Mr. Yunioshi and Eastern Asian stereotypes

This week's readings and class discussions made me think a lot about how stereotypes have been perpetuated, specifically when it comes to Eastern Asians and Asian-Americans (a term that is kind of strange because Asia is a huge continent that also encompasses many peoples and nations, including the so-called "Middle East"... whatever that may mean). Anyway - similar to what Sam said a few posts ago, pop culture has continued these stereotypes.

Concerning yellowface minstrelsy, the first thing I thought of was Breakfast at Tiffany's (which is actually one of my favorite films). Mickey Rooney plays Audrey Hepburn's Japanese landlord, Mr. Yunioshi. His character is constantly yelling at his tenants to be quiet in, of course, broken and heavily accented English. This depiction in particular is extremely racist in light of Allied propaganda against the Japanese during WWII. Mr. Yunioshi bears a frightening resemblance.

Sometimes I feel as if our culture thinks its not "as offensive" to make remarks about Asians or Asian-Americans but I've never been able to pinpoint why. I still hear people openly talk about Asians eating their pets or mocking Asian accents. But why is that okay? I feel like Said's thesis of Orientalism is still very relevant today; Eastern Asians seem forever foreign.

Mr. Yunioshi in Breakfast at Tiffany's and Allied Propaganda from WWII

I also recently re-watched Big Fish which features a set of female Siamese twins named Ping and Ling in the film (which reminded me of the "original" Siamese twins Chang and Eng). Though I didn't find this portrayal particularly racist (though they were, of course Eastern Asians), it was interesting that they had two separate torso but shared one pair of legs - something that is probably medically impossible. Ping and Ling, by nature of their body (bodies?), made me think of geishas - Japanese women who typically entertain in music and dance but are also often associated with prostitution.

The stereotypes of blackface minstrelsy (the Coon, the Sambo, the Jezebel, the Mammy) are also still pervasive in pop culture. Even black entertainers have used these stereotypes to sell their films - think about Tyler Perry films or Eddie Murphy's or Barbershop. On the surface it doesn't seem like these characters echo blackface minstrelsy, if you really look it then you see those stereotypes coming through.

In short, though yellowface and blackface minstrelsy may not be openly performed or accepted anymore, their impact on pop culture is undeniable. (I now realize how haphazard and scattered this post is but I had a lot of thoughts on this topic!)