First thing I went over, that was not me trying to figure out what to base my Rock posts on, was on the focus of video games. Besides giving a definition, I also covered some famous mascots that are related to video games and their influence. Sure there are American and Asian game mascots such as Mario of the Nintendo franchise or Master Chief from the Halo series, but is there any Asian American-created mascots? None at the moment that are really memorable and largely known by the public, but maybe someday there might be if they can pull it off.

Next thing I covered was if there was any Asian Americans high up in the video game industry, only to come across the living “meme” known as Reggie Fils-Aime. He is of Haitian descent and the only one I know that is not in a lower position. I don’t think the other companies had a head of their company that wasn’t Caucasian, but I could be wrong if they recently rotated a new person in. Anyways, Reggie is the only one I know because of how “popular” he became regarding his quote, “my body is ready,” and that I’ve probably been playing Nintendo made games longer than any other brands.

The last thing I covered was the depictions of Asian characters in American-made video games. From Mortal Kombat to Def Jam: Fight for NY, the portrayals of Asians has not changed much. Sure they don’t have those particular “accents and dialects” or the stereotypical bucktooth appearance, but some things don’t go away so easily. As I pointed out, Shang Tsung from the Mortal Kombat series possesses the qualities that resemble Fu Manchu, including the facial hair in some of his incarnations throughout the series. Aside from that, he possesses the ability to manipulate others through his skill of pretending to be other people and the fact that he can use telekinetic magic as well. That does not mean this applies to all portrayals of Asian characters in American video games. Some were hardly there like Faith from Mirror’s Edge, who you can only tell is Asian if you looked at the reflection on some windows. Another one a fellow classmate brought up was the protagonist of Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars, which was Huang Lee, song of a Triad boss.

Despite all this, I’m content with the information I learned from the readings, lectures, movies, and the information I sought out for myself to create these Rock posts. I’ve learned more about Asian American culture ever since my first class here in Evergreen, which focused on Japanese Americans during World War II. I also got to learn some stuff about my own culture, the Filipinos and Filipinas and how the stuff they portrayed has actually happened in my lifetime. Unfortunately, my study on Asian studies is about to come to a grinding halt due to the lack of classes focusing on the general topic next quarter, causing me to take classes that have little to no interest to me. It’s just to get the max credits needed for me to be out of here as soon as possible. Maybe next year there will be more classes that will study Asian or Asian American culture, but until then I must bide my time bite the bullet.

THE END

Initially, Nao started losing her way after quitting school and not doing so swell on her exam tests that her mother told her to take. She kind of lost the will to do something meaningful, even with the “supapawa” she learned from Jiko. Her father lost the will to live after failing to win the auction to get her daughter’s panties back from some unknown “hentai”. After his failed suicide attempt, Nao left home and started working under Babette at a “maid cafe” which actually operated as more of a brothel. Her loss of a direction in life and a strong father caused her to become a worker under Babette, where she served men who paid for her service. The first guy was a nice rich man who seemed to have a shota complex, which is hinted on how he kept dressing Nao in his clothes and liked her better bald or with extremely short hair, only leaving her when her hair started to come back to its original length. Her next customer was a “hentai” who got frisky before they even reached the room. It’s here that she received a text telling that old Jiko was on the brink of death. Without giving a second though, Nao ran away, losing the only way to financially sustain herself, but also gaining her freedom back.

For Ruth, she could be seen as losing some of her sanity. She kept obsessing over the diary and the messages she had sent to the professor that she asked her husband, Oliver, if she was going crazy, to which he responded that she might be. Though she loss some sanity apparently, she gained the answers she was looking for and learned more about Nao’s father and Haruki #1 and how he hated the war and despised the treatment they were receiving while in training. Meanwhile, the family lost the cat Pesto during a storm and assumed he was dead.

Nao, feeling lost on how to get to Jiko’s in time, stops writing further on in her diary, giving the reader the assumption she gave up and killed herself. Wanting to know more, Ruth “transcended” time and space and “met” with Nao’s father, telling him not to kill himself and that Nao needs him more than ever. Cut to Nao meeting her father at the station and both of them fixing loose ends, resulting in them going to see Jiko together. When they arrive, Jiko writes a last poem that says “to live on” and they both interpret that as Jiko’s message to have them not throw away their lives, but live on together. The loss of Jiko brings them together, which is a gain in this matter as well. With this established, Ruth gains an ending she could live with, I guess, and they rediscover Pesto, barely alive, and are able to nurse him back to health after awhile. Finally, although not as important, it can be said that Nao and her father lost the drive for suicide, and instead decided to pursue on the hopes in living, which eventually paid off in that Nao’s father made a good program that erases personal things on the Web while Nao decided to write a book on Jiko’s life and how it spurred her to live on. I guess you can say they gained aspirations.

When Nao returns home with her father, her life is returned to turmoil once again. She left a place where she had a peace of mind, at least most of the time, to a place where everything wasn’t right without Jiko around. School is like hell for her, where she is hardly noticed and when she finally is, it’s for the wrong reasons. For example, a sukeban named Reiko sexually harasses Nao in the bathroom and ends up selling her panties off in an online auction. Using the lesson she learned from Jiko to use her “supapawa”, Nao publicly announces herself in class one day, which stuns everyone in the room and she never returns afterwards.

For Ruth, living on the island away from an urban atmosphere seems to be driving her towards boredom. It’s not until Nao’s lunchbox washes on her shore that she finally gets some excitement back in her life. This isn’t without a cost though as her constant search for answers causes people around her, including her husband Oliver, to think that she might  be a little crazy. The island is supposed to be a sort of isolation from the busy world, but for Ruth it’s not much for a writer to spread out their wings.

On another note, the Internet can seem like a place too. It holds all the clues and answers Ruth needs to solve the case on Nao Yasutani, while it can be a “wretched hive” for others like Nao when personal belongings are sold to strangers on a probably global scale.

The main character of this movie, Mina, is a female Indian born in Uganda. The movie starts around 1972 with Alin forcibly evicting all Asians from Uganda. Mina’s father, Jay, argues against Okelo, a pure Ugandan, that he can’t leave home because he is Ugandan just like everyone else. Unfortunately, due to Jay’s actions against Alin, Okelo thinks it’s best for him to leave, especially telling Jay directly that he can’t stay because he is not a black Ugandan. The conflict here is the issue of shadeism in that Jay and his family do not qualify as Africans since they’re not of the same skin pigmentation as Okelo or the other Ugandans. Fazed by this remark, Jay and his family leave Uganda for London.

Jump 20 years later, and now we have an older Mina who seems less traditional and disciplined than her parents, but still identifies herself as Indian. Unfortunately for her parents, she is more “American” than them and doesn’t see as many problems in America as they do. Demetrius on the other hand is an African-American who is just working to support his family, but mostly his old father. When Demetrius and Mina meet via a car accident, they start seeing each other more and everyone is fine with it, until it’s discovered that Demetrius and Mina lied about what they were doing and actually spent a night together.
Everyone then starts judging by the tone of their skin, and the “bond” between Demetrius’ business and the Indians living at the motel is shattered.

Another thing is the mention of “massala”, which is a mix of hot spices. This term applies to the movie in more than one way. First off it can apply to the relationship between Mina and Demetrius. Instead of two of the same “ingredients”, this is a mix of two different ones that creates something new, hence the interracial relationship. An alternate view is that of Mina’s parents, although they’re Indian, they consider themselves Ugandan as well and protest against leaving the rest of Uganda. Finally there’s Mina, who has added an American element to her own since she is young and not quite as attached to her family’s views as her parents and fellow residents are.

First off after learning about the whole Fu Manchu stereotype, I couldn’t think of a better character to fit that than Shang Tsung from the Mortal Kombat franchise.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Not only does he sport the same look, or at least some aspects of it via the facial hair, but in the games he is known for his ability to manipulate people, even physically via sorcery. Thankfully he doesn’t have the stereotypical Asian accent, but while we’re discussing the video game series Mortal Kombat, it should be noted that the head villain throughout most of the series is Shao Kahn, whose aesthetic and probably his name, have an Asian appearance.

The helmet, the shoulder armor, the evil in his eyes?

Another Asian character would have to be Kasumi Goto of the Mass Effect series, respectively only 2 and 3. I first have to be honest in that I never played the game, but instead watched my brother play it because I just wasn’t really into the game. I played the first one, but not the others. Anyways, in the game, she is a thief who is masterful with the skills of stealth and infiltration. Sounds like a ninja, or in this case a kunoichi right? One couldn’t really tell if she was Asian based on her physical appearance, or at least I can’t, but her name gives it away. Also she mentions to the player if one his or her crew mates like “Japanese girls with a penchant for kleptomania”. And while we’re on this topic, she does possess a “strange” behavior that seems foreign to the rest of the crew. What kind of crew mate decides to raid a person’s underwear drawer during a party where everyone is having fun dancing?

Click here to view the embedded video.

Scouring over web sites to find American games that featured Asian characters, I never thought I’d have to come to Def Jam: Fight for NY. The character here is Kimora, who is based on a real woman named Kimora Lee Simmons, a former fashion model. I never have heard of this woman before, to be honest. Anyways, back to her video game depiction. She is wearing a kimono-esque dress that was probably made just for sex appeal. Sure the game is all about fighting, and it confuses me after reading about Def Jam in Kato, so I won’t say it’s stereotypical that she can fight. That aside, there was one thing I just had to, well, just watch at 0:43 of this video and maybe you’ll understand.

Click here to view the embedded video.

One more game that I forgot to mention was Bloodwake for the old Xbox. I remember this one well because it was one the first few games that I played when we got our Xbox, alongside Project Gotham Racing. Anyways, the game’s protagonist, Shao Kai, is apparently left for dead by his older brother Shao Lung. This game takes place in a setting that’s primarily Asian-themed, with exotic islands and “clans” that wage battle against each other via armed boats. Shao is only Asian by identity, but his older brother has this peculiar “accent” that’s supposed to make him sound like an evil Asian archetype, that or the voice acting was shoddy, which seems accurate for a game of its time.

Click here to view the embedded video.

I know I could’ve mentioned more, like Faith from Mirror’s Edge or Chell from Portal, but I think this is enough. Also, thanks to this article for giving me references on where to find depictions.

Full article here.

As for Kung Fu and Hip Hop, Bruce Lee’s use of Jeet Kune Do is what inspired the Beastie Boys to follow suit and make their own type of music, one that was a mix of almost everything. Sure there was the mention of Game of Death and how his opponents each represented a different obstacle, but I thought the most important part was between Lee and the Beastie Boys. If it wasn’t for his “inspiration”, who knows what might have become of the band.

]]> http://blogs.evergreen.edu/56aapc/a-tale-for-the-time-being-reading-part-i/feed/ 0 http://blogs.evergreen.edu/56aapc/impressions-on-my-name-is-khan/ http://blogs.evergreen.edu/56aapc/impressions-on-my-name-is-khan/#comments Sat, 22 Feb 2014 15:58:36 +0000 http://blogs.evergreen.edu/56aapc/?p=214   “We will overcome”

Initially, I didn’t know what to expect from this movie. Just from the title alone, I assumed it was probably a documentary on Southeast Asians. Instead, it’s a fictional, yet realistic tale of a Indian male by the name of Khan who lives with the condition known as Asperger’s Syndrome. Despite this, he is a simple, good-natured man who is always trying to find a way to help others. After his brother Zakir leaves for the United States for a better life, their mother soon passes away and Khan takes it upon himself to fulfill his mother’s wish of having a better life.

Upon arriving in the United States, Zakir takes him in to give him work and pay. Zakir isn’t really fond of having Khan over since he used to be jealous of how Khan got all the attention when they were growing up back home. It should be understood, though, that the reason Khan received more attention was how fragile he was due to the social anxiety and difficulties caused by the onset of Asperger’s Syndrome. Eventually he meets an Indian woman named Mandira and comes to know her son Sameer. Eventually they all get to know each other well that Mandira and Rizvan Khan marry, already having formed a family with Sameer on board.

The 9/11 attacks spur this movie into a dramatic downward spiral. The attacks bring rise of prejudice against those of Middle Eastern and Southeast Asian descent. This culminates into the ultimate loss for Mandira, when Sameer is killed by bullies at school who picked on him because of his race. Mandira takes out her anger and sorrow on Khan, blaming him for her son’s death. Seeing no other way to appeal Mandira, Khan sets out to do what she told him and seeks out the president of the U.S. to tell him that he is not a terrorist. Along the way, his good-natured attitude affects those he meets, including Mama Jenny and her son in Wilhemina. It is interesting to note that the African American community there treated him as their own, despite his difference. He returned the favor by singing the common song “We Will Overcome” with the choir there, signifying that  he is not the only one struggling to make it in the world.

When he tries to meet the president, he is misheard and branded as a terrorist by the crowd, causing him to be apprehended. Thankfully a duo of Indian college students bring attention to his case, causing him to be released after it’s determined that he isn’t a terrorist. He returns to Wilhemina after it’s hit by a terrible storm, and lends a hand in helping the remaining community survive. His actions portray a positive image for all Middle Eastern and Southeast Asians, causing them to aid in the recovery efforts to show that they are as American as everyone. In the end, justice was served and Khan got to meet the president, who was now Obama.

This movie played plenty of themes. One theme was prejudice, which had a few forms in this movie. The prejudice of race was apparent before and after the ordeals of 9/11. For example, when Khan told Zakir he was going to marry Mandira, Zakir mentioned he can’t marry her because “she is a Hindu”. A post 9/11 example would be the anger towards Hindus, Indians, or anyone with a South Asian descent due to the threat of terrorism. Another theme present in this movie was the journey motif. Khan had no idea on how to live in the U.S., but used his remarkable skills to repair almost anything to help him along the way, just to prove he isn’t a terrorist. He travels not only from his homeland, but a great expanse over the American nation, just to win Mandira’s love back and to win justice for all those who are suffering the same prejudice as him. Finally there’s the theme to “overcome”. Not only did his Khan’s mother sang it, but the choir at Wilhemina and Mandira as well. Almost everyone in the movie sang the song. It’s a symbol that eventually all obstacles and misunderstandings will come to pass someday. It may not be immediate or sometimes in a person’s lifetime, but eventually there will come an understanding that will bring everyone together, no matter what their background.

For the movie Enter the Dragon, it was almost everything I expected from the reading of Kato. The action was good for a movie of its time, and I was surprised to see Bolo Yeung play as “Bolo” in the movie. I only remember him from the movie Bloodsport where he was the main antagonist against Jean Claude Van Damme. I forgot to put this down earlier, but there was kind of a spy element that was somewhat reminiscent to 007 movies. While “Lee” didn’t have any guns or superficial gadgets, he snuck around with a quality of stealth and used cunning skills to subdue guards and create distractions. Regarding the fight with Ohara, I watched the reaction of the crowds and saw some people jump ecstatically rather than getting up and clapping. They were clearly entertained seeing Wall get the crud beat out of him despite the fact they were not supposed to show much emotion or cheer. For Han, I saw the qualities of a Dr. Fu Manchu stereotype in him. Han was not very masculine and had a sinister appearance to him, sporting the dark gloves and a stand-out robe or uniform that defines him as the head of the school. Han was also ruthless, executing his own guards for their incompetence and murdering Williams for not cooperating with him. He also uses manipulation to try to have Roper work with him in his opium ring, but due to Roper’s rejection, Han has Roper attempt to fight Lee to the death for both of their actions regarding his underground operations. For Lee’s character “Lee”, it did not really portray the Charlie Chan stereotype as much. Sure he was respectful and helped those that were being bullied, like the Chinese on the boat bullied by Parsons, but he also exhibits a punisher-esque attitude by finishing off some of the opponents he ended up fighting against, such as Ohara or the unfortunate guard who tried to take him on but ended getting his neck broken. There was also the moment where a girl was begging for Lee’s help to release her from a testing chamber, but he ignored her plea and continued with his mission. This can be seen from different perspectives though: Either he didn’t think it would be safe at the moment to release her in Han’s fortress, or that he couldn’t concern himself with her because she’s probably going to ruin his sneak attempt. Overall, the film was entertaining, albeit a bit disturbing at some parts, especially with the scene of William’s corpse hanging over a pool. I know some people don’t like fighting, but it is part of the Asian American pop culture that bolstered the confidence of Asian males.