Essay about The Media as a Mirror of the Asian-American Women

Imagine a distant post-apocalyptic future in which a group of researchers discovers a stack of DVDs of 20th and 21st century Hollywood movies of Asian American actresses. After watching those movies, what might the researchers conclude about the characteristics of Asian American women in the movies? Certainly, they will view Asian American women as sexual and erotic objects of the society that white men can score with ease. Why do I assume they will think that way? The answer is a simple, yet controversial one: mostly, the media, as the history proves, portrays Asian American women either as erotic sex slaves of white men or as insidious personalities who lure their prey into a trap with their sex appeal. If we look into the history,†¦show more content†¦As a result, the Asian females lost their sense of â€Å"individuality† and â€Å"diversity of what it means to be Chinese.† As Connie accents, the stereotypical representation of Asian women increased du ring â€Å"the US involvement with the Philippines wars, Japan and China in World War II, and more recently, the Korean and Vietnamese Wars† because the American soldiers saw Asian women â€Å"as prostitutes and sexual objects who provide rest and recuperation from the war zones† (as cited in sitemaker.umich.edu). As time passed and media came into existence, stereotypical names, such as â€Å"Dragon Lady† and â€Å"China Doll,† of Asian-American women began to represent the Asian American women as sexual and erotic objects in the media. â€Å"Dragon Lady† is a â€Å"dangerous and seductive woman† whose nature is â€Å"belligerent† and â€Å"domineering† (yourdictionary.com). Historical roots of the â€Å"Dragon Lady† date back to the late 1800s when in the imperial China, the empress, Tzu-hsi, suffered the â€Å"Dragon Throne,† a term used to identify the removal of an emperor of the imperial China (asian-natio n.org). The New York Times labeled her as â€Å"the wicked witch of the East, a reptilian dragon lady who had arranged the poisoning, strangling, beheading, or forced suicide of anyone who had ever challenged her autocratic rule†Show MoreRelatedMovie Analysis : Mean Girls813 Words   |  4 Pagesclassified developing our ideas of how these work in social setting specifically on those of teenagers. From the start of the movie we clearly see the categorization of groups of students together because of their race, we see African Americans together, Asian Americans together and groups of white students together. The movie Mean Girls also defines the status of a group because of their economic status, we hear one of the students describing how someone is so popular because she owns two expensiveRead MoreBeauty Culture: An Examination the Effects Media Has on Society 1440 Words   |  6 Pagesthirty-three billion dollar industry, with the cosmetic industry following close behin d with twenty billion yearly (Wolf 16). However, this obsession with beauty is not without cause. As stated in Body Image: Understanding Body Dissatisfaction in Men, Women, and Children, â€Å"In affluent Western societies, slenderness is generally associated with happiness, success, youthfulness, and social acceptability. Being overweight is linked to laziness, lack of willpower, and being out of control.†(Grogan 325) DespiteRead MoreCultural Proximity And Cultural Distance1523 Words   |  7 PagesJapanese economy soared, its media products such as manga, TV shows, movies and music spread out across Asia. Especially, the young people in Asia began to embrace Japanese culture rather than the culture from the most dominant culture exporter- the United State, and this phenomenon was analyzed by Koichi Iwabuchi in his Feel Asian Modernities. His account of this intra-regionalization in Asia is cultural proximity that Japanese culture shares intimate similarities with other Asi an countries and appeal toRead MoreThe Little Mermaid For Example1632 Words   |  7 PagesHuman beings have always endeavored to make themselves more attractive. Adorning jewelry, clothing hairstyles, and beauty products in the effort to heighten our beauty has been practiced and even celebrated by women for centuries. However, with more technologies and advancements the world has entered into a new enhancement: Cosmetic Surgery. The question that I pose is: Why? Why is it that this â€Å"body-changing culture† has enveloped the female world? Beliefs of beauty are so deeply engrained intoRead MoreStereotypes And Stereotypes Of The Movie The Single Moms Club 1323 Words   |  6 PagesIn today’s society, media portrays more stereotypes than we can count on one hand. Latino’s and Latina’s are particularly stereotyped in media way too often. â€Å"This overview of the most common Hispanic stereotypes portrayed in the media reveals why sweeping generalizations about Latinos are harmful† (Nittle). Whether it is a male or female Latin actress/actor, the stereotypes rage from: Latin lovers and sexpot’s to thugs and immigrants. When in reality, not all Latino’s are what the stereotypes claimRead MoreStereotypes in M. Butterfly Essay1558 Words   |  7 Pagesbuys into the Western male stereotype that Eastern women need protection by strong, masculine Western men. Gallimard ends up falling in love with Song and has an affair with her to fulfill the stereotypical idea of a dominant Weste rn male controlling an Eastern woman. Throughout Gallimard’s relationship with Song, the readers discover that Song is in reality a male spy for the Chinese government. Song had manipulated his looks and actions to mirror those of the ideal Chinese woman in order to earnRead MoreFactors That Affect Social Mobility Essay1338 Words   |  6 Pages1) What are some of the factors that affect social mobility? Can these be overcome? Education: â€Å"Over the past fifty years, Asian Americans, Latinos/as, and African Americans have placed great importance on education as a mean of attaining the American Dream. Many people of color have moved into the upper middle class by acquiring a higher level of education† (Kendall, D. 2014. p.219). Attaining an education does not always guarantee wealth and success for persons of color all the time, but it isRead MoreThe Effects of Media on the Body-Image of Preadolescent Girls1997 Words   |  8 PagesThe Effects of Media on the Body-Image of Preadolescent Girls Media is infamous for having a tremendous effect on teenage girls. The mass media have long been criticized for presenting unrealistic appearance ideals that contribute to the development of negative body image for many women and girls (Harrison Hefner, 2006). Whether it’s the influence on their choice of friends, school, or their self image, media has played an important role in affecting those decisions. A growing number of experimentalRead MoreGloablization4764 Words   |  20 PagesMisconstructed African American Beauty and Hip-Hop Culture Kerri A. Reddick-Morgan Georgia State University kreddick1@student.gsu.edu Abstract From news coverage to entertainment, the media shapes, reflects, reinforces and defines the world in which we live. In publishing, theatre, films, television and popular music-industries largely controlled by white men--Blacks continually struggle for both a voice and representation. Many scholars write about the stereotyping of Blacks in the media (Meyers, 1999;Read MoreThe Double Standard Of Cultural Appropriation : What Is Wrong With Your Favorite Pop Stars?1474 Words   |  6 Pagesthem a significance that is completely different than the original. With pop culture, pop stars like Katy Perry, Miley Cyrus, Gwen Stefani, Selena Gomez and Iggy Azeala have all engaged in displays of cultural appropriation. This creates a stir in media and politics because there is a fine line between musical influence and cultural appropriation and some individuals are simply not aware of this difference and what consists as what. Cultural exchange in music videos and performances can be seen as