i was basically the only chinese kid in my midwestern suburb, and over the last several years i think i’ve exorcised a lot of the racial self-resentment i grew up with
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however, i’m a lot more judgmental of asian-american culture (boba, streetwear, anime, youtubers, subtle asian traits, abg/abb rave subcultures) than i’m comfortable admitting i hold this perception that a lot of asian american dialogue is shallow, complacent, and uncritical
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historically most of the asian american media i’ve come across (e.g. films, books, op eds, memes) is thematically unpolished and reliant on tropes like “stinky lunchbox” or “mistaken for the accountant”
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the cliches are broadly relatable for 2nd gen western diaspora asians, but the diversity of asian american experiences is only just beginning to be explored and represented in public
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i’d like to see and hear about more asian american people: - struggling with their emotions - being bad at math and good at art - embodying “coolness” and taste - having poor families and complicated histories - failing earnestly, breaking rules, suffering consequences
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Replying to @choosy_mom
IMO "being bad at math and good at art" is actually even more cliche than "stinky lunchbox". Moreover, stereotypes or not, "being bad at math" is a really dumb way to define oneself.
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Replying to @yeetgenstein
hmm yeah you’re probably right, and i’d guess that most of the people who write asian american thinkpieces prob identify that way it’s a challenge to narrativize identity with the awareness of stereotypes, but also in a totally non-reactive way
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Replying to @choosy_mom
Stereotypes are flat representations, and directly reacting to stereotypes is also usually flat. If you are simply honest and true to the complexities of reality then stereotypes are automatically broken. I liked the recent movie The Farewell for this reason.
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Replying to @yeetgenstein
yep agreed, besides the actual reality of cultural norms around terminal illness, the farewell didn’t really lean on its asian-ness for its appeal—it was just good storytelling
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Replying to @choosy_mom
The best part of The Farewell for me was that it touched on diaspora in general — Chinese-Americans but also Chinese-Japanese. Increasingly I don’t like the Asian-American identity because it focuses too much on Americanness. I am more interested in Asian diaspora in general.
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that was one of the most compelling aspects of the farewell in college i spent a semester in singapore and met a ton of diaspora kids whose families immigrated between asian countries—i’d never seen a character like that in an american film before
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