Asian American Men and the Mass Media

Throughout the age of mass media, mainstream American culture has consistently stereotyped straight Asian American men as asexual and subordinate, thereby denying them their full measure of humanity and masculinity. What's worse, this stereotyping has not been the product not of a media conspiracy but of the free market action. Movie studios and TV networks are simply maximizing their profits in response to the overwhelming demand from mass audiences, predominantly white Americans, for content that affirms the sense of entitlement and centrality of white male protagonists at the expense of all others. The racist perception that Asian men are less than "real men" pervades mainstream American culture, and profoundly impacts the life chances and self-image of all Asian American men. For Asian American activists who join with most progressives in viewing white gay rights advocates as comrades in arms, the accompanying article may come as disappointing news. As Jason Chang has found, the racist subordination of Asian American men -- often internalized as self-hatred -- is endemic not only in mainstream America, but in the counterculture of gay America. Chang has identified an injustice that straight and gay Asian American brothers should challenge together.

Andrew Chin (www.ModelMinority.com)