Asian Majority

So, I blogged earlier about Miley Cyrus and the photo taken of her and her friends making slanty eyes which is mocking to Asians. After quite the weak “apology”, she finally came out and provided a more sincere one after pressure continued to mount. The backlash continues with a lawsuit being filed against her by lawyer Lucie J. Kim, and even Margaret Cho getting in on the act and calling Miley a “disgrace” (on a tangential note, great job Lucie! Smart way to show we won’t stand down and to bring some nice publicity to yourself.

I have to say that I am proud of the Asian Community finally standing up and making noise. We will no longer be silent!

Still though, I want to put some context around everything. I have looked through many news sites, blogs, etc. and viewed various comments and would like to provide a viewpoint on some of the most popular ones.

1) “She’s just a young teenager!”
But she’s not. She’s a celebrity and as such, you unfortunately don’t get the same rights and privileges as other people. Celebrities are not the same as you and me. Also, if she did something insulting to say African Americans or Jewish people, would they say the same line that she’s just a teen?

2) “I’m Asian, and I’m not insulted.”
This one just makes me sad, and yet we are often the product of our society. Up until now, the mass society said it’s ok to make fun of Asians, but I hope the tide is changing even more now. Anyhow, hopefully these people become independent thinkers and not brain-washed anymore.

3) “This picture is taken out of context.”
I have to agree that there may be a lot of validity in this one. I’m not saying that it excuses the initial unapologetic behavior, but if I were to make a bet on whether or not she really is a racist, my guess is likely not. Was she just having fun with friends? Possibly. Probably. And yet, as I mentioned before, you need to respond appropriately and apologize anyhow because as a celebrity, your actions impact others. You just don’t have the same rights.

4) “There’s an Asian guy in the picture!” or “The Asian guy is making round eyed face making fun of Caucasians.”
It’s a bit related to comment #3. And also though, it may be related to #2. I don’t know what that Asian person is thinking. Maybe they’re all close friends having fun and being goofy. Maybe he’s brainwashed and hates being Asian. I don’ t know. It’s a tangential point though. Interesting thought though. I wonder what the impact would be if say say John Cho and a bunch of Asian people pushed in their faces to make “Caucasian” eyes would be. Likely the public sentiment would be to throw a bunch of racial slurs at them. Sad…there isn’t even a really young teenage Asian person I can think of as a celebrity of the same fame.

5) “This lawsuit is ridiculous!”
Yes. Agreed. The thing you need to remember though is that this isn’t really about money. It’s about making a statement and saying that it’s not ok to make fun of Asians. Do they really think they’re going to win money in such a suit? No, I don’t think so, but in America, this is one way to make a statement. Is it the most effective way? It definitely does have an effect. More powerful may be economic protest in no longer purchasing or endorsing her shows, products, etc.

I think this covers the big ones. Feel free to comment or ask for an opinion on your own thoughts or others you have seen out there.

One of many articles: http://www.nydailynews.com/gossip/2009/02/12/2009-02-12_comedian_margaret_cho_calls_miley_cyrus_.html

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