Asianization of America

The readings from today deal with how in recent years the Asian culture has increasingly influenced the American Culture. The article, “The Asianization of America,” by Olivia Barker discusses how the Asian culture is affecting everything from Starbucks, the movie industry, to Kanji tattoos in every tattoo parlor. The Asian culture is everywhere in America according to Barker. “There’s a hunger for all things Asian,” (Barker, 2001) this is evident by how much the Asian culture plays a role in our daily lives. Just today I ate stir-fry and had an egg-roll for lunch, a meal that originates from the Asian culture.

With the Asianization of America, comes the stereotype of the Asian American such as all Asian should drink tea, or know karate and be able to fight like movie characters. Barker raises the issue that Hollywood has inflected many of the stereotypes of Asians that we see in America today, through movies, commercials, and television shows. I can understand and agree with the author when it comes to this issue. As an African American male in America I feel as though there are a lot of stereotypes that society has created rather it is through movies, media, or actual experience. This is called “Asiaphilia” according to Barker, and it’s all superficial. Asian Americans face a lot of the same issues that other minorities face in this country and it remains to be seen as whether they can breakthrough the stereotypical barrier that society has placed on them.