Thesis
Communicating race and culture in media: appropriating the Asian in American martial arts films
Washington State University
Master of Arts (MA), Washington State University
2008
Handle:
https://hdl.handle.net/2376/104291
Abstract
This study attempted to explore the portrayals of Whites and Asians in present Hollywood major releases featuring martial arts. With the purpose of revealing how whiteness is strategically deployed in filmic form, this study analyzed plots and the dialogues between major movie characters, as well as the characterizations of different actors/actresses. The intent was to find clues to the appropriation of Asianness. Hence, two major research questions were proposed: RQ1: How have martial arts, as an Asian cultural artifact, come to be appropriated by Whites in Hollywood-made martial arts films? RQ2: How do these cultural appropriations communicate images of white American culture and the culture of ethnic minorities? The results showed that five factors were indispensable for securing White centrality and for strategically promoting White superiority through the films under analysis. These were: (a) Whites' ethnic position backed up by Asians; (b) Whites' speed of mastering martial arts; (c) defeating Asian villains by the Whites; (d) the support to Whites from Asians; and (e) Asian roles being restricted. They served well as the strategic basis of subconsciously (if not intentionally) sending messages emphasizing Whiteness and appropriating Asian culture to the global audience.
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Details
- Title
- Communicating race and culture in media
- Creators
- Zhan Liu
- Contributors
- E. Lincoln James (Degree Supervisor)
- Awarding Institution
- Washington State University
- Academic Unit
- Edward R. Murrow College of Communication
- Theses and Dissertations
- Master of Arts (MA), Washington State University
- Publisher
- Washington State University; Pullman, Wash. :
- Identifiers
- 99900525387901842
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Thesis