How film and literature influence the ways in which East Asian American identity is formed

Abstract

This paper looks at the ways in which East Asian Americans sense of identity is formed through the representations of them and their culture in American film and literature. I will discuss through an analysis of rhetoric, theory, and criticism by East Asian authors, how the portrayal of a culture and people impact and influence their sense of identity. For example, I will answer questions such as what does it mean to be both Asian and American, especially when growing up in a Western society and culture? How does the portrayal of East Asians in popular American film and literature mold and shape their understanding of their sense of self? What are some East Asians stereotyped? How do these stereotypes fit into the ideas that popular Western culture perceives? My primary novels are examples of Asian American authors writing about the Asian American experience and how they perceive what it means to be Asian American. The films I chose look at white American directors and producers and how they interpret Asian culture in their films. My primary and secondary research will further examine how film and literature impacts the ways in which Asian Americans view their identity, heritage, and culture. This will be done through an analyses of rhetoric and history, both Asian and American.