Anna Sophia Moran:
As an Asian who grew up in a majorly Oriental environment, I realized that I have never had to think about the topic of Asian American masculinity until recently. Comparing my experiences from back home and in college has really exposed me to the level of emasculation Asian American men experience and the racialization that accompanies it. Based on the readings this week, it seems that Asian American men are often in a complex bind of maintaining the role of the "model minority" while handling the rough issues that accompany being an ethnic minority.
Sarah Feldberg:
I thought it was interesting that Bruce Lee was abstinent in the film - this makes him seem slightly more honorable, and certainly more ascetic, than Williams and Roper, but it also made me think to a comment I read in the Kung Fu book we passed around class the other day criticizing Romeo Must Die because it failed to write in any kind of sexual relationship between Jet Li and Aaliyah. To whomever penned this commentary, Jet Li's character's lack of sexuality was regressive and invoked derogatory stereotypes about Asian American men's lack of virility. And so, even though Bruce Lee's footwork - and his bravery and integrity - are awe-inspiring in the earlier Enter the Dragon, it did seem interesting (and again politically fraught) that Lee's sexuality was "occluded."
Marian Stacey:
[In Enter the Dragon] there are a few clichés that I did find troubling. In particular, the idea that Asian men are sexless (i.e. Charlie Chan), but Lee's character has his choice of women, and the audience can see that he obviously makes a conscious choice to abstain from sex...It would have been truly amazing if Lee had been able to elevate Asian women as well, but I understand the feeling of great pride that Lee managed to challenge the stereotype of feminized Asian men, not because he changed himself, but because he was true to his culture.
Veronica Bruscini:
Lee's fight sequences portray all the mastery of his art combined with the magnetic grace and agility associated with Fred Astaire, and he centers Asian nationalism within the onscreen image of his powerful body. Like Lee, Chan employs the Kung Fu genre to solidify the film presence of the strong Asian male; however, Chan's more approachable characters add a further dimension through comedy, evoking Buster Keaton alongside Gene Kelly (Shu 7). Lee's invincible "super man" protagonists come off as remote and austere, and for some, this undermines his intent, reproducing rather than dispelling the "orientalist" stereotype.
Marlene McManus:
Where is the Asian American male role model for Asian Americans? Does one exist at all? How could we define him? Perhaps someone with an American birthplace and unaccented English, who lives a life as culturally 'American' as anyone else. Someone whom Danny Kim, the protagonist of Don Lee's short story "Yellow," could look up to...Where is the "unquestionably American" Asian American role model for Danny, a person who desires complete disassociation with the nation and culture of his ethnicity? Surely Danny would protest to Bruce Lee's focus on China's political woes with the Japanese and the British, as well as Jackie Chan's broken English.
Response:
It was interesting that both Sarah and Marian interpreted Lee's abstinence as reinforcing the stereotype of Asian men as sexless. Although I can certainly understand their reasoning, I read the situation differently. The way I saw it, Lee's abstinence was a display of his complete mastery over his urges. Western culture traditionally equates sex with power, but I saw Lee's abstinence as a display of the ultimate power and control that he had over his body and basic desires. Another angle to consider is the possibility that Lee refused sex out of pride and honor. He knew that the women on Han's island were drugged into submission, and it’s conceivable that his own conscience wouldn't allow him to take advantage of someone in such a position.
Marlene's examination of the lack of Asian American male role models was also intriguing. In reading Don Lee's Yellow, I got the sense that Danny Kim would never be able to look up to an Asian male, not because they don't exist, but because Danny doesn't think that there is anything about being an Asian male to be proud of.
Anna's response reminded me that the idea of the emasculated Asian male is an entirely Western perception. As she said, it was a topic that she never considered much growing up in a "majorly Oriental environment." This is a line of thinking that I hadn't even considered, and it was fascinating to see a non-American perspective on the issue.
Veronica makes some good observations about the differences between Lee and Chan and how some might find Lee's depiction to be problematic, due to the unrealistic "Super Man" persona that he takes on, while Chan's willingness to poke fun at himself makes his characters more approachable. Chan often plays the lovable, naive, goofy type of character. It seems that it's Chan's ability to play these types of characters while still showing off his martial arts expertise that makes him such an appealing performer.
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