Representation of Asian Americans in contemporary US television dramas.

• Main Author: Leow, How Phing.
• Other Authors: Chua, Ling-Yen
• Format: Theses and Dissertations
• Published: 2008
• Subjects: DRNTU::Social sciences::Mass media::Broadcasting; DRNTU::Social sciences::Communication::Cultural studies
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/1549
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

In a predominantly white playing field of media politics in the United States, the minority ethnic groups are generally relegated as benchwarmers in the background. In television and films, it remains a struggle for Asian American characters to be equally represented alongside the white characters in the US media. However, the liberalization of both American and Asian mediasphere has become a positive catalyst in facilitating more opportunities for recent Asian American characterizations in the media. Drawing on the development of stereotypes and the various positive and negative characterizations of Asian American men and women, a textual analysis of popular contemporary US television dramas reveal that the images of two-dimensional Asian American stereotypes still persist but their character development suggest more positive representations and acceptance by white American audiences who still remain the primary target of these mainstream American television dramas. The slowly but surely changing representations are reflective of the progress made by the Asian American community who have been consistently lobbying for more positive representations of Asian Americans in the media. Ultimately, how Asian American characters are depicted in future will depend on how a transformed media is able to bridge the gap between white privilege and ethnic minorities.