I, of course, was drawn into this Slate article on racial preference and dating by the teaser on the front page, which read: “The Myth of the Asian Fetish,” and featured an Asian woman’s face.
Yet, the corresponding article did nothing to debunk any such “myth.”
This is the most the whole article gets into the whole thing, which is based on some speed dating analysis:
We found no evidence of the stereotype of a white male preference for East Asian women. However, we also found that East Asian women did not discriminate against white men (only against black and Hispanic men). As a result, the white man-Asian woman pairing was the most common form of interracial dating—but because of the women's neutrality, not the men's pronounced preference.
I feel like the researchers or at least the writer of this article doesn’t really get the idea of an Asian fetish. I’ve never particularly thought all white men like Asian women – just that there is this certain exotification of them that has to do with hundreds of years of colonial history. (Edward Said, anyone?) The whole study seems kind of weak anyway. It would be cool if there was some kind of social test that a researcher came up with to look at the Asian fetish and how it plays out at bars. I also thought it was particularly weird, maybe even offensive, that this article seems to claim that there is no such thing as an Asian fetish, and if there was, it is really Asian women who are perpetuating it.
Thoughts?
Posted by neela at 12:41 PM | Comments (6)
There have been some interesting studies/conversations about which young people are using what social networking site, basically what it means about you and your background if you are on MySpace all day versus Facebook.
The most recent one looks at the race breakdown of these sites, concluding that Asian Americans use sites like Xanga and Facebook way more than they are using MySpace.
Regarding race and ethnicity, the most pronounced findings concern students of Hispanic and Asian origin. Hispanic students are significantly less likely to use Facebook (60% compared to 75% or more for other groups), whereas they are much more likely than others to use MySpace (73% among Hispanic students compared to 58% or less among all others). In contrast, like White students, Asian and Asian American students are much more likely to use Facebook than others, but they are significantly less likely to use MySpace. Additionally, this group of students is especially active on Xanga and Friendster compared to others.
Have people noticed this? I don’t count in any of these surveys cause I’m old, but I did just join Facebook and it is easier on the eyes than MySpace. Xanga does seem to be a primarily Asian space. Does it matter?
Do people remember the early social networking spaces for Asian Americans like Asian Avenue and the now-defunct South Asian-focused ChaiTime.com? What are active/popular social networking sites specifically for Asian Americans now? And with Facebook, do people actually use these?
Posted by neela at 5:28 PM | Comments (3)
The Asian American Arts Alliance celebrated its 25th anniversary with a star-studded gala, GALAXXY. Since 9/11 the AAAA has reached out to community organizations to help in rebuilding Chinatown. Karma paid them back, with plenty of big names coming out to the AAAA gala to support their efforts on behalf of artists. Hyphen's Rikki Massand reports from the Tribeca Rooftop on Tuesday, October 16th, while enjoying sushi and an open bar.
Willa Kim was also honored by the AAAA. One of the foremost costume designers in ballet, theatre, opera and TV, Kim has been honored many times since 1964 including Emmy, Tony and Obie Awards.
Margaret Cho watches the presentation from the front table with Knox Chandler.
It was not a regular Hollywood or Manhattan red-carpet affair. This time the stars lighting up the night were proudly representing a demographic: Asian America. From our young and hip screen stars like Kal Penn (special honoree) and Jason Kyson Lee to those who’ve pursued music careers such as Bora Yoon and DJ Rekha, this was one evening filled with talented people from all walks of life that can serve as inspiration to a generation with more than enough visions of Britney, Paris, Ashton, LeBron, and Jake Gyllenhaal to go around. For once Asian Americans and several New York icons celebrated the community’s achievements and growing representation in the arts, and I caught up with some of them to reflect on their different paths and the event itself.
Former New York Times Editor Gwin Joh Chin takes the podium before a DVD tribute to Willa Kim’s achievements.
The evening’s emcee was Azhar Usman, an outspoken Muslim comedian who thinks the world of Kal Penn as an actor. Usman remarked that Dave Chappelle will still be talked about 50 years from now while the likes of George Lopez and Carlos Mencia are not well-regarded in the comedians’ circles.
“The bottom line is our community is generally under served, but we think that the cultural arts are a very important part of giving our communities a voice. Tonight you won’t just see Chinese, Japanese, Korean, but maybe 23 different diverse groups and many different languages.”
– Rockwell J. Chin, Board President of the Asian American Arts Alliance.
Will Lee from TMZ.com with media hostess extraordinaire Liliana Chen
Reporting and photos by Rikki N. Massand.
Posted by melanie at 11:45 AM | Comments (0)
Eric Wong was honored alongside Kal Penn and Willa Kim at the Asian American Arts Alliance's “GALAXXY” gala on the TriBeCa Rooftop last month. Wong is the Chief Marketing Officer of Bad Boy Entertainment and Senior Vice President of Marketing for Atlantic Records. Hyphen's Rikki Massand shared a few words with the man of the hour.
What does this honor from the AAAA mean to you?
“First I’m really honored and excited to be recognized by the Asian American Arts Alliance. It’s definitely a fantastic honor for what they do in promoting awareness and talent it’s fantastic to be a part of it. For me working behind the scenes and being able to work with all the fantastic artists that I do it’s great to just be recognized by my people.”
Have you had a rough road because of your race?
“I never looked at it that way. I had the dream; I wanted to be in this industry, I wanted to do it and somehow I am able to do it. I just never had the idea that I can’t do it because I’m Asian or I can’t do it because there aren’t a lot of Asian Americans in the music business. It was my passion and dreams so I followed it, so I’m very privileged where I am but it took a lot of hard work to be where I am.”
On Kal Penn:
“Fantastic actor. I wish him the best of luck in everything. It’s fantastic for him to be recognized so I support all his endeavors.”
Are you a “Harold & Kumar” fan?
“Totally. I’ll honestly admit that I really am. Ever since I saw it I got the DVD and everything. Fantastic.”
Posted by melanie at 11:13 AM | Comments (0)
Gala co-chairs B.D. Wong and Nusrat Durrani take the podium at the beginning of the presentation.
San Francisco’s own favorite son B.D. Wong, the accomplished Broadway and Hollywood actor who currently stars in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, said he is encouraged to see the progress made by Asian Americans in the arts. Hyphen's Rikki Massand chatted with Wong at the Asian American Arts Alliance Gala this October.
On the AAAA’s 25th anniversary:
"I feel like as artists we really depend upon organizations such as this because I know that in my experience with my own family there was always a sense that the arts was kind of a secondary, less important kind of thing. The alliance has forced people within the community to have an understanding that the work of an Asian American artists and an aesthetic is essential and part of what being an Asian American is – not just an extracurricular thing. That in itself is a huge contribution to all of our lives as Asian Americans."
On the young Asian American stars at the gala and their presence in Hollywood:
“I definitely feel that things have gotten better [as far as representation]. I felt since the beginning of my career a sense of moving forward.....it’s really slow progress so I go back and forth between complaining about it and celebrating it. I think things will always be that way."On “Harlod & Kumar Go To White Castle” and the connection Kal Penn makes with the younger Asian American audience:
“To make any connection to the younger generation is a vital thing that we really don’t get the opportunity to do very often as a community. For that movie in particular and for those actors in it to be able to establish themselves as role models just by being in it and by establishing a sense……there was always, when I was younger, a sense that Asian people weren’t funny; we’re not able to be funny or considered funny. I always found that very damaging and embarrassing and when I became an actor that was something that was perceived to be an obstacle, so anything that breaks that down is really valuable to us. The success of the movie is part of putting us on the map in the way – seeing us in a light we haven’t been seen in before and that’s not to be taken lightly at all."
Favorite theater production he’s worked on:
“Everything means something to me in a different way. For my career I appeared in my first Broadway play which was M. Butterfly, and that play was really meaningful to me for my career, it was an incredible part and that kind of would be my first answer. At the same time it wasn’t my heart’s favorite; it wasn’t my favorite positive experience it was just an incredible time in my life and it was a great part – the part of a lifetime. But there have been other productions that have meant jus t as much to me in different ways but I’d say that one though."
Wong played Father Ray Mukada on HBO’s Oz – he spoke about the show’s cutting edge dramatics during its run:
“I feel that there are a lot of shows that are continuing to explore some of the stuff that was in Oz, that the corner was being turned at that point where you could push the envelope on a non-network station. The envelope that was being pushed is continuing to be pushed in different ways and different channels, like I saw the ads on television for “Dexter” – no, no for “On the Bus” – with a picture where the leading actor had blood all over his face. When we were kids you could never see anything like that. You could never see anything like that on network; there was a whole other kind of parental control that actually came from the network itself. Now that stuff is kind of available and I think that our show was a part of turning that corner, not the only reason for it."
Do you see HBO continuing to put out hit programs?
Things go in waves and I don’t really think it’s because Sex and the City, Oz and The Sopranos aren’t on anymore….I just think it’s about what’s next and there’s bound to be something great.
Does BD miss the Bay?
"If I could do what I do in San Francisco I would do it – I would live there my whole life, all the time 24/7. I miss it and I visit a lot."
Posted by melanie at 10:56 AM | Comments (0)
DJ Rekha performed for the audience at the Asian American Arts Alliance's 25th Anniversary Gala on October 16. Hyphen's Rikki Massand caught up with DJ Rekha just a week before the launch of her first album, "Rekha Presents Basement Bhangra," in stores now.
What does this organization [the AAAA] mean to you?
“I’m a big supporter of the Asian American Arts Alliance. I’m very excited to be asked to perform – it means a lot for an organization to be around for 25 years and do what they’ve done. I was recently involved with them at the launch of their first free outdoor festival; I helped curate it and did the sound design for it, and Lilian (Cho) has been doing great work forever."
On Kal Penn and the other stars in attendance:
“I’m a fan of Kal; I met Kal a long time ago on the set of American Desi, which I don’t know if either of us will admit to. I think Kal’s doin great work – it’s amazing the visibility he has and he’s still a down to earth guy."
“I am a huge Margaret Cho fan. I love Margaret Cho – she’s great, she’s unabashed, she’s in a burlesque show now I think. It’s great. She’s awesome.”
Current projects:
“I’m releasing my debut album on October 23rd and that’s what I’ve been working on for now.”
Posted by melanie at 10:39 AM | Comments (0)
James Kyson Lee, who plays Ando Masahashi on NBC’s television series Heroes, attended the Asian American Arts Alliance's 25th gala. Here's a chat Hyphen's Rikki Massand shared with Lee atop the TriBeCa Rooftop in New York City last month.
Tell us about your interest in the Asian American Arts Alliance:
“Well, I’m here to support Liliana [Chen] and this gala. I think it’s great that they’re recognizing some of the leaders in the community. You know this is important for us as a community to come together and really celebrate some of the milestones and achievements and strides we’ve been making. I think we need more of a presence whether it’s in the entertainment world, the political world, or in the media and this is one way to empower us and keep it going.
On Kal Penn as an actor:
“I’m a fan of Kal’s work. I think he’s a good actor and he has the ability to go back and forth between comedy and drama. There’s a sensibility about him that’s really genuine – it’s what I really like about him. He’s just doing some really good work to represent our community and I’m really happy for him. I’m glad he’s being honored.”
On the many celebs at the gala, the different careers they’ve had and the presence of Asian Americans in arts and entertainment:
“It’s growing, especially a lot more now than it was 20 years ago. Now we have some prominent faces – shows like Grey’s Anatomy, Lost – so we have a lot more strides to make but Hollywood is slowly catching up with what the world really looks like. We still have to show as a community that we are a marketable demographic and that we do have a voice, we do have an identity. But it’s going to take some time and it’s getting better.”
Posted by melanie at 10:20 AM | Comments (0)
For all you Bay Area folk, swing by the Asian Art museum tonight and check out the last MATCHA event of the year, "Photography, Fashion, + Film".
Dive into the heart of the vibrant Asian American film scene with special filmmaker guests, a YouTube challenge featuring interactive screenings, media installation, and live production of short films. See the creations of Issey Miyake, Yohji Yamamoto, and other renowned Japanese fashion designers in Stylized Sculpture: Contemporary Japanese Fashion from the Kyoto Costume Institute, or explore time, life, and spirituality in Hiroshi Sugimoto: History of History. Try a hands-on activity, stroll the galleries, take a guided tour of fashion in the museum’s collection, mingle over cocktails, move to indie / new wave tunes spun by DJ Nako, and much more.
Don't forget to stop by our Hyphen table and say hi.
5:00–9:00 pm
FREE with museum admission ($5 after 5pm)
Posted by lanlian at 12:56 PM | Comments (0)
Your Hyphen editorial staff was hard at work on Issue 13 when the strongest earthquake since the 1989 Loma Prieta one hit on Tuesday night.
It gave us all quite a jolt (har har) — creative director Stefanie couldn't decide whether we were supposed to go under the table or in the doorway. Managing editor Neela immediately surfed to SFist.com to find out the magnitude. And intrepid editorial assistant Jimmy cowered under the table, which, perhaps not so helpfully, was made of glass.
As a San Francisco native, I would like to say I take earthquakes in stride, that I am completely unperturbed when buildings and freeways sway around me. But the truth is, you never really get used to them. Maybe it's because I remember the devastation after Loma Prieta, the fires, the shattered windows, the broken concrete. Maybe it's the terrifying image of the collapsed Cypress Freeway that killed 40 drivers and haunts me to this day, so that I still get tense when driving under another freeway. Or maybe it's the fear that this quake is finally The Big One, the one that will finally fling San Francisco into the Pacific once and for all — or just the 7.0 one that is expected sometime in the next 25 years.
But San Francisco is a city that doesn't let stuff like this shock it. The earthquake's moment in the news cycle lasted about as long as the quake itself; the next day's news was all about the closing of the Castro for Halloween.
And Hyphen was back at work polishing up the next issue, which should be in your hands very soon.
Posted by lisamac at 11:59 AM | Comments (3)
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