Appendixes
Here is where we can extend the discussion beyond Cho and Yeun, a little bit. I want to explore the historical emergences of some of the stereotypes I use in my analyses - namely, the Model Minority and Perpetual Foreigner - and introduce a few media tropes that, although not entirely relevant to this project, still create a context for Asian American actors that Cho and Yeun must settle into and challenge.
From there, I want to then discuss other Korean American films, television shows, and creators that have either left an impact on me or seem fruitful to the next generation of filmmaking/content creation. In this appendix page, I focus on my own personal development with Korean Americans in media and perhaps focus on arbitrary or obscure performances and leave out things other people may find significant. That is the exact point - we all have different journeys and blind spots.
The next page will take a historical look at the development of Asian American Cinema, with a formal start in the 1960s, and then continuing to grow as activist texts in the 70s and 80s. The 90s and early 2000s saw Asian American filmmakers really break into the mainstream, offering a variety of genres and styles, but perhaps straying far away from the original activist intentions. The 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 two issues that are often raised within performances themselves: cross-ethnic performance and accented performance. These issues arise with regard to questions of sensitivity, authenticity, and industrial access. Cho and Yeun have, somewhat, made themselves unique by not only refusing to play stereotyped roles, but also refusing to play non-Korean American characters or putting 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 create additional tensions and to perhaps extend the conversation beyond this platform.
This page has paths:
- Welcome to my site! Jackson Wright
- MASCULINITY IN TRANSIT: STEVEN YEUN, JOHN CHO, AND THE KOREAN AMERICAN DIASPORA ONSCREEN Jackson Wright
