"ASIAN CULTURE" AND ASIAN AMERICAN IDENTITIES IN THE TELEVISION AND FILM INDUSTRIES OF THE UNITED STATES
The topic "'Asian culture' and Asian American identities in the television and film industries of the United States" is of interest to this writer because (a) I am Asian, (b) I am a filmmaker/artist, and (c) I desire to understand all aspects of cultural representation in the arts. This topic is important to this writer on a personal level because of my own ethnicity. The topic is important to me on a professional level because an understanding of the issues addressed in the article is directly relevant to my work in the arts. The article should be important to all residents (regardless of ethnicity) of the United States who desire for American society to be a fair, equitable, unbiased, and comfortable (socially) environment for all participants in the society.
An important theoretical aspect of the issues covered by Shah (2003) is the capacity and willingness to use media images of specific groups in a population (in the case of this article, groups defined in terms of their ethnicity) as controlling images. The use of controlling images allows the majority to subjugate, marginalize, or minimize the role of the target group within the broader society.
An important practical aspect of the issues covered by (Shah, 2003) is the importance for target population groups (in this case the diverse population group classified broadly as "Asian Americans") to (a) identify the controlling images, (b) discover the mechanisms by which the controlling images are used in the society, and (c) counter the use of controlling images that create distorted perceptions. The neutralization of the controlling images allow target groups to (a) establish a fair image, (b) allow the inner diversity of the targeted group to be recognized, and (c) become full partners in society.
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