Contemporary Media Representations of Asian Americans

Stories are defined by who tells them and how they are told. The misrepresentation of Asian people in the United States is due to the history of exclusion and sexualization they were subjected to by Americans’ laws, behavior, and gaze. The American gaze can be destructive, as it reduces other cultures to stereotypes and claims the remaining desirable aspects of cultures as its own. In order to reckon with the false portrayal of Asian Americans, all elements of Asian American culture should be honored in contemporary media, not just those deemed worthy by the American gaze. Creators can honor the diversity within Asian culture by identifying the false identities that are perpetuated by the American gaze and shifting the emphasis of the way Asian Americans are represented to the strength, uniqueness, and beauty of the community and their ancestors. We have chosen to do this by creating a zine that reassesses how media that spans many mediums is in conversation with historical artifacts and examines the truth that lies behind them. 

Interactive Digital Zine Project Abstract