Portrayals of Asians examined

Ronald Takaki, an ethnic studies professor at the University of California at Berkeley, addressed members of the University community yesterday about the need for more equitable Asian-American representations in American society. Takaki's lecture was the first of the Steinberg Lectures, which bring several experts to campus for a series of presentations on a common topic. Takaki, the author of Strangers from a Different Shore and A Different Mirror: A History of Multicultural America, commented on Asian-American studies at the University prior to the lecture. "I think Asian-American students are asking, 'Is the University of Pennsylvania a national university?' and if it is, then its curriculum has to include all of the peoples of this nation, and clearly Asian-Americans are the fastest growing ethnic group in this society," he said. During his talk, Takaki focused on the nature of contemporary Oriental images. He opened with an anecdote about how a cab driver asked him how long he had been in this country, implying that Asian-Americans are not true Americans. Takaki attributed this common misconception to white and black scholars who he said are conveying their own image of Asian-Americans to the American public. The representation of Asian-Americans as a model minority with a strong value of success is often used to discipline African-Americans, Takaki said. He explained that applying the Asian work ethic to African Americans may increase their productivity and industry. According to Takaki, however, the function of Asian-American representations should not be to create "docile machine laborers." One Asian-American student said he felt Takaki created a realistic but sad picture of how identities are manipulated and how difficult it is to maintain self-identify. "A lot of people who are not Asian-American would have learned something," said Wharton junior Jenny Ho, adding that she was disappointed more people did not attend the lecture. Takaki concluded by posing the question of what happens when Asian-Americans begin to represent themselves. He asked if representations of Asian-Americans in contemporary society reflect or rebel against the Asian-American ideology. He also wondered about a method of distinguishing Asian-American concerns from African-American concerns. Takaki said he will discuss these questions in a panel with Bharati Mukherjee, a novelist known for her depictions of Indian immigrants, and David Henry Hwang, a playwright who wrote M.Butterfly, on Wednesday at 8 p.m. in the Harrison Auditorium of the University Museum.