Asian Heritage Month 2021 Newsletter: issue two

The prevalence of Asian popular media has increased throughout recent years, corresponding to the growing global connectivity. From the 1960s, Asian media outlets have worked to gain proportionate control against the Western media dominance. As a result, media like Bollywood, K-pop, and East Asian dramas have generated an enormous North American audience. The popularity of K-pop is a result of their unique performances, dance style, and meaningful lyricism. Many groups such as BTS delve into thoughtful topics within their lyrics, touching on important social issues and struggles that many other artists would not consider delving into. K-dramas showcase many unique plotlines and character arcs, providing new perspectives to their viewers. Bollywood has seen significant growth, producing over 1,500 films each year, many times more than the U.S. These films and dramas educate individuals on the culture, language, and societal norms they would otherwise not be exposed to. Nevertheless, cultural and language barriers continue to impact the global success of Asian media due to the enduring stereotypes and inequities within the media industry.

Going beyond media established in Asian countries, Asian culture is represented in Western media as well. Asian communities are often subject to under-representation and/or stereotyping in media; these falsities perpetuate harmful stereotypes, creating one-dimensional characters that do not accurately portray the diversity within Asian groups. Specifically, a dominant stereotype in media depicts Asians as intelligent, awkward, and reserved. This superficial character type upholds the model minority myth that Asians are all successful and hardworking, lacking other personality traits. These stereotypes cause harm to the Asian population and other people of colour due to its underlying argument that racism does not exist in light of the success of Asian immigrants in Western countries.

Another problematic issue in the depiction of Asian culture in Western media is cultural appropriation. That is when the dominant Western culture takes elements from Asian cultures without consideration for the true meaning and significance of the cultural aspect, due to this systemic power dominance. Many Asian countries have traditional garments such as a Chinese qipao, a Japanese kimono, or an Indian sari. However, their cultural significance is often reduced to ‘oriental fashion’ when thoughtlessly worn as trendy items or inappropriately worn by people/characters. The fox eye ‘trend’ and yellow face are other examples of how media can use the power imbalances to take advantage of marginalized cultures. 

Anime is a recognizable form of animated cartoon originating from Japan. Over the years, anime has gained popularity in North America, attracting diverse viewers with many genres and animation styles. Using dramatic editing, facial expressions, and colours, Japanese anime has a distinct visual appeal. Building on this, queer coding is widely evident in anime series, as male characters are given more effeminate features, while female characters present more masculine features. Although not inherently positive or negative, queer coding can bring queer representation into media even without explicitly acknowledging the fact — one example of this is using nosebleeds to hint at sexual attraction between characters of the same sex. Therefore, the portrayal of these characters must understand the impact they may have.

It is crucial to address the longstanding discriminatory and racist practices in the Western media industry. However, it is also essential to acknowledge the individuals who have broken through those barriers to create accurate representations of Asian culture in stories and those portraying the characters. In recent years, Asian-led movies and TV shows have become household names such as Minari, Parasite, Crazy Rich Asians, and the upcoming Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. These films have abandoned stereotypes to illustrate engaging stories that maintain the authenticity of their Asian characters. Sharing these under-represented stories on such a large scale can notably influence how people perceive the diverse Asian population. Deservedly, Chloe Zhao and Youn Yuh-Jung have made history with their Oscar 2021 awards for Best Director and Best Supporting Actress.