WTF!? Trump ignores little Asian girls

MAINSTREAM MEDIA missed this one completely but some eagle-eye Asian/Americans brought this to my attention. In the bigger scheme of things, the incident probably should go unnoticed, but as an Asian/American, I just couldn't let it go.

On Monday (July 24), Donald Trump gave a speech heavily criticizing the Affordable Care Act, otherwise known as Obamacare, at the White House. His goal is to pressure Senate Republicans to repeal and replace Obamacare.

Just before delivering the statement, Trump met with families who described themselves as “victims of Obamacare.” They served as a backdrop to Trump's message, a not-so-veied attempt to pressure GOP Senators to vote to approve debate on the House proposal to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act.

I should point out that of the 15 young people acting as that backdrop, two little girls were Asian, standing in the front row. 

As Trump was introduced by Vice President Pence, Trump started to greet the young people in the front. After shaking hands of the white kids on the right, he went directly to the white kids on the left --- BYPASSING the Asian girls standing the middle of the front row.

One can say that Trump didn't mean anything by ignoring the only children of color. But, that's just the point. The girls, politely waiting to greet the man their parents support, were not significant enough (to him) tor Trump to even notice them. To him, they were invisible.

Trump would be the first to say that he's not racist. Let me correct that. Trump sould be the first to tweet that he's not racist. He may actually really believe that.

But one wonders if deep down in his subconscious -- so deep he might not even know that he harbors these sentiments towards people of color. In moments like this one, where Trump isn't thinking about strategies, fake media, Russia and all the problems of the world, in a rather innocuous act, it just might reveal something about the White House occupant.

Am I making a mountain out of molehill?  In the context of his feelings towards Mexicans, Muslims, "the" Blacks, his speech in Poland where he declared himself the protector of the West, mocking Japanese businessmen's accent, the way he spits out "CHIna," his speech before 40,000 brown-shirted Boy Scouts -- if you get enough molehills together it becomes a mountain. 

Trump is not alone in having the inability to see Asians. Ever been passed over for a promotion? Have your comments ignored in a meeting? Have a clerk speak to the person behind you even though you've been waiting patiently to be noticed? Or, you're waiting in line and someone just cuts in front of you because ... you know ... they don't see you? 

You be the judge.

Mindy Kalling took part in a commercial a couple of years ago that makes fun of this phenomenon. Watch below.

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An Open Letter to Asian Americans

Emma Stone. Asian? 

Ed's Notes: The following is an open letter to Asian Americans from Singapore-born Beverly Murray, who now writes out of Miami. For more on her edgy insights, check out her website at http://www.backthatsassup.com. Photos and captions are my additions.

DEAR Asian-Americans:

You already know the drill.

We live in a country where every time we turn on the TV, hardly anyone looks like us. No one in the movies has looked like us since we were kids. Onscreen, the ones who do look like us are either math nerds, asexual corporate drones, or prostitutes. We were stoked in the mid-90’s that finally, finally we were going to get a TV family that physically resembled ours. Of course, that show was abruptly cancelled, and we’ve had to wait another 21 years for a comparable Asian TV family.

Twenty. One. Fucking. Years. Welcome to our reality.

In a world that is becoming more interconnected by the day, where movie blockbusters and hit TV sitcoms export American soft power to the world, where diplomacy is carried out – not just within embassies – but vis-à-vis pop cultural icons and entertainers – Asian-Americans are invisible.

This phenomenon is especially disturbing when you look at the statistics: Asians are the fastest growing ethnic group in the US. Our households outspend the average American family by 19% annually, and are more likely than the average American to spend more money on name brands – by a whopping 29%. We’re avid internet shoppers, spending almost double of what the average US population spends annually.

We need writers of all kinds such as 
Pulitzer Prize winning journalist
Alex Tizon, author of Big, Little Man

In short, we’re the perfect consumers. You’d think it’d make sense for TV networks and media companies to devote more time to Asian perspectives – but no. Year after year, we faithfully flock to opening nights of movies that reflect someone else’s narrative. Not ours. Not even close.

Which brings me to my next point. Unless you’ve been hiding a rock for the past week, you’ve probably heard about the Emma Stone kerfuffle.

You know, Emma Stone? Blonde hair, blue eyes, pale skin, freckles. She’s playing the lead role in Aloha, a Cameron Crowe movie. As a half-Asian woman. Named Allison Ng. Who lives in Hawaii. A state which, despite being 60% ethnically Asian/Pacific Islander, has somehow been personified in an all-white cast. The fact that my mom’s maiden name is “Ng” is just icing on this giant ironic shitcake.

(To recap: Emma Stone, half-Asian woman, movie “all about Hawaiian cultural heritage”, all-white cast.)

So who’s to blame for this? Our first instinct is point fingers at Hollywood, and sure, the outrage is entirely warranted. Hollywood bears the brunt of culpability, because their entrenched myopia and inability to embrace our narratives – as rich and diverse as they are – has directly resulted in our pathetic representation in the media. To be fair, Asian-American groups have raised a huge stink about Aloha. And box offices around the country are hearing it, loud and clear. Heading into its second week of release, Aloha has raked in a paltry $10 million – Crowe’s worst movie to date. On the other hand, Rotten Tomatoes currently ranks Aloha at an abysmal 18%, so there is a good chance that this movie has managed to royally suck all by itself.

But is that the full story? Is Big, Bad Hollywood solely responsible for this void? Does that really explain why we aren’t better represented in the media?

My Asian brothers and sisters – you diverse, multi-colored, heterogeneous, polyglot group of sexy bitches. I need you to listen up. Part of this shit is our fault.

We're not saying wear your race on your sleeve,
but it would help a lot if major stars are more upfront about their mixed
Asian heritage. Yes, I'm talking about you Keanu Reeves. 

I’m talking to you, Asian parents. I see you with your flash cards, violin lessons, piano recitals, math drills, Kumon-everything. Quite frankly, it makes me want to scream. Not because I don’t believe in a rigorous education, or in setting high academic standards for kids. But because I’ve seen this dog-and-pony-show with my own eyes, way too many times. I know where it all leads. So many of you pay lip service to “encouraging creativity”, and sure, you’re proud of the odd watercolor painting here and there. And you’d probably come around if your child wanted to become a professional musician. But it’d better one of the traditionally prestigious orchestral positions (read: a cellist, and not, say a drummer in a punk band). You and I both know that within our communities, if little Kimmie wanted to study sculpture at a small, Midwestern, liberal arts college – 3/4 of you would freak the fuck out. We may not talk about this in public, but behind closed doors, away from “the other” Americans, many of us have acknowledged that this is an old, old record that we’ve heard in various iterations.

Justin Lin boldly went where few have gone. He is one of the few 
Asian Americans to break into the directorial ranks of Hollywood. He's 
currently helming the next movie installment of the Star Trek franchise.

I’m looking at you too, Asian kids. I’m stoked that you’re flocking to pre-med, engineering, and computer science programs. If this is truly what excites you – go for the gold. (And expect a call from me later – I hate dealing with the Apple Genius Bar). But for the rest of you who are secret artists, actors, writers, creatives. The weird ones. The black sheep of your families. The freaks who have always marched to the beat of their own drum. We need you. We need you now, more than ever. We need your names in lights, your stories on bookshelves, your art on display for all to see. Believe me, I know what kind of pressure you’re under. Most of us are from immigrant families. Some of us have known crushing poverty in our home countries. And if we haven’t, there is always that Asian perspective which holds that the needs of the group collective outweigh the desires of any one individual. We buy into the notion that the only acceptable route to the American Dream is via one of five career options. It’s a lie. And if you don’t reach back to yank out that apparatus that connects you to the Asian-American Matrix, you’ll live in crushing spiritual imprisonment, even as you peer out from your gilded cage.

Do it. Share your art. Do your thang, even if your parents tell you that entertainers have no future in States, that the safer option is to become a CPA. Do it even if you think you’ll fail spectacularly, because you don’t have the right look, the right build, the right whatfuckingever for audiences. Do it especially if it makes your soul sing, because you do the world no favors by hiding your light. It took me decades to realize this. And none too soon, because as we speak, even the publishing world is studiously whitewashing minority narratives.

Ruthie Anne Miles, Korean American actress/singer, joined a small club
of Asian American performers when she won a Tony award

 last week for her role in The King & I.

And if you’re not an artist? You sure as fuck are still a consumer, my Asian friend, and a discerning Grade A one at that. We don’t have to continue settling for movies and sitcoms with people who look nothing like us, whose experiences and voices are not our own. We can’t just politely ask and wait – we have to demand a seat at the table – call out networks and studios when they deploy another Tired Asian Caricature, and reward the progressive ones with our support, financial or otherwise. Support homegrown artists. It’s time for male Asian characters reclaim their swagger, lest we’re subject to another Hangover sequel with Ken Jeong’s naked ass and his inability to get laid; time for Asian women to be something other than modern day Suzy Wongs, auxiliary to whichever white heros they’re simpering over at present. Time for us to be an integral part of the zeitgeist.

Is this too much to ask? Don’t we have bigger fish to fry? Fuck that. All we have in the end are stories, stories that are ours, stories that deserve to be told in our own unique voices.

It’s what our forefathers would have wanted for us.

Originally posted at BACK THAT SASS UP on Sunday, June 07, 2015 AT 11:53 AM PDT.

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RELATED: Why Aloha means 'forget it!'

It's awards show season, but not for Asian Americans

Why all the Oscar's acting nominees are all white 

 And we close with Bruno Mars, who isn't afraid to represent.

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SUPERBOWL XLIX: The invisible Mindy Kaling

CAN YOU name the two Filipino Americans who have performed as the headline act during the Superbowl half-time? 

Who is the Filipino American playing in this year's Superbowl?

(Answers below.)

OK, we're getting ready to watch the Superbowl. This year we don't have a horse in this race and we're looking forward to the commercials. Through the years, the commercials shown during this most-watched TV event have garnered as much attention as the game itself. Companies spend millions of dollars for a 30-second spot.

As always, I look for the Asian angle. One commercial in particular strikes a chord. I'm not even sure what product Mindy Kaling is promoting in her commercial, but the invisible Asian is something most have experienced in our professional and personal lives.

Have you ever been passed by by an empty cab? Have people cut in front of you while you're standing in line? People asking complicated questions of the clerk even though you  are in front of the line waiting to buy something? People talking to white strangers in a crowd even though you - a person of color - are standing right next to that person? It's like you're not there. You are in a group discussion sitting in a circle and your comment is ignored?

Am I too sensitive? It happens time and time again to people of color. It's as if you're not there. You are not worth noticing. You're invisible. 

I'm not sure if Kaling had that message in mind when she agreed to be in the commercial, but for me, it conjures up some bad memories.

It's insulting but in this point in my life, all I can do is just shake my head and give a small smile at their rudeness.

Enjoy the game!

ANSWERS:

First question: Apl.de.ap with the Black-eyed Peas and Bruno Mars

Second question: Doug Baldwin of the Seattle Seahawks. His mother is from Tacloban City.

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Apl.de.ap, 

AKA 

Allan Pineda Lindo