.
Theme 3 Westernization
Suzie tries to conform to Western standard to become more of a "legitimate" girlfriend to Robert.
1:27:50 The first time Suzie wears pants is after her and Robert first get together. She is altering her clothes to adhere to the Western clothing styles, pretty subtle but once you notice it, it's quite effective.
Enter the Dragon (1973)
The idea of villainous Asian character/ Asian male antagonist
Both films use violence to respond to threats and competition.
Martial arts instructor who takes on the responsibility of capturing a drug dealer in response to his sister's death. He achieves this by participating in a karate tournament that is organized by Han on a remote island.
Idea of Orientalism/Exoticism: Martial arts and "asian" music selection enhances the asian perception.
This can be seen as a stereotypical sport that the character partakes in. Today martial arts is seen as a "Asian" sport
Connection of the theme of orientalism. To me, honestly, I like the showing of Asian culture but to what extent is too much too much?
Hans perpetuates the image of the evil male lead who is involved with drugs and prostitutions.
Better Luck Tomorrow
1:09:00 We have all 4 characters standing next to each other, all in different clothing, posing differently, highlights the differences all characters.
Kind of surprised me because with having a lot of Asian casting, I would think the films would be more towards the typical Asian stereotypes that I and other audience are more used to.
The film kind of shows the portrayal of Asian Americans as the perpetual "other" (Model Minority Myth)
This can be seen through 12:13 where in the scene, Ben claims that people don't really expect them (the 4 friends) to act any different.
I can relate to this as I've definitely experienced moments where I heard people tell me that they "expected" me to feel that way due to being a Asian female.
47:48 (Partying) 1:04:15 (Casino) and other scenes show the subversion of the typical Asian American stereotype of being a "nerd".
Kind of makes me think, will people think that being a delinquent is something to associate Asians with stereotypically?
Theme of Sexism and Use of Violence: Virgil is very subverted as the stereotype of Asian men not having time for love interests, is nonsexual, etc. (4:14) 1:07:00 Virgil pulls a gun on the sex worker the 4 invited during their time in Vegas, highlighting the theme of use of violence.
This again diverts to the stereotype of Asian men being shy, not as aggressive and violent.
HOWEVER, this can be contradicted with the other films, which do show aggressive men.
Connects to "The Cheat" and "The Branding" with the use of violence and men overpowering and asserting dominant power to the woman. Kind of emphasizes the pattern/theme we see from the films that "Masculinity equates to the possession of women."
Violent and aggressive men portrayed in both films
45:16 Lots of violence and crime is driven less by greed and more for the thrill and adrenaline of being rebellious, a break from the routine they are constantly living. Constantly looking for that high throughout the movie.
I think it's more of a reaction to the culture of value of success in the academic world.
I can really relate to the wanting to divorce from the values of academic success, as I also think life is more about just living to the fullest without being so grounded and strict with my academic journey. But I am definitely not approaching this with violence and dangerous crimes as well.
There are also themes of Brotherhood and Tough Love that CONTRAST the aggressive, violence and hypersexuality and toxic masculinity the boys show throughout the film.
I really liked seeing the opposing traits of the aggressive and violent Asian characters we used to see in the cheat, Enter the Dragon, etc.
The Fall of the I Hotel
Sheriff calls the the elderly poor "pathetic", no sympathy for the protesters that are being shown in the first minutes of the movie.
Lots of white men treated the Filipino community terrible, shooting up the camps and discriminating the Filipino community.
The International Hotel was the home for the refugees for the Philippine Scouts, California Labor camps,etc.
These rooms pose as permanent stalls and homes for the elderly. It seems very small and compact but a home for the manong (older brother in tagolog)
Kearney Street was Manila town, a place where all asian ethnicities, mostly Chinese and Filipino meet together for a gathering or social events. Started due to no support for the veterans and old timers.
Creation of lunch programs, making it accessible for everyone as much as possible.
Shows to me that despite the divide and unfairness, the community would come together to hold the community together and working for a better quality of life as much for the old timers after being neglected.
Was in the adjacent road of the Financial district of San Francisco, with more buildings more Victorian buildings being built, the pool building and Lucky M barber shop had to close. The building where the only actual social gathering took place.
Honestly, I understand that the financial and social benefits of building more Victorian buildings for the financial districts, but it does impede a lot on the life of the Manong and elderly community for the Asians, especially Filipino community.
Milton Meyer signed a lease for the International Hotel, that night, three tenets died from a mysterious unexplained fire. ended up not signing the lease "if the building was demolished, no one would've died"
This is extremely insensitive to the tenants and community. The old timers like being where they grew and lived a lot of their life in, not able to just move due to the poor financial help they get.
Many protestors for the eviction are in place, with the whole community supporting the I Hotel and deem it unfair for the old timers to just get kicked out. Over 10 years, the I Hotel was a symbol to show the struggle for low income individual housing. Many organizations and groups unite together to advocate for this movement.
Creates a sense of unity and how powerful it is when communities come together to fight for the same goal and purpose.
I think why this movie is so powerful is because of the real life filmed clips and videos. I really like the authenticity that the filmmakers portray about the real life living conditions.
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About 300 police are starting to arrive and forcibly evicting 50 of the old timers, breaking down the doors. Fights are happening outside hotel with the protestors and police fighting, people getting dragged, just a lot of aggression.
People are just left outside stranded, having no clue what s happening, some in distress. Honestly it makes me a little emotional as the old timers kind of resemble my grandparents and I couldn't imagine this happening to them, not having a palce to go.
William Barriantos - one of the farmers alongside with the Mexican farmers help grow and manage plantation. There is a sense of injustice and unfairness towards the white community due to the lack of shares and recognition the Filipino community gets.
There is definitely elements of Third Cinema in this film as this film really cements the political aspect of the Asian American community. Did a good job addressing social injustices and empowering marginalized communities, especially for the Filipino community and fighting for housing rights and equity.
Both films use handheld cameras and raw footage, a way to show the raw emotions and feelings.
a.k.a. Don Bonus
This film is similar to The Fall of I Hotel with its use of raw footage and interviewing real people to get real testimonies, allows the audience to really be immersed and feel like we are a part of the events happening.
still observes and interrogates social problems and the lack of government support
Ny emphasizes the struggle to find a voice to a place he thought would provide him a better quality life, dealing with the Asian discrimination and violence is tiring to him. I mean he came to the US to find that better life, that American life but he just ended up being in a worse and still bad situation so he's just lost at that point.
American society or government kind of failed people like him who seek a better life here in my opinion.
One difference is that this film spoke more on how different ethnic groups were disconnected, rather than the unified movement we saw during The Fall of I Hotel
Who Killed Vincent Chin
The fact that there were 3 court cases and each of them never led to an optimal outcome infuriated me. The level of injustice and unfairness was really surprising to see but also something that I would've expected, especially towards Asian Americans during this time.
Main focus I noticed: the Homogeny of Asian Cultures.
With Michael and Ronald thinking that Vincent was Japanese, they just aren't considering the complexities of Asian ethnicities
Another one: Tolerance of Violence
Theres a desensitization of Vincent's death as it was evident that the court did not want to properly condemn the perpetrators
Like this is so blatantly racist to me I didn't like it at all
Also, it was just obvious of the fake or just no remorse Michael had about his actions, all he was was being defensive about it like the evidence clearly doesn't point to him??
He just refused to admit that his actions were racially charged and rather said it was because of his "lapse of judgement" (????). OH he said influence of alcohol?? Alright buddy.
Tolerance of violence, and honestly, rather than violence, it's more just the fact that violence is preferred?
At this time, the Japanese were manufacturing better and more efficient cars, so the attitudes towards Asian Americans were negative. And of course, you can't really tell from a Japanese person or a Chinese person especially in the eyes of non Asian Americans, the perpetrators would've just assumed and attacked Vincent Chin
Saving Face
Theme: Generational Guilt - kind of dictates the the decisions the characters make, making decisions that will appeal to the family and society rather than them selves.
Filial piety: elders expect respect and obedience from their children - Wil doesn't want to house her mother but due to this concept she has to
As the movie title suggests, reputation is a highly important aspect of what it means to uphold a reputation you want to be proud of
Not just saving your own face but the movie illustrates the concept of "saving" your family's reputation from family expectations. I love this concept of breaking through social norms and wanting to break the cycle of holding reputation to such an importance when you're not really being yourself.
Internal struggle of whether the immigrant daughter/son wants to uphold the reputation their parent's wishes and expectations. What if they don't want to and in reality, it's not who they are?
Theme: Sexuality vs Identity
AA queerness is oftentimes not acknowledged and no looked as "approving" by traditional Asian families, can be seen as a breaking of traditional value.
Wil battling between keeping up with societal norms and expectations and wanting to keep her relationship with Vivian is very emotional to see.
Though I cannot directly relate, I can definitely understand the struggle of telling parents things that are not seen as "acceptable" in traditional values.
Single mom's daughter is a successful surgeon but also a lesbian who is trying to live up to certain people's expectations due to the stigma. Mother is pregnant but will not reveal who, thus, kicked out of homes.
In this movie, I noticed a lot of guilt being passed down by generations. Throughout the movie, this guilt dictates the decisions the characters make, forcing them to make choices that please their family and not themselves. This also links to the concept of filial piety, where elders expect respect from their children but can risk them becoming too controlling.
“When I think of all we sacrificed in the old country to give you kids a better life in the new one. Had I known I would have left you behind in the mainland (18:45)
This quote is honestly so harsh but it is a reality of so many asian daughters and sons that the moment you do something not in the parents' favor, you're like disowned.
This also leads to like the idea that this movie isn't just about saving one's own face, but saving the face of the family and it's reputation. So to me, it's kind of like having double the responsibility and burden.
“She can throw her own reputation away but it still comes back to me” (19:27)
Another main theme is sexuality. The film touches upon how Asian American queerness is oftentimes not acknowledged, and seen by families as a betrayal of traditional values. Throughout the film, Wil grapples between her two identities: trying to remain a good daughter in her Chinese community and navigating her sexuality/ her relationship with Vivian.
There's a connection in the main characters juggling between making her parents not ashamed of themselves but also them struggling to find their identity with their loved ones.
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Mississippi Masala 11/11
"Masala" means mix of spices and throughout the movie is showcased as a metaphor for the mix of cultures and stories
1:30:00-1:40:00: Jay calls himself Ugandan first and then Indian second being born and raised there, not fully accepted in his Mississippi community
I feel like there is a sense of identity crisis that could appear and develop internally to Jay
Anti Blackness in South Asian Communities
Mina's family sees respectability through Colorism and class
28:24 - "You can be dark and have no money or you can have money and not be dark but you cannot be dark and have no money"
Fear of the social consequences and repercussions coming from general past thinking and racial hierarchies
There are efforts of Hope and Humor to lighten its serious themes, feeling else dramatic, harsh or pessimistic
Theme of breaking traditions: in 1:20:23 Mina says "This is America, Ma. No one cares" which contradicts the Hindu tradition, comparing her relationship with Demetrius
But there is that pressure and cultural expectation of wanting to put parent's happiness over hers. I think this negatively affects Mina and her ability to grow.
Mississippi Masala, EEAAO, Saving Face show the similar themes of breaking family tradition, a scary but new discovery for the characters in the film. To me that's a lot of bravery and I love that for them finding their own identity.
After Yang
Multiculturalism and how its shown through Mika's adoption: To me, this was initially seen to me as kind of western desire for diversity and the framing of Asian children as culturally enriching.
and connecting to multiculturalism, racial inclusion is seen by bringing in Yang, an Asian presenting "cultural" android. He's designed to teach Mika her heritage since her adoptive parents can't so basically Asian culture is outsourced to a purchasable object, in this case, Yang.
In conclusion, it just seems like multiculturalism is more engineered and constructed rather than organic and natural.
Techno Orientalism
Yang is essentially a racialized technology embodying the long standing stereotypes of Asians as quiet, service-oriented and emotionally lacking. However, throughout the film we can see that he has memories, reflections and a inner life even when no one is watching. This shows his human side contrary to what he actually is and was built for.
This leads to the grief/human/robot intimacy.
The family's mourning of Yang is genuinely real, a little awkward and uncertain as well. This kind of shows how society struggles to mourn care workers or non natural forms of life.
Why was Yang's humanity only really recognized by the parents AFTER he was gone? Does this make him something that "lived" a life?
I wanted to connect these two points by pointing out that despite the Asian workers and people to be perceived as just be robots and androids, there are actual humans with real emotions and are able to experience intimate moments.
In both films, techno orientalism is a main theme and connection of how the film ccarries on the messages.
Everything Everywhere All At Once
At first watch, this movie was the most confusing thing ever and I had no idea what this movie was about or like what it was trying to illustrate for the audience. Doing this deep analysis definitely helped a lot
Main theme 1: Immigrant experience
In the film, the laundromat is the family business, the key income for them to live but is also a symbol of the mundane reality and domestic struggles of Evelyn's life. This also is representative of what is known as the “typical” lifestyle of immigrant families.
The laundromat reflects the kind of unorganized life of immigrant Asian American families. In the film, it is the setting where Evelyn is overwhelmed by taxes, she is having a crumbling marriage with Waymond, and her strained relationship with Joy.
In this particular scene 08:55 - In this scene, Evelyn is mesmerized and hooked on the dancing on the screen, only to snap back into reality. This scene shows the feeling of being trapped and wanting to get out of the struggles with the failing business. For a lot of immigrant families, this may be the life, but it's also a sacrifice for their children to become even more prosperous, which could lead to pressure that the children is instilled.
in 21:30, Deirdre is also showing some microaggression about her ability to speak english, one that is seen towards a lot of immigrants, showcasing the immigrant experience of language barriers.
Main theme 2: Family dynamic/generational trauma
Evelyn hides Becky’s relationship with Joy to “protect” their family image
Reinforces traditional norms surrounding the importance of “saving face” in front of elders
Saving Face displays similar themes of not really wanting to embrace breaking out of traditions.
Theres that lack of communication seen in 10:25 where Joy wants to show Becky and introduce her but Evelyn doesn't want to.
Main theme 3: Nihilism vs Kindness
Nihilism: a philosophical viewpoint that asserts the absence of inherent meaning or value in life and the universe (EBSCO)
We see this specifically in 1:00:03 where nihilism presents itself in physical form with Jobu Tupaki’s character
Kindness is shown through Waymond’s character trying to ward off other characters who struggle with the meaningless of their lives
And we see this is presenting itself in physical form with googly eyes
Main theme 4: Gendered Stereotypes
Waymond’s character challenges traditional “masculine” tropes (1:45:00 - 1:47:00) An emotional performance from Key He Quan as the soft, sentimental, and caring father
I really loved Waymond being like this because he was like a breath of fresh air to me with his kindness and him being different than the other masculine tropes and stereotypes we've been seeing towards Asian men.
On the contrary, Evelyn takes on the dominant role in the film and plays a character who is a direct opposite of Waymond’s kind personality
The Reluctant Fundamentalist
Theres a brown peril narrative discourse, a discursive form or method of storytelling that plays into questions of national fidelity especially by activating post 9/11 anxieties about brown Muslim bodies.
Theres already suspicion incredibility of brown people that discounts their testimonies and narratives. Racism evolves beyond yellowface and into more of a bureaucratic, institutional forms.
The racialization after 9/11 kind of transitions from being "Model Minority" to "Threat": We can see this with Changez initially being a "safe" immigrant but after the incident, his individuality is thrown away and is immediately grouped into relation with the terrorist attack.
The airport detentions and searches visually reinforce how the state racializes South Asian/Muslim bodies as dangerous. Honestly, with this, I cannot really blame since the attack happened due to poor security checks so the strengthening and even creation of the TSA after this event is very valid. We don't want situations like this to endanger the US however purely racializing and associating a certain community to the people who committed the crime can be so unfair to people such as Changez himself in the movie.
The conditional belonging in this movie, especially for Changez shows that in order for him to fulfill his stay, he needs to suppress his political opinions, perform gratitude, and prioritize US corporate interests over global ethics. Changez is more so working for his cultural citizenship because in the movie, assimilation and adhering to US standards equals belonging and will help him appear "less threatening".
Honestly for me, this was pretty like intense to watch. Lot's of holding breath moments because there is such suspicions and ambiguity in the film in how Changez is being surveillanced by coworkers, the government, and even the camera, a way to show the vieweds those close ups during tense moments and just the idea of having something just linger and monitor you.
Both films delve into the immigrant experience though different cultures, it's the immigrant experience that helps them navigate this new country.
Machine Love (Greg Pak)
Honestly, this film was very creepy and just a little awkward for me. At first, I was a little confused with what I was watching and only felt discomfort as if the eyes of the white actors were on me too. I could also just feel the life draining from the eyes of the robots.
Reinforcing/perpetuation of the narrative that Asian American people in the workforce are
compliant, subservient, “model citizens” and can be equated to robots.
This film really embodied and show how Asian Americans are seen as just lifeless and mindless workers. That they dont' really have emotions and just perform their duties and are done with their day. They're basically just shown as "cogs of hyperproduction"
Typically in a lot of dystopian films/media, Asian characters have been portrayed as cogs in a
machine that are disposable as soon as they are no longer of use or meeting certain “quotas”
Constant reminders from computer to Archie “You have work”, leaving him no time to focus on
anything outside of the work assigned to him. (46:30)
First, just love that he's Korean American yay!
As said in Bui's article, the robots are just like a controllable cog that are just encumbered bodies, rather than empowered intellects.
Reading and Film connection with the controlling image of asians as controllable cogs.
Archie and the female robot begin to internalize comments made about them by repeating them
back aloud. They are described by their human coworkers as “freaky” and “creepy” and they
repeat it back to each other at the end of the film (57:42)
At the end of the film, the two robots engage in an intimate moment, showing even tears. Showing thier humanity shining through their built purpose.
History and Memory for Akiko and Takashige(1991)
You can really sense a sense of generational trauma that the filmmaker had to endure from her childhood. There was evidential emotional toll it took on her mother and family as she also experienced that emotion during the holidays where families are supposed to be gathered, there were just a gaping absence and lack of relatives.
One thing I was surprised while watching was that a lot of the pictures and clips of the Japanese Americans in the internment camps were pictured smiling and not like miserable. By showing these specific media, the filmmakers really wanted to display the specific moments of camaraderie and resilience from the Japanese American people at the time who managed to smile even in the face of isolation.
At 30:05 the film kind of cuts off randomly while showing lots of sounds and images. It kind of reminds me of a way a memory is, how it fades and just shows up sometimes making the experience of remembering and watching very jarring.
"I Dont know where this came from but I've had this picture that's always been in my mind - my mother, she's standing at a faucet and it's really hot outside and she's filling this canteen and the water's really cold and it feels really good." 1:20:00
The concept of water represents the reslience and the not giving up traits of the Asian families to provide and bring as much resources for their families and loved ones.
Week 3
Color-as-hue and Color-as-race (Peng)
Talks about the technicolor being a catalyst that heightens racial difference through attention towards the exterior, environment and nature. pg 1
Rise in puzzling between Caucasian skin color and Asian skin color. Makes one think and wonder about the stereotypical skin color many people placed for Asians as "Yellow" pg 2
For Peng, race in The Toll of the Sea is not primarily about skin colour, since critics noted all faces looked “pallid.”
Orientalism served a technological purpose: it made colour cinema appear natural, spectacular, and commercially viable. pg 21
Peng pointing out how Lotus Flower from Toll of the Sea is differentiated from the other women
Peng points out that Lotus Flower is the only one wearing green but I also noticed other characters having green on them. I understand that the different I do see from Lotus Flower and the other women is that she has both red and green.
His claim about Lotus Flower bein paler or the palest didn't really make sense because based on the movie, everyone was pale but I also get from the standpoint where Asian women tend to go for fairer due to Asian beauty standards. Definitely seen that in other Asian communities, even now!
Made Up Asians (Lee)
Talks about how yellowface has been and is more normalized than blackface. Has been met with some disapproval, as others who are dissent refer to it as Yellow blackface. pg 4
Many arguments and conflicts in regards to the normalization of yellow face rise but the practice hasn't been entirely stopped or condemned as much as black face. pg 5
Indian Accents (Dave)
Influential models for contemporary brownface/brown voiced performances appears initially in British comedy pg 2
The use of the vocal accents and cultural mannerisms were the main focuses of South Asian actor appearances rather than for their skills and such.
Kind of undermines the history of British imperialism and colonialism in India
Less of a recognition in American films compared to Asian Americans.
More associated with comedy in the entertainment industry.
Week 5
Recuperating Suzie Wong (Feng in Countervisions)
Feng suggests that we love it (The World of Suzie Wong) to love. It is also just famously known for Asian Americans to hate the film and in my opinion, rightfully so.
Pollyana dialectics - “the banal observation that the text is racist, but that spectators do not have to give in to racist indoctrination.” (pg. 41)
Talks about the contradictory view of the "Orient" through Robert's eyes
His way of seeing her is more of a prized possession, something he can easily discard but something he can also keep close because it's precious to him but a way an object is, not a person would be.
White Washing the Movies: Asian Erasure and White Subjectivity (Oh)
Oh talks about how white washing happens through yellowface or whitening of Asian characters allowing for white representational flexibility. (Gives us Cloud Atlas and Aloha as examples).
I can kind of see that trend happening with more people thinking it is a "trend" or like something fun to copy and dress like Asian Americans.
Again, with the yellowface being kind of thrown on the side and not seen as such a "big deal" when it continues to be damaging and hurtful for Asian Americans.
p.6 Oh uses the word "symbolic annihilation:" to describe the direct erasure and invisibility as Asian characters are replaced by white ones (Tilda Swinton in Dr. Strange).
To me, this seems a little over the top with the use of annihilation as the word but I can see where Oh gets that due to the replacement of Asians and how they are getting faded out.
This reading can be connected to the conversation of pan-Asian, colorblind, or color-conscious casting
White washing reveal dynamics between consumption and cultural appropriation. There's a distinction on who can "consume" the cultural authenticity. To what degree is it "acceptable" for white pleasure and benefit? Is it at all "Acceptable"?
Week 4
When Dragon Ladies Die, Do They Come Back as Butterflies? (Liu)
There's a noted distinction between the two characters Anna May Wong played: dragon lady and butterfly. Honestly, for me the distinction, was huge so the different personalities and the way they act was clear as to how the director of the film wanted to portray Anna May Wong in those two films.
She was seen as both negative and foreign to society but I noticed some differences despite those similiarties
Dragon Lady was seen as someone aggressive and a strong independent woman which the filmmakers then just took that and used it to show that she is not behaving and is radical when she's just standing up for her self???
Provides the opportunity for more stereotypes and negative perspectives to be made against Asian women.
On the other hand, with butterfly, Anna May Wong portrays that soft spoken, weak willed, and submissive character.
Hypersexuality of Race (Shimizu Parrenas)
Shimizu goes in depth with how the concept of hypersexuality but me understood by Asian woman who "must understand her identity and her possibilities" (pg 6)
States that hypersexuality is a "network" (not really sure what they really mean by this) of social forces that ground their legibility in culture for self recognition.
I'm honestly very confused by this part because having hypersexuality doesn't really seem like being a network that "leads to opportunities for creative self-invention"
Also goes in depth with how Margaret Cho, another female who researches into this stuff, about how Asian woman cannot but live through their racial sexualization.
Basically, society has their sexualization as their key point, it hails the Asian women population
Shimizu also argues for perversity to be embraced as political. Especially due to the Asian filmmakers and actresses embracing perverse sexuality as a self representation as the "political critique of the normal" (pg 11)
Rather than fearing and fleeing from the power of representation, Shimizu wants to study and learn by seeing on screen how sexuality is being shown and defined
Both authors and articles want to dele deeper into the power of studying representation though for different reasons, very different author agree on the fact that you need to embrace the concept and try to research it as much as you can and see how filma nd media shows AA representation.
Week 6
Bruce Lee and the Anti-Imperialism of Kung-Fu (Prashad)
Introduces the concept of multiculturalism vs. polyculturalism (pg53). Some shortcomings of multiculturalism I can think of is the potential for social fragmentation and reduced national unity. I feel like this could lead to a focus on more group identity than the individual rights that people might be wanting to fight for.
For polyculturalism, I believe that it emphasizes the interconnectedness of cultures and focusing on common experiences rather than group differences, which helps to break down essentialist views of race and reduce prejudice
Prashad goes into how the visibility and success of Bruce Lee was a positive impact at least on how Asians are seen especially by civil Rights and other activist movements.
1965 Immigration Act welcomed Asian immigrants for their technical labor (pg56)
Then author focuses on Kung fu as this being anti hierarchical in nature (pg73)
This definitely puts a new perspective on not just Kung Fu but what it represents and Asians' images from the white population
Straitjacket Sexualities (Shimizu)
Shimizu goes in depth with how cinema can be used as a technology of ethics. She states: "“For asian american men deprived of the romantic hero role in representation, the forming of subjectivity ... becomes an important goal in terms of what kind of manhood they can form.”"
Also goes in depth about how the different types of masculinity represented in the film help asian american actors escape from the figurative straitjacket that contains them. I think this is definitely true not just for films but honestly for any type of media. Media to me is really a tool anyone can use to show a perspective or appeal to an audience about something specific.
Perspective taking is the first step towards change → goal “moving people to want to do the right thing for oneself and others.”
Both Hook sand Shimizu describe the power of film and technology as something that you can choose to use to represent and kind of get away from reality to create your own magic.
Week 7
In the Afterglow of Regenerative Violence: Third Cinema and Asian America Media Discourse (Mimura)
The 3 types of cinema he labels is something I never even really considered for some reason.
To me, second cinema seems a little bit more like touching and like emotional to me due to the "independence" of it compared to the Hollywood/Bollywood cinema films (first cinema)
I tend to notice maybe a small pattern (maybe its just in my head( but compared to first cinema, second and third seem to be of a "warmer" quality or "a little lesser" quality. There's more of a grainy feel to the second and third due to the emotional proximity and meaningful message.
Third cinema doesn't aim to make profit off the cinema. Its really just there to show a radical and leftist perspective with protest of against authoritarianism, racism, capitalism, and imperialism.
A lot of the protests and such we see today demonstrate those political movements, and if recorded, could probably be labeled as Third Cinema.
But all in all, I learned that it is general to be reflective of Third World experiences and histories during the Cold War, Third World mostly comprised of decolonizing countries
Capitalism as the root cause and infrastructure for these two connections. One is the type of cinema from Mimura while the other is where refuge comes from.
Another factor of such protest against imperialism that the Asian community sought to fight for was Visual Communications, an organization with one mission to reclaim stories about Asian American communities.
Honestly pretty cool how they all are taking the initiative to really stand up for their rights and what they want to show to the world that has been hidden for years.
Third cinema and Visual communications relate and basically stand to represent for this section of Prashad's argument on ow Bruce Lee was a positive impact for the AA movement.
Week11
At the Crossroads of two Empires (Seshagiri)
So in this text what I got with "Crossroads" and "empires" is that Asian and Asian American figures are often positioned between two empires and not really belonging to a single like national story. Cross roads is to show ambivalence and that while Asians are useful, they are not fully included in media and while they are not visible, they are not centered.
Seshagiri emphasizes that this is not accidentally and its structural position through racial modernity.
Why are Asians so often workers, helpers, or intermediaries?
This is reflected on the "empire"s need for racialized labor that is efficient but politically muted. Seshagiri explains why Asians are frequently essential to the story but rarely allowed to really own it and make themselves as the stairs or main characters.
This explains why Asian characters in media are often visible yet marginal and they just remain structurally peripheral (basically the behind the scenes people for the actual main characters when they already do so much for the entirety of the film)
I think Seshagiri's main point is that representation can coexist with exclusion, and why inclusion does not necessarily translate into belonging.
Both connect back to the idea that Asian Americans are just seen as mindless/secondary workers.
Model Minority Terrorist (sohn)
Theres the quote "the model minority becomes the perfect corporate employee" meaning meritocracy rewards intrinsic talent, skills, and effort
I feel like the word "terrorist" in the title is a little whoowee but the article goes in depth about racial formation being unstable, model minority citizen can easily become a suspected terrorist. This could create a lot of isolation.
The use of wording and how the words are portrayed could unintentionally be limiting and separating
Sohn points out that there's an easy transfer of "the efficient, hard-working, and productive Asian American" into corporate culture (241); qualities of model minority employees (conformist, obedient, apolitical) enables them to get behind aims of profit maximization
Week 8
Habal's SF International Hotel (Estella Habal)
IT was really inspiring to read Habal's excerpt especially since she was one of those young activists during this protest.
Not just that but also having other young Filipinos come together to help fight was really refreshing for me to hear. Showing that there was “no ’generation gap’ among Filipinos” - young Filipino activists connected with manongs (unlike white antiwar counterculture)
And with Habal explaining her 8 chapters of her book about this experience, with the rise of the I-Hotel, I love reading about the opening of the International hotel Manilatown Center, especially as an exhibition and expression of community power and performance space for recovery of the first Filipinos.
Goes into detail on how the I-Hotel provided a distinctly Filipino experience characterized by a "unique intergenerational bond" (pg 3) in an area that was mostly white community and pretty foreign to these Filipino war veterans and immigrants.
This was really touching to me even while seeing the movie to see how a small minority community could come together to really make a space that is safe for them like makes me want to go to this part of San Francisco for myself and see!
Refugeetude (Nguyen)
Refuge is said to be deeply structured by capitalism in the United States. And it works in conjunction with race and gender.
Political freedom and life does not be granted even when you get granted the political asylum, you had to start from a low wage labor with few opportunities' to bring yourself up as much as you can. And these struggles are prominent in refugees.
This kind of means to me that there is a never ending process of a refugee being a refuge and just that you have to constantly work hard in your life to keep up.
Nguyen approaches refuges as an enduring condition of consciousness. Lived embodied experience of being a refugee "exceeds" legal understandings
Nguyen wants to destabilize the category of "refugee" and to think differently about the temporality of refugee and the difference subjectivities or psychic state that might fall under or relate to it.
Week 9
Detroit Blues (Zia)
"It felt dangerous to have an Asian face"
This kind of hit home a lot not personally but it was something that I am not surprised it is a phase.
Having an "Asian face" is a trait I definitely realize, by having, is a trait that can be noticeable and I guess can kind of create a certain type of stereotype or way of distinction in society.
This reading highlights role of women in leading movement, also exposes many missteps & failures in initial trial (no eyewitness testimonies; murder weapon in arresting officer’s office; no prosecutor when judge decided on probation)
This to me was just a lot of injustice that I noticed and lack of structure in the justice system.
In the reading, Zia acknowledges general discomfort among Asian Americans in talking about race as this would disrupt their “assimilated” peace
With the Vincent Chin case, despite its outcome, left precedents & infrastructures for future racial justice movements for/by Asian Americans
Week 10
Inscrutable Belongiings (Sohn)
Sohn examines queer Asian North American fiction to challenge narratives of progressive optimism found in LGBTQIA equality movements (pages 1-2) and post-racial thought (page 8). These novels reveal that queer Asian North American characters face ongoing material violence and social death, making survival itself an achievement rather than expecting traditional romance or marriage plots (pages 3-4).
Suggests race and sexuality intersect: Queer Asian Americans face unique social inequalities not fully addressed
A key concept of Sohn's argument is social death: Queer Asian North Americans experience alienation from biological families, legal exclusion (historically), and cultural invisibility. They are often disowned, expelled from homes, or face psychological distress when coming out, forcing them to live double lives between racial and sexual identities.
Do the parents feel any bit of remorse or regret in the concept of social death or disowning their children? To what degree are they taking it too far to realize the bond between the families might be gone completely?
Week 14
Transformers (Tajima Pena)
Her definition of Asian American cinema is quite different from Feng. There's a bit more flecibility about thinking with geographical and national traits.
I find it interesting but also not surprising that Chan is Missing, Better Luck Tomorrow, and EEAAO are the three forms of cinema Pena chose as "cultural transformers".
Chan Is Missing highlighted by portraying Asian American life in all its diversity rather than as a monolithic experience.
Better Luck Tomorrow challenged audiences with characters and themes that defied simplistic expectations and stereotype-based storytelling.
Everything Everywhere All at Once brought a new level of mainstream, creative energy to Asian American cinema, celebrating multiplicity, hybridity, and emotional depth, showing that stories rooted in specific cultural experiences can have broad universal appeal.
Pena also argues that Asian American cinema really develops cumulatively not randomly. With each film being 20 years apart, I think this author really saw the development and evolvement of AA cinema and how it portrays Asian stereotypes or addresses it in different ways.
Asian American Media Activism (Kido Lopez)
What does good representation really mean? Cultural Citizenship
Different than just having that legal citizenship but it does not promise fullness of cultural citizenship. Groups or individuals could be excluded for the differences, so it raises the question, who kind of sets the standards of the "positive" view of the culture.
Lopez suggests that we turn to advertising as a generous site of analysis in critiquing these representations.
How can we find that middle ground between Asian American communities and portraying them with the usage of humor/comedy without backlash that it is racist?
Lopez wants to use the momentum of the rise of digital and social media forms that can enable Asian Americans to self produce their own content and bypass barriers to access/entry
Media activism fights for cultural citizenship (Desai), a collective endeavor (not individual level), creating networks of cultural citizenship to impact the broader the community. Citizenship encompasses such broad range of concepts the process of granting/denying is subjective
Week 12
Model Machines (Bui)
Bui states that there is a "close relationship between contemporary post 1965 development of Asians as a hyper productive model minority. (p 2)
He says that Asians" embodiment as a "machine" has to do with their positions with the machine (capitalism). I think understand this bit since asian people are frequently describe as automatons as unnaturally fit to the demands of modern capitalism.
Bui says to be human is to have self control, rationality and autonomy as it is separated from "nature (animals", "religious tradition", and the divine rule of kings (p 10)