Masculinity in Transit: Steven Yeun, John Cho, and the Korean American Diaspora Onscreen Main Menu

Key Concepts and Histories

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Here is where we can both preface and extend the discussion beyond Cho and Yeun, a little bit. I want to explore the historical origins of some of the stereotypes I refer to in my analyses - namely, the Model Minority and Perpetual Foreigner - and introduce a few media tropes that create a context for Asian American actors that Cho and Yeun must settle into and challenge. In pursuit of a non-linear model, the following pages will both reference work I do elsewhere in the project and also be 'required reading' that is helpful to understand before getting into the Star Study and Textual Analysis sections.

I also discuss other Korean American films, television shows, and creators that have either left an impact on me or that I predict will be influential to the next generation of filmmaking/content creation. In this page, I focus on my own experiences with Korean Americans in media. These experiences largely center around performances and media that may be considered obscure or even arbitrary in the realm of political representation. In other words, may not be part of the 'canon' of Korean American media. However, that is the exact point that I want to make - we all have different journeys on our identifications with our personalities and identities onscreen; our conceptions of what makes a good, bad, or nuanced representation changes over time. 

The next page will take a historical look at the development of Asian American cinema. The 1960s offers a clean starting point, with the development of multiple film and ethnic studies programs that created opportunities for an entire generation of Asian American filmmakers and artist-activists. The 1970s and 1980s represent further development and growth into the public sector. The '90s and early 2000s saw Asian American filmmakers break into the mainstream, offering films of a variety of genres and styles, but perhaps straying far from the original activist intentions. My discussion then evolves into a meditation on whether or not we - the world, the general viewing public, Asian Americans - really need Asian American cinema anymore. 

Finally, the last discussion page will speak about an issue that is often raised within performances themselves: accented performance. This issue arises with regard to questions of sensitivity and authenticity. Cho and Yeun have, somewhat, made themselves unique by not only refusing to play stereotyped roles, but also refusing to put on accents for comedic or exaggerated purposes. 

In the end, I wish for these pages to not provide conclusions or resolutions. In fact, I include these pages to call attention to tensions within this subject matter.

This page has paths:

  1. Cho Change: After Columbus Jackson Wright
  2. Portals, Pathways, and Project Proposal Jackson Wright
  3. Envisioning Korean American Identity: Redux Jackson Wright

Contents of this path:

  1. Stereotypes & Tropes
  2. Important Korean American television shows, films, and creators
  3. Asian American Cinema: First-Look Deals, Activist Origins, and Contemporary Landscape
  4. Accented Performance