This document discusses stereotypes of Asians that have been portrayed in media over time. It notes that one of the earliest and most prominent Asian characters in American media was Charlie Chan, who was played by white actors using makeup and accents to appear Asian. While Charlie Chan was portrayed as intelligent, his Asian sons were depicted as foolish. More modern media often portrays all Asians as looking and acting the same, and common stereotypical roles include waiters, martial artists, and villains. The document suggests these stereotypes stem from historical representations during times of conflict between Western countries and parts of Asia.

1. Oriental
By Declan, Jamie, Alex and Jack

2. Archetype of Oriental ethnicity
• All good at maths
• Short
• Angry
• Ninjas/martial arts
• Tourists
• Noodles
• Chopsticks
• All look and act the same
• Yellow
• Sumo wrestlers
• Manga/Anime
• Buddhism

3. Historical Representations
(Charlie Chan)
• One of the most prominent Asian character in the mass media was “Charlie Chan”, an “Asian”
male played by three different white actors in the early 1930s to late 1940s. It was the primary
contact Americans had with Asians and Asian culture. In the films, he was depicted as an
intelligent, wise sage.
• The white actors added accents to their voices and makeup to their skin to look more Asian.
• Around this time, major Hollywood studios did not approve of on screen interracial love scenes.
Often times, when a White actor was cast to portray an Asian male, another White actress
would be cast as his counterpart.
• All the good attributes that Charlie Chan had (intelligence and wit) could come from the fact that
he was played by a White actor. All the bad attributes (slanted eyes, broken English, Asian
mannerisms) could be due to the fact that the character was Asian.
• Charlie Chan had sons who were played by actual Asians. These sons were bumbling fools who
were added for comedic relief.
• A white actor playing an Asian could be an intelligent and exceptional human being, but actual
Asians in the media were depicted as foolhardy baboons. He was portrayed as an effeminate
male who led a sexless life. These characteristics that Charlie Chan embodied would shape Asian
male characterizations for decades to come.

4. Modern stereotype
• The media often portrays Asian groups as a collective identity,
increasing the stereotype that all Asians look and act alike.
• Asian males are often shown in one-dimentional roles: waiters,
cooks, servants, laundry workers, gangsters, nerds, villains, and
kung-Fu masters.
• Frequently, they are acculturated with heavy foreign accents.
• Since many people around the world have little contact with Asia,
the use of television, films and print have a heavy impact on society
and their views.
• Children often associate what they see in the media to situations in
real life, further increasing the Asian stereotypes and racism. This is
an example of the cultivation theory.
• From Alvarado's theory, the media puts them in the ‘dangerous’
category.

5. Modern Stereotypes
(Cont.)
• Over time, the ideologies have changed. From early movies
such as ‘Goldfinger’ where they were represented as villains,
to modern movies such as, Karate Kid, where they where
represented as the wise and heroic one, the representation
has been changed in a positive way.
• The reason for the negative representation could stem from
the conflict from war beforehand. More specifically, the war
with Vietnam which happened during the 60s, when
Goldfinger was filmed. During this time, there was friction
between the US and certain parts of Asia, lead to a
misrepresentation of the Asian people.

6. Oriental stereotypes/ things associated with
oriental countries