Asian American’s

History &
Representation Images
in Hollywood

LESSON UNIT 2
GRADE 12
MS. VICKY TO
 Finding The Truth

 Americans and Asian American Pacific Islanders (AAs/AAPIs) were

often commonly associated with Model Minority, which is a minority
group that is superior to another minorities group. As a result, people
believe Asian American does not have to deal with discrimination like
other ethnic groups such as African American.
 However, similar to any minority group, Asian American have
experienced racism since they came to the United States. There is no
doubt that Asian Americans are unrepresented in films and the media.
While Asian men were emasculating, Asian women are hyper fetishized.
Now, times are changing; more Asian American directors are creating
films.
 Still, directors place themselves in the box of similar stereotypes given
to them by the Hollywood film industry. Therefore, Asian Americans
Through Media will introduce, explain many issues that are effecting on
Asian American's image, and suggesting some possible solution to
inspire youth helps to stop these problems.
Model of Minority Pyramid

White
(Caucasians) The model of
minority pyramid is
the standard of
Asians/Asian
Americans privilege that divided
a group of people
based on the social
Black construction
(Africans/ African
Americans)
 Key Points

 Overall image of how Asian American women stereotyped form

and to exist in American’s Media.
 Including critical terms "Lotus Blossom," ”Dragon Lady,"
 Introduction of Asian Women's image in the media and how
does it effecting their life.
Before we start, first let’s ask yourself
these following question:

1. HAVE I EVER COME ACROSS

A MOVIE IN WHICH THE
ETHNIC OF THE CHARACTER
IN THE FILM (ESPECIALLY
FEMALE ASIAN) WAS
PRESENT BY ANOTHER
ETHNICITY (NON-ASIAN)?

2. HOW DO I FEEL ABOUT

THAT?
How Asian Americans women
were underrepresented in the
media ?

 Asian American women not only face discrimination

as Asian (Racial) but also as women of color
(Gender)
 From the historical background, AA women have to
face many stereotypes and discrimination from
America based on their gender that was created by
legislation and social expectation.
 Asian American women were also facing the “color
problem” as well as their appearance.
Asian American Women Represented in
Hollywood
 Historically, Asians have been constructed as a
homogeneous group of “Orientals” and following
stereotypes have permeated many media formats:
“yellow peril,” “model minority,” and gendered
divisions such as “dragon lady” and “lotus
blossom/Madame Butterfly” for women, and either
“emasculated/undesirable” and “born martial artists”
for men.
 Many of these stereotypical portrayals came to
existence during the mass of Asian immigrants
starting in the mid-19th century and the turn of the
20th century “yellow peril”. While these are all
important in the field of studying Asian and Asian
American representations, we will focus onto gender
stereotypes and “model minority”, for being one of
the more recent identification factor.
 “Lotus Blossom”

 There are two different roles of Asian

American woman, "Lotus Blossom" and
"Dragon Lady.”
 “Lotus Blossom” describes Asian
American woman who is quiet, gentle,
modest and obedient. The “Lotus
Blossom” is exactly the opposite of the
“Dragon Lady.”
 The Asian American women who are
“Lotus Blossom” always seem like they are
innocence and pitiful; many men will be
willing to help her or even take care of
her.
 “Dragon Lady”

 A ”Dragon Lady” is a stereotype of East Asia,

occasionally South and South East women as
strong, deceitful, oppressive, or mysterious.
 For example: Lucy Liu's character O-Ren Ishii in
Kill Bill, Angel girls from Charlie’s Angels
 It was evident that man is more likely to choose
Lotus Blossom rather than Dragon Lady.
 “Lotus Blossom” is a compliment to the Asians
American woman, but “Dragon Lady” is an
insulting term to Asians American woman.
Because when an Asian American woman
becomes a "Dragon Lady," she will have a hard
time to get married.
Asian American women stereotyped
in American’s Media

 The early film portrayals of Asian American women have modestly

affected the Asian American community. Films always have been a
medium in how we perceive different imagines in life. In the early
time, when Asian had not immigrant to America, the people who
lived in America do not know what is Asian, how they look like and
how they should perceive a new genetic of people.
 As a result, that image had spread nationwide and affected the life
of the Asian American community. When Asian American go out in
public, others look at them and naturally related to the image that
they had seen in the film that negatively affects the Asian American
who live beyond the screen.
Can You Remember?

 Name some of the characteristics that

represent “Dragon Lady” & “Lotus Blossom”
characteristic.
 Can you think of any Asian/Asian Americans’
movies and characters that under the gender
division?
Julie Chen – Asian plastic
surgery

Julie Chen’s Eyes

surgery link video

https://www.youtube.co
m/watch?v=DGcgn65db
5Aa
NOW SPEAK YOUR MIND AFTER
WATCHING THE VIDEO

 What is your thought on the short video about Julie Chen’s

journal to become “American”?
 Was Julie Chen's choice to have eye surgery to improve
her career too high a price to pay?
 Would you do it?
 Why or why not?
Can You Guess?

 Guess what does POP CULTURE means?

 What does P.O.P stand for?
Colonialism’s Victims

 P.O.P Culture – Celebrities, Film, Social Media, Brand.

 What is P.O.P Culture stand for?
 Power: the ability to have control or influence over a
group of people
 Oppression: the use or misuse of power
 Privileges
 Women of color are the victim of cultural
appropriation and beauty standard that developed
throughout colonialism and imperialism
FIND AND TRY

 So far, you have learned what is pop

culture is and what is p.o.p stand for.
 Now create a list and give an example of
each category of pop culture that you
have learned in this lecture.
THE COLOR PROBLEM

 How they were viewed by their own culture

transitioned to how Hollywood portrayed them. In
”This Bridge Called My Back” – The Roots of Our
Radicalism :
 “… all of us have been victims of the invisible
violation which happens indoors and inside
ourselves: the self-abnegation, the silence, the
constant threat of cultural obliteration. “ (5)
 “We were born into colored homes. We grew up with
the inherent contradictions in the color spectrum
right inside those homes: the lighter sister, the mixed-
blood cousin, being the darkest one in the family. It
doesn't take many years to realize the privileges, or
lack thereof, attached to a particular shade of skin
or texture of hair. “ (5)
THE GENDER PROBLEM AS WOMEN OF COLOR

 Followed historical anthropology and

dominant mainstream culture, the West
has imagined and constructed Asian and
Asian American women and men to be
opposites.
 The dominant culture has portrayed
Asian American women in two contrasting
portraits: we have the “Lotus Blossom”
and the “Dragon Lady.” Ultimately, the
way Asian women were constructed
through Western media eroticize their
race and culture, legitimizing white male
power.
 “Culture form our beliefs. We perceive the version
of reality that it communicates. Dominant
paradigms, predefined concepts that exists as
Borderlands by unquestionable, unchallengeable, are transmitted
Anzaldua to us through the culture.” (Ethnic Studies, Posted
Collegiality, and International Studies , 888)
reading link

borderlands / LA FRONTERA
by Anzaldua
“The culture expects women to show greater
acceptance of, and commitment to, the value
system than men” (Ethnic Studies, Posted
Collegiality, and International Studies, 888)
 Slaying the Dragon: Reloaded
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tFP5oH0aZlE

 Followed historical anthropology and

dominant mainstream culture, the West
has imagined and constructed Asian
and Asian American women and men
to be polar opposites. Dominant culture
has portrayed Asian American women in
two contrasting portraits: we have the
“Lotus Blossom” and the “Dragon Lady.”
 Ultimately, the way Asian women are
constructed through Western media
eroticses their race and culture,
legitimizing white male power.