Asian American Media Activism: Fighting for Cultural Citizenship

Choice Top 25 Academic Title

How activists and minority communities use media to facilitate social change and achieve cultural citizenship.

Among the most well-known YouTubers are a cadre of talented Asian American performers, including comedian Ryan Higa and makeup artist Michelle Phan. Yet beneath the sheen of these online success stories lies a problem—Asian Americans remain sorely underrepresented in mainstream film and television. When they do appear on screen, they are often relegated to demeaning stereotypes such as the comical foreigner, the sexy girlfriend, or the martial arts villain.

The story that remains untold is that as long as these inequities have existed, Asian Americans have been fighting back—joining together to protest offensive imagery, support Asian American actors and industry workers, and make their voices heard. Providing a cultural history and ethnography, Asian American Media Activism assesses everything from grassroots collectives in the 1970s up to contemporary engagements by fan groups, advertising agencies, and users on YouTube and Twitter. In linking these different forms of activism, Lori Kido Lopez investigates how Asian American media activism takes place and evaluates what kinds of interventions are most effective. Ultimately, Lopez finds that activists must be understood as fighting for cultural citizenship, a deeper sense of belonging and acceptance within a nation that has long rejected them.

1122847261
Asian American Media Activism: Fighting for Cultural Citizenship

Choice Top 25 Academic Title

How activists and minority communities use media to facilitate social change and achieve cultural citizenship.

Among the most well-known YouTubers are a cadre of talented Asian American performers, including comedian Ryan Higa and makeup artist Michelle Phan. Yet beneath the sheen of these online success stories lies a problem—Asian Americans remain sorely underrepresented in mainstream film and television. When they do appear on screen, they are often relegated to demeaning stereotypes such as the comical foreigner, the sexy girlfriend, or the martial arts villain.

The story that remains untold is that as long as these inequities have existed, Asian Americans have been fighting back—joining together to protest offensive imagery, support Asian American actors and industry workers, and make their voices heard. Providing a cultural history and ethnography, Asian American Media Activism assesses everything from grassroots collectives in the 1970s up to contemporary engagements by fan groups, advertising agencies, and users on YouTube and Twitter. In linking these different forms of activism, Lori Kido Lopez investigates how Asian American media activism takes place and evaluates what kinds of interventions are most effective. Ultimately, Lopez finds that activists must be understood as fighting for cultural citizenship, a deeper sense of belonging and acceptance within a nation that has long rejected them.

22.99 In Stock
Asian American Media Activism: Fighting for Cultural Citizenship

Asian American Media Activism: Fighting for Cultural Citizenship

by Lori Kido Lopez
Asian American Media Activism: Fighting for Cultural Citizenship

Asian American Media Activism: Fighting for Cultural Citizenship

by Lori Kido Lopez

eBook

$22.99  $30.00 Save 23% Current price is $22.99, Original price is $30. You Save 23%.

Available on Compatible NOOK devices, the free NOOK App and in My Digital Library.
WANT A NOOK?  Explore Now

Related collections and offers


Overview

Choice Top 25 Academic Title

How activists and minority communities use media to facilitate social change and achieve cultural citizenship.

Among the most well-known YouTubers are a cadre of talented Asian American performers, including comedian Ryan Higa and makeup artist Michelle Phan. Yet beneath the sheen of these online success stories lies a problem—Asian Americans remain sorely underrepresented in mainstream film and television. When they do appear on screen, they are often relegated to demeaning stereotypes such as the comical foreigner, the sexy girlfriend, or the martial arts villain.

The story that remains untold is that as long as these inequities have existed, Asian Americans have been fighting back—joining together to protest offensive imagery, support Asian American actors and industry workers, and make their voices heard. Providing a cultural history and ethnography, Asian American Media Activism assesses everything from grassroots collectives in the 1970s up to contemporary engagements by fan groups, advertising agencies, and users on YouTube and Twitter. In linking these different forms of activism, Lori Kido Lopez investigates how Asian American media activism takes place and evaluates what kinds of interventions are most effective. Ultimately, Lopez finds that activists must be understood as fighting for cultural citizenship, a deeper sense of belonging and acceptance within a nation that has long rejected them.


Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781479825417
Publisher: New York University Press
Publication date: 05/17/2016
Series: Critical Cultural Communication , #10
Sold by: Barnes & Noble
Format: eBook
Pages: 272
File size: 2 MB

About the Author

Lori Kido Lopez is Associate Professor of Media and Cultural Studies in the Communication Arts Department at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the author of Asian American Media Activism.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments ix

Introduction: The Role of Asian American Media Activism 1

1 The Limits of Assimilationism within Traditional Media Activisim 35

2 Leveraging Media Policy for Representational Change 73

3 Social Change through the Asian American Market 109

4 Asian American YouTube Celebrities Creating Popular Culture Networks 139

5 Utilizing Skills and Passion to Spread Online Activism 181

Conclusion: Producing Citizenship through Activism 217

Notes 223

Bibliography 227

Index 241

About the Author 247

From the B&N Reads Blog

Customer Reviews