The Boston Phoenix, Media Racism, and Sam Yoon
Racist imagery, courtesy of the Boston Phoenix
Thanks to SEFTRE, who found this. The Boston Phoenix ran an article on Friday about how Yoon and Menino are competing over the Boston Asian vote, and they accompanied the article with the photo on the right, a graphic of Menino in a Chinese takeout box labeled “Yoon for Mayor.”
I don’t know whom the Boston Vietnamese citizens support, but it’s clear whom the Boston racist media supports. How, in this day and age, is it acceptable to represent an entire community with a takeout box and chopsticks? It would be like portraying the Bronx as a group of African American thugs with stolen cars, or Crown Heights as a group of Orthodox Jews carrying Menorahs. Such imagery reduces an entire community to stereotype. It’s the same problem that Asian Americans face everyday–the battle to be seen as more than just food or good grades or hard workers. Instead of using Yoon’s historic run for mayor as a groundbreaking event in the Asian American community, the Phoenix instead chose to use the political situation as a means of dismissing the humanity of the Boston Asian American community.
What’s equally annoying is the pose by Menino with his arms raised, as if he’s somehow triumphed over the Asian American community (as represented by a takeout box, of course). It’s that same ol’ Kiplingesque portrayal where the White guy goes into some ethnic community and demonstrates moral or physical over the po’ colored people. Think of the Power of One, where the scrawny White kid teaches Africa about musical rhythm. Or the Karate Kid, where Daniel-san beats up the evil Japanese guys and sets a moral example for all of Okinawa to follow (never mind the problems that the American military has caused in Okinawa). In this case, it’s a meritless portrayal. Let’s get real–Menino is the incumbent. He’s “entrenched” and “powerful,” as the article itself mentions. There’s nothing for him to conquer, as he’s been in power for sixteen years. He’s not the underdog, and to portray him as such is misleading and wrong.
Perhaps there is reason to be hopeful. Sam’s historic run for mayor is shedding light on Boston’s problems, one of which is a major newspaper which needs to recognize Asian Americans as human beings rather than a commodities. His campaign is already shedding light on entrenched and harmful ideas that some people hold. If Sam makes the transition from mayoral candidate to mayor, he will shake things up even more.
Vote Sam Yoon if you’re in Boston, and encourage your friends to do the same. To hear his podcast on bigWOWO.com, go here.
He was pre-med at Harvard, and I bumped into him at a bar and restaurant when visiting a friend at MIT. Unfortunately, his name is “John Lee,” and I don’t know how easy he would be to find–already, I probably have around 3oo “mutual friends” named John Lee on Facebook.
