Another great thought-provoking piece! I live in Hawaii, which I think is an outlier. Being part of the U.S. is a sensitive issue, we have large numbers of Japanese tourists, and Japanese have lived here since well before statehood. Yet, I see the issues on the mainland for sure!!
Absolutely, the dynamics are so different! I think Ernest Harada’s Hawaii upbringing was probably a big contributor to his confidence and success as an actor! ❤️
I’ve always found the portrayal of “Mike” in the movie Fargo interesting. An Asian man portraying a mentally troubled Minnesotan who is likely born and bred in Minnesota … I’ve heard that he caught backlash from the Asian community. Personally, I thought that the role and portrayal were valuable to the film, due to adding an actual element of inclusivity.
I’ll have to watch it, I’m very curious about this but never saw the film. Sounds like a fascinating character that is closer to a real person than many of the token roles that Asian Americans have been relegated to.
I’d be interested in your thoughts. I saw a brief interview with the actor. If I’m not mistaken he is Korean but played a character of Japanese descent. In that interview, which I believe was on YouTube, he discusses the role. His appearance in the film is brief but very memorable.
So good! I love that you touch on the racial triangulation of Black & Asian Americans with the Get Out example. I need to re-watch that movie! The Japanese character definitely seems like a missed or half-fulfilled opportunity in some ways -- certainly there is incisive commentary to be made re: Asian American/Asian anti-blackness, but I am not sure if a wealthy Japanese foreign national is the most effective way to communicate those dynamics.
Thank you! I agree; it was so jarring. Another interesting tidbit I found is that the guy who played the Japanese billionaire is Ken Marino’s FIL… he’s actually not even an actor! I think it’s an amazing homage to Rosemary’s Baby but at the same time it feels weird to have that wrench of complexity thrown in there without spending more than a few minutes on it. It definitely felt like a bit of a reproof in this watershed movie.
Another great thought-provoking piece! I live in Hawaii, which I think is an outlier. Being part of the U.S. is a sensitive issue, we have large numbers of Japanese tourists, and Japanese have lived here since well before statehood. Yet, I see the issues on the mainland for sure!!
Absolutely, the dynamics are so different! I think Ernest Harada’s Hawaii upbringing was probably a big contributor to his confidence and success as an actor! ❤️
Yes!! I agree!
Thoughtful and interesting. So interesting to think about when and how the archteype emerged.
I’ve always found the portrayal of “Mike” in the movie Fargo interesting. An Asian man portraying a mentally troubled Minnesotan who is likely born and bred in Minnesota … I’ve heard that he caught backlash from the Asian community. Personally, I thought that the role and portrayal were valuable to the film, due to adding an actual element of inclusivity.
I’ll have to watch it, I’m very curious about this but never saw the film. Sounds like a fascinating character that is closer to a real person than many of the token roles that Asian Americans have been relegated to.
I’d be interested in your thoughts. I saw a brief interview with the actor. If I’m not mistaken he is Korean but played a character of Japanese descent. In that interview, which I believe was on YouTube, he discusses the role. His appearance in the film is brief but very memorable.
So good! I love that you touch on the racial triangulation of Black & Asian Americans with the Get Out example. I need to re-watch that movie! The Japanese character definitely seems like a missed or half-fulfilled opportunity in some ways -- certainly there is incisive commentary to be made re: Asian American/Asian anti-blackness, but I am not sure if a wealthy Japanese foreign national is the most effective way to communicate those dynamics.
Thank you! I agree; it was so jarring. Another interesting tidbit I found is that the guy who played the Japanese billionaire is Ken Marino’s FIL… he’s actually not even an actor! I think it’s an amazing homage to Rosemary’s Baby but at the same time it feels weird to have that wrench of complexity thrown in there without spending more than a few minutes on it. It definitely felt like a bit of a reproof in this watershed movie.