Where are the Asians?

Have you noticed that there are very few AAs on TV shows?  

And those that are are not in leadership roles?  There are lots of black bosses (think Captains Montgomery or Gates on Castle) - but you don't see any Asian bosses.  

Overall, female AAs seem to be doing better on television than male AAs.  There are a number of smart female AA characters who aren't objectified as sex kittens or dragon ladies:

Grace Park on Battlestar Galactica and Hawaii Five-0

Lucy Liu on Elementary

Sandra Oh on Gray's Anatomy

And some male AAs are also portrayed as smart and resourceful:

Daniel Dae Kim on Hawaii Five-0

But AA males are, by and large, portrayed as emasculated geeks.

Matthew Moy on Two Broke Girls

You'll never be a real American

Has anyone ever told you you speak English very well?

Has anyone ever asked you where you are REALLY from?

Those are called Microaggressions and are used in the Perpetual Foreigner Stereotype to imply that AAs cannot or will not assimilate into US culture.

This ever happened to you?

r2

Are you a member of the Model Minority?

So the Model Minority Stereotype paints AAs as hardworking and economically and academically successful.  But, we're also seen as passive, unaggressive, inscrutable, and non-team players.

Have you ever experienced this stereotype?  
If so, how did you handle it?  

Does it bother you?  

Are you proud of being a member of the model minority?

Please tell us your story.  

r2

Are you an Asian American?

As Asian Americans we live in multiple worlds.  We are bicultural and can move between worlds.

But do our non-Asian friends really understand that?  Are there times when they just don't get it?

This blog is for AAs to talk about their experiences living in the US.  Feel free to rant about your Tiger Mom or the joys of eating rice.

As for me - I moved to the US from the Philippines when I was 3 - so I consider myself generation 1.5.  I'm getting my doctorate in Education and have begun doing research on the lives of Asian Americans.

I invite you to join in this conversation.

r2