Why Is It Okay To Make Fun of Asian Americans?
February 29, 2008 by daranee
Many whites hate the phrase “politically correct” because they see a double standard. Why is it that Don Imus gets in trouble for calling women hos when Snoopy Doggy Dog can get away with it?
In this post, I’m not prepared to either defend or castigate Snoop or Don Imus for the above, because what I’m most interested in is why some people feel okay crossing a boundary sometimes but not others. What races can we make fun of, what ones do hesitate before doing so? Is it okay to make fun of your own race? Can you earn the right to make fun of another?
In Spike Lee’s Bamboozled, Michael Rappaport used the n word in front of Damon Wayans saying he’s earned the right to use it since he’s married to a black woman. I think this scene shows Rappaport’s character for what a fool he is. There is no magical wand that will make what he says not have bite.
Here’s an article about major college campus newspapers deriding Asian Americans:
For instance, in October of 2006, Jed Levine published a “modest proposal for an immodest proposition” for the UCLA Daily Bruin. Speaking as a white male, he identified as an “underrepresented minority” and pointed to Asian Americans as the real problem who took away admissions slots from Black and Latino students and proposed a solution to the “Asian invasion” as funneling “young Maos and Kim Jongs” into a new UC campus “UC Merced Pandas.” In January 2007, the Daily Princetonian published its annual “joke issue” that included a satire of “Lian Ji”, a twist on Jian Li, the Chinese American student at Yale, who filed a complaint with the U.S. Education Department for Civil Rights claiming his rejection from Princeton was due to his ethnicity. The joke article, from “Lian’s” point of view was written in broken English, complaining that Princeton did not accept “I the super smart Asian,” and touting the stereotypical nerdy Asian American credentials of winning record science fair awards, memorizing endless digits of pi, and playing multiple orchestral instruments simultaneously for the New Jersey youth orchestra. Ultimately, “Lian” accepts his fate at Yale saying, “I mean, I love Yale. Lots of bulldogs here for me to eat.”
Most recently, Inside Higher Ed reported on yet another satire in the University of Colorado at Boulder paper, The Campus Press, which resulted in controversy and a statement by the chancellor. In the satire, Max Karson, noticed the tensions that Asian American students exhibited towards whites. While pointing out the racial tensions on both sides, Karson deduces that Asians just hate whites, and it was “time for war.” Such efforts included steps to find all Asian Americans on campus (easily identifiable by areas of campus they frequent and by their ability to do a calculus problem in their heads), forcing them to eat bad sushi with forks; and a test for them to display emotions beyond a normal deadpan (read: inscrutable) face. At the end, Asian homes will be redecorated “American” style, replacing rice cookers with George Forman Grills and the like.
What made these writers feel comfortable saying what they did? Is the perceived successfulness of Asian Americans the thing that makes it seem okay to make fun of them?
Thank you Marcella for sending me this.
It’s probably, in part, the vocal potential of various groups. Black people are united and have a strong political presence. Other peoples don’t seem to have quite the same level of unity and organization.
Islamic groups are stating to become stronger, though. At least where I live — Toronto is very multicultural — we have a huge Pakistani population and I’ve noticed since I’ve moved back here that they have a much greater political presence in the city.
While living in the states I didn’t get that feeling from many ‘ethnic’ communities, at least not on a national level. The only other community approaching the political power that African-Americans have is the Hispanic community.
*slaps his two cents down on the counter*
Fraser’s comment is the other myth. Cf. Zia’s _Asian American Dreams_, which documents, time and time again, how Asian Americans have indeed protested since the time of the Chinese railroad workers in Cali. Yet time and time again, the mainstream media (i.e. non-Asian American community papers) do not report these protests. It’s as if the media wants to cultivate the image of the silent, passive and therefore “good” minority against which the whites and every other minority can dump their psychic insecurities and frustrations and . . . envious spite. Recall the Korean greengrocer in NYC who shot and killed a black teenager in her store. When she was let off with a mild sentence with parole, the leader of THE primary Asian American coalition in NYC protested the injustice of her sentence and stated that she should have done as much time as a recent black who had killed a Korean. This was a prepared press release. NOT ONE NY PAPER REPORTED THIS PROTEST, NOR ANY OTHER NATIONAL MEDIA. ON THE CONTRARY, Asian / Americans were depicted as holding a double standard behind their wall of “silence.” But it’s worked: for the most part, Americans really believe that Asian / Americans might invite their own dismissal through their passivity and ’silence.’ Wag the dog.
Thank you both for your thoughtful comments.
But can you say that Asian American groups are as well organized and funded as African American groups, at the national level? That’s what truly matters in todays media driven markets.
What is the purpose of having a ‘good minority against which the whites and every other minority can dump their psychic insecurities and frustrations…’ etc etc.?
It is never okay, to belittle anyone on grounds of race. As a black british woman, i can’t really comment on the American situation, but what i will say is that the point about don imus vs snoop dogg is a valid one.
NO One in my community used the N- word until we started hearing gangster rap in the 90’s