Essay About Asian American Culture

Among the vibrant street culture in the Los Angeles area, taxi dance halls became a popular destination for Filipino men. In these old school taxi dance halls, Filipino workers were able to develop an alternative subculture for themselves. This allowed the Filipino men the opportunity to be desired and even envied. When these men entered the dance halls, they dressed themselves in expensive McIntosh suits. The importance of the McIntosh suit rested in the fact that it was seen as a sign of American achievement. Within the confined of these dance halls, Filipino men were able to escape their tired, overworked bodies and embrace their sexuality. They were able to reclaim their bodies for pleasure and not labor.
According to Linda Espana- Maram’s article, this escape was used as a way in which Filipino men, “seized …show more content…
According to Chin, White supremacy is the main factor in oppressing Asian Americans. He believes that through the creation of stereotypes, an expectation is created and then adopted by Asian Americans. Chin writes that the stereotype "operates as a model of behavior. It conditions the mass society's perceptions and expectations. Society is conditioned to accept the given minority only within the bounds of the stereotype" (Racist Love, 66). In turn, Asian Americans are expected to behave in a certain way in order to be accepted by society. In comparing Chin’s theory to Flower Drum Song, I found this quote to be extremely fitting. On one end of the spectrum there is Linda Low, the picture of Asian American whiteness, and on the other end of the spectrum is Mei Li who embodies Chinese tradition. Their differences are displayed throughout the movie through songs, dress, and their actions. Klein’s Cold War Orientalism essay asks the question, “why privilege a character that highlights foreignness over one that emphasizes assimilation (239).” She then states her analysis that these two characters represent the two poles of the stereotypical Asian