Asian-Americans have come a long way despite the forms of institutional discrimination and racism they have faced in the past. In fact, according to a study by the US census, Asian Americans are the fastest growing racial group in the United States.
They have made great leaps into assimilating into American culture however, the stereotypes Asians are portrayed as in the media has not changed for the better over the years. Movies are one medium in which often negative stereotypes are reinforced and Hollywood is a notorious offender. We rarely see Asian heros or heroines, and more times than not, Asian actors and actresses are cast embodying some sort of Asian stereotype.
For example, in the movie Pitch Perfect, the Asian is over dramatically portrayed as a strange, quiet nerd. There is also the common stereotype that Asians are good at martial arts or kung fu. Or just crazy and weird. And we can’t forget how highly Asian women are sexualized and portrayed as sexually promiscuous.
That’s why free lance writer Suey Park,decided to start the now trending hashtag, NotYourAsianSidekick. Through the use of twitter, Suey was able to open dialogue and spread awareness about the hurtful stigmas and stereotypes inflicted upon Asian-Americans. I interviewed the board members of the organization, Asian American Pacific Islander Student Activists at Emory to see what they had to say about their experiences being Asian American and the issues their organization hope to address.
Regarding the combination of technology and social media, social media spheres such as twitter and Facebook can prove to be extremely effective mediums for promoting social activism and social change. Within four days of Suey Park’s first tweet with the hashtag, NotYourAsianSidekick, the hashtag has reached the twitter feeds of more than 95 million users. More essentially, important dialogue and discussion regarding Asian-American stereotypes were brought to the attention of those who did not even realize these issues existed. AAPISA hopes that they can grow a larger community of awareness not only within the Asian American community, but also within Emorys student body as a whole.
They have made great leaps into assimilating into American culture however, the stereotypes Asians are portrayed as in the media has not changed for the better over the years. Movies are one medium in which often negative stereotypes are reinforced and Hollywood is a notorious offender. We rarely see Asian heros or heroines, and more times than not, Asian actors and actresses are cast embodying some sort of Asian stereotype.
For example, in the movie Pitch Perfect, the Asian is over dramatically portrayed as a strange, quiet nerd. There is also the common stereotype that Asians are good at martial arts or kung fu. Or just crazy and weird. And we can’t forget how highly Asian women are sexualized and portrayed as sexually promiscuous.
That’s why free lance writer Suey Park,decided to start the now trending hashtag, NotYourAsianSidekick. Through the use of twitter, Suey was able to open dialogue and spread awareness about the hurtful stigmas and stereotypes inflicted upon Asian-Americans. I interviewed the board members of the organization, Asian American Pacific Islander Student Activists at Emory to see what they had to say about their experiences being Asian American and the issues their organization hope to address.
Regarding the combination of technology and social media, social media spheres such as twitter and Facebook can prove to be extremely effective mediums for promoting social activism and social change. Within four days of Suey Park’s first tweet with the hashtag, NotYourAsianSidekick, the hashtag has reached the twitter feeds of more than 95 million users. More essentially, important dialogue and discussion regarding Asian-American stereotypes were brought to the attention of those who did not even realize these issues existed. AAPISA hopes that they can grow a larger community of awareness not only within the Asian American community, but also within Emorys student body as a whole.