The new “trend” of Asian women with black men
CVK
Today’s DiversityInc discusses an article by Rinku Sen that just came out in ColorLines magazine titled Black Men, Asian Women. (The link seems to be down right now so I haven’t had a chance to read the actual article yet.) Sen writes that the most intriguing of the many interracial relationships on TV right now are those between Asian women and black men. Here’s DiversityInc’s summary of the article:
There hasn’t been a deficiency of these relationships on television, most recently involving Sandro Oh and Isaiah Washington’s characters in “Grey’s Anatomy.” Sen, who is an Asian woman, wonders why this sudden growth of interracial love, especially between black men and Asian women.
Darrell Hamamoto, professor of Asian-American studies at the University of California-Davis, says the trend is “rooted with American colonialism and occupation,” where black U.S. soldiers were seen as Americans on Asian soil, and conversely, the black soldiers saw Asian women as their subjects.
Marlon Ross, professor of English and African American Studies at the University of Virginia, doesn’t agree with Hamamoto’s reasoning that white men were involved just the same in that context. Instead, Ross states, “when African-American men are doing it, it gets noticed more.”
Sen believes the increase in this trend may be more caused by demographics than anything else, stating that Asian immigrants have “moved into urban centers and suburbs simultaneously with upwardly mobile black families.” Still, Sen doesn’t shy away from discussing stereotypes that she’s seen in pop culture. For instance, she discusses blacks’ “obsession with martial-arts movies” and the “Asian adoption of hip-hop culture.”
Yet, Sen questions if “television reflects more fantasy than reality, whose fantasy is this?” She observes that a “real breakthrough would be to pair a black woman and an Asian man.”
Of course, “Romeo Must Die” did this by pairing Jet Li and Aaliyah. The couple just didn’t get it on because you know, all Asian men are completely asexual and exist only to save the damsels in distress, not to bed them afterwards.
Again, I haven’t read the original article yet but this summary from DiversityInc definitely raises an eyebrow. I guess I’m resistant to fluffy “trend” pieces in general (Newsweek and Time are of course the masters of the made-up zeitgeist pieces). But in this case, I seriously don’t think that the existence of two TV shows with BM/AF couples necessarily constitutes a “trend,” per se. We’re just seeing a greater variety in the types of interracial couples on TV nowadays. On “Lost,” for example, we saw a relationship between an Iraqi man and a white woman. “Scrubs” has a relationship between a black man and a Latina woman. And so on…
MQ wrote:
Maybe those academics have never experienced love, but I have never subconsciously factored in a “history of colonialism” when finding my soul mate. That is the problem with these manufactured social trend articles.
What I find great about the story line of the Grey’s Anatomy pair is how race is always a factor in their professional lives and personal/spiritual issues but not in stereotypical ways. They’re both driven as two minorities in a white-male dominated profession who do not want their personal lives to interfere with their career. Plus, with 2 other black surgeons with major roles, the characters don’t have to be stereotypes.
Posted 23 Feb 2006 at 2:55 pm ¶
rand wrote:
the thing about Jet Li is that he was also twice as old as Aaliyah and not really that hot. Thank god they didn’t get it on in that movie.
sorry, this is so not a constructive comment…
Posted 23 Feb 2006 at 7:33 pm ¶
Merq wrote:
—”the thing about Jet Li is that he was also twice as old as Aaliyah and not really that hot.”—
Harrisson Ford wasn’t exactly a young buck in any of his recent movies, but that hasn’t stopped him from being portrayed as the most irresistible dude alive.
Posted 23 Feb 2006 at 9:02 pm ¶
rand wrote:
i don’t greenlight hollywood movies that cast old white leading men as sexpots. i can only speak from my 20 year old personal opinion. i’m glad jet li didn’t get it on with aaliyah. i wouldnt’ want to see indiana jones make out with aaliyah either. Eww.
i get the point that CVK and you are making and i have read articles/commentary and listend to things like ATR about the de-sexualized and/or de-masculinized asian male presented in a lot of media. Jet Li was the leading man and was cast next to a leading lady and in the hollywood equation, they are supposed to have at least some minute physical romance at some point. i do understand, trust.
however, my comment was dealing in the much shallower end of the pool–in the tigerbeatboybandheartthrobdenzelandbradhubbahubba end of the pool.
Jet Li ain’t cute homie. In other words, they should have picked a hotter Asian dude. That strapping young lad Will Yun Lee would have been a more aesthetically pleasing choice for me personally. LOL.
Posted 23 Feb 2006 at 10:16 pm ¶
Anonymous wrote:
-”the thing about Jet Li is that he was also twice as old as Aaliyah and not really that hot.”-
OH NO YOU DIDN’T!
And what about “The Replacement Killers”…
Mira Sorvino risked her life killing underworld hitmen for a total stranger, Chow Yun-Fat, because she wanted to shake his hand?
Posted 24 Feb 2006 at 7:26 am ¶
the joy princess wrote:
Umm, anyone see One-Night Stand with Wesley Snipes and Ming-Na? They did her a disservice because she’s attractive and he isn’t!
Posted 24 Feb 2006 at 9:38 am ¶
justin wrote:
Jet Li is a handsome man ( Hines Ward’s moma is also handsome ) and if those folks are academics they need to learn the difference between colonialism and imperialism.
Because ‘colonialism and occupation’ is redundant and colonialism in Asia just is not the all consuming thing that it is in the ‘extended west’.
and America doesn’t have a union jack on it’s flag . . . . (and so forth)
Posted 24 Feb 2006 at 9:42 am ¶
Oh no you didn't!! wrote:
Joy princess: “They did her a disservice because she’s atractive and he isn’t!”
That’s your opinion sweetheart!!
Posted 24 Feb 2006 at 10:26 am ¶
tmj wrote:
Uh, just for the record?
Jet Li and ESPECIALLY Chow Yun Fat are EXTREMELY HOT! Rand! Well, to each his own, but this Black women would definitely “get it on” with Fat if he was leaning this way!
Truth: Asian men are already threatening enough to white folks dedicated to white supremacy…no need to give them sexuality in media. That’s why there was no love scene with Aaliyah…age had nothing to do with it. Stereotypes did.
Posted 24 Feb 2006 at 11:12 am ¶
KXB wrote:
If there is such a trend in film & television for pairing a black man with an Asian woman, you do not have to look for historical trends, but instead look to political pressures. While interracial dating is more accepted than say 30 years ago, they do not happen in the same frequency. Of the subgroup that dates interethnically (my preferred term), the most common pairing is an Asian woman with a white man, and a black man with a white woman. Film and TV have never had any qualms with the first pairing, but there is still unease about the second, primarily from black women. By pairing a black guy with an Asian woman, writers and producers can avoid criticisms from the usual quarters. The absence of a white partner makes the charge of a minority accepting “majority” notions of beauty null.
In those instances of black-Asian dating, it does appear (mostly from first-person experience) that it is usually a black man with an Asian woman. But the number of black men with Asian women is far behind that of white men with Asian women.
Posted 24 Feb 2006 at 1:36 pm ¶
OH NO SHE DI'N'T! wrote:
By the way,
There was a 15 year age difference between Aaliyah n’ Jet, which is nothing, especially in LA (lol). Besides, he could play ten yrs younger.
And I agree with KBX’s point.
Black male/Asian female is a “safe” IR couple.
Posted 24 Feb 2006 at 2:30 pm ¶
Kaonashi wrote:
Were we watching the same movie? Because Jet Li was HOT in Romeo Must Die!
Posted 24 Feb 2006 at 3:42 pm ¶
mr guy wrote:
“Darrell Hamamoto, professor of Asian-American studies at the University of California-Davis, says the trend is “rooted with American colonialism and occupation,” where black U.S. soldiers were seen as Americans on Asian soil, and conversely, the black soldiers saw Asian women as their subjects.”
Huh????Where do some of these professors come up with this stuff?As for the black male asian female thing, two tv relationships does not make a trend.
Posted 24 Feb 2006 at 4:07 pm ¶
Asian Female wrote:
there should be more hot asian guys on TV……………………..
Posted 24 Feb 2006 at 8:32 pm ¶
the joy princess wrote:
Agreed!
Posted 25 Feb 2006 at 3:23 am ¶
Kaonashi wrote:
There should be more hot Asian guys everywhere. The zoo…the supermarket…walking down the street…
Posted 25 Feb 2006 at 5:19 am ¶
Master Carradine wrote:
“VANISHING SON”– Hot Asian lead; quickly cancelled
“BLACK SASH”– Hot Asian lead; quickly cancelled
“MORTAL KOMBAT: CONQUEST”– Hot Asian lead; quickly cancelled
“THE CROW: STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN”– Hot Asian lead; quickly cancelled
Posted 25 Feb 2006 at 8:22 am ¶
Anonymous wrote:
Asian American actors with ‘leading man’ qualities have no place in Hollywood.
As long as Daniel Dae Kim’s character, Jin Kwon on “Lost”, continues to act like a bitch… he’s safe from being killed off the island.
In fact, Daniel Dae Kim’s agent should tell him to lay off the push-ups.
Posted 25 Feb 2006 at 8:57 am ¶
the joy princess wrote:
WHERE is that fine Russell Wong hiding out?!
Posted 26 Feb 2006 at 1:39 am ¶
I. Nordstrom wrote:
tmj,
I totally agree with your point on US film/media portrayal of Asian American men.
I think sometimes it is rooted in hate, sometimes it is rooted in absent minded disrespect, and sometimes (as you pointed out) it is rooted in fear.
Posted 26 Feb 2006 at 10:21 am ¶
Kent wrote:
You guys really need to get lives and get off of this obsessing over “mixing of the races” crap, also we need to stop referring to peoples ethnicity as a “race” there is no such thing as different “races,” in regards to the human population there is only one “race that is “modern day man” Now within the “human race” there are different ethnicity’s but not “races”
Posted 03 Mar 2006 at 6:42 am ¶
Anonymous wrote:
huh? Is that David Carradine?
Posted 03 Mar 2006 at 11:05 am ¶
Lyonside wrote:
Kent:
Who are you talking to/about? Who are “you guys?” We’re talking here about what does but shouldn’t happen. We’re not voicing against “mixing of the races crap.”
I understand your point, but remember that even though race is a social construct, it does have very real impact and concepts. Ethnicity is very varied and is tied to culture, geography, language, lifestyle. Anthropologists also use “racial” categories to trace human migration and cultural influences (i.e. Japanese and Chinese ethnicities have closer historical/prehistoric/geographic/cultural ties than Japanese and Inuit).
>in regards to the human population there is only one “race that is “modern day man”
No, there is only one human SPECIES. Homo sapiens sapiens. There really is no race whatsoever, but thinking makes it so.
That said, thoughts inspire actions inspire reactions… so race can be not scientific and a social construct while still having a real impact on societies.
Posted 03 Mar 2006 at 1:52 pm ¶
im lost wrote:
im trying to do my work!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted 25 Apr 2006 at 3:56 am ¶
Movie Fan wrote:
Jet Li is great. Especially his chinese movies. But his hollywood movies are generally crap.
Posted 01 May 2006 at 6:49 am ¶
Azian Girl N NY wrote:
Look….lets face facts. Asian men are not coveted by many women (outside of Asian women).
And when casting a leading man role….it has to be either a Brad Pitt or a Denzel Washington or a George Clooney…
You never hear women running around saying…
“MMhMMM…. I would love to get ahold of that CHOW YUN FAT” come on….that’s why Asian guys are so protective of Asian women, because they know if Asian women date outside of our ethnicity….THEN THATS IT FOR THEM! LOL…there would be no other chance for the to get laid, let alone married…lol.
The sexuality of Asian men has always been in question….and rightly so. Take it from this Asian fem….In some cases, the “Grass is greener…..and LONGER” on the other side of the fence.
With Asian men….there’s just something missing.
(And I think it’s between 4-5 inches ;)
take care all….you can all go on your rants now :)
Posted 08 May 2006 at 12:07 am ¶
Azian Girl N NY wrote:
P.S.
My point in a nutshell was this, When casting a leading man….one should cast one that would be universally considered appealing.
Asian guys just don’t cut it…….How many women have you ever heard screaming the name of an Asian man as thier personal want ??
The appeal has to be there….for the money to be made.
And…well….The sexual appeal for most women, is not present in Asian men.
Posted 08 May 2006 at 12:10 am ¶
Z-man wrote:
Well, I live in NYC and I see my fellow brothers dating habits here. . I think most of you make valid point. Hollywood avoids the leading male asian actor. I will say this. Just look on Craigslist and see all the asian women looking for white guys. It’s more perception than reality that more and more brothers are dating asian women. It’s only more noticable.
Posted 15 Jul 2006 at 11:37 pm ¶