So I visited a few on-line newspapers and using their search function I entered, “Asian American.” Some interesting returns have connected nicely with topics discussed in our seminars. Even though some of the stories are from last year, they are good reads– perfect for the Scissors category.
The first two are from the New York Times:
As Parents Age, Asian-Americans Struggle to Obey a Cultural Code
This article is about Asian Americans who distance themselves from the tradition of caring for their parents. At the prospect of being sent to a home many elders believe being in a nursing home creates “trouble in the head.”
“In a country that is growing older and more diverse, elder care issues are playing out with particular resonance for many Asian-Americans. The suicide rate for Asian-American and Pacific Islander women over 75 is almost twice that of other women the same age.”
Star Types and Stereotypes: Maggie Q and Lucy Liu: Asian-Americans as Leading Ladies
Lucy Lu; Elementary
Next, this one takes a look at Asian American women on television and how they are overcoming stereotypes– mostly.
“In both cases [Maggie Q-- "Nikita," and Lucy Liu-- "Elementary"], though, the actresses and their writers have avoided or transcended easy stereotypes. A lot of effort has gone into humanizing Nikita, and making her a sisterly or even maternal figure for the younger assassin Alex (Lyndsy Fonseca), and the emphasis on violent action has decreased over the show’s run. In “Elementary,” Watson has embraced her role as apprentice detective after suffering a catastrophic failure as a doctor, taking some of the shine off her super-competence. And unlike other characters in the same mold, she appears to have a normal, nonneurotic romantic life.”
Watch out! Angry little girl is sharing her feelings
When I read this next one in the Los Angles Times, the first thing that came to mind was the Secret Agent Man we read about in East Main Street. This main difference is that this comic is from a female point of view and has become a TV show.
“Against all odds — Lee figured — critics from the LA Weekly and the Los Angeles Times gave it sparkling reviews, saying it offered “bold dialogue on subjects often kept unspoken.” Twenty people went up to her after the showing, telling her, “I love ‘Angry Little Asian Girl.’ She says everything I want to say. I was her growing up.”
“It’s not easy being a girl, stuck with mean parents, a dumb boyfriend and annoying friends,” Lee says, by way of introducing her main character. “I love the freedom of being able to say just what you need to say.”
The comic-strip heroine acts out where her creator never had the nerve. Lee tells of being raised by ultra-strict parents, the youngest of four daughters in a Korean American household who were constantly pushed to achieve and “be somebody.”