Asian Americans In Popular Culture
Asian Americans in Popular Culture The American media today is extremely selective and biased in what it shows to us. ... Asian people in particular are not only extremely underrepresented but are also frequently found in the most unflattering of roles. One such example of this is the popular cartoon series King of the Hill, in which a strikingly stereotypical Chinese family plays one of the key parts. ... That’s right, they’re the Hills next door neighbors as well as the “bad guys” of the show, and even their name is clear dig at Asians (implying that all Asian names are long and difficult to pronounce). ... In one episode, Kahn tricks Hank into joining his all-Asian country club so that he can be responsible for filling their “Caucasian quota”. ... This kind of obsession with grades and work- ethic is a very commonly seen stereotype of Asian people, and is especially dangerous because people often see hard work as a good thing and assume that when they attribute it to an entire ethnic group that it is a compliment rather than a negative bias. Another common stereotype is of the extremely traditional and obedient Asian woman, of which Min Souphanousinphone is the perfect example. ... She basically fades into the background, and this, in itself, illustrates a stereotype of Asian women. Finally, we have the “shy, obedient Asian child”, Connie. ... Even though the family here is from Laos, they are still associated with a part of history that belongs to a completely different Asian country. ... It is not surprising to see an Asian girl fall for a white boy in the media.