This time of year is always exciting, what with the Oscar's coming up.
Since the 1950's, women and blacks have made significant strides
in the equality arena. Yet these two groups still have an uphill climb as they
inch closer to a true American Dream. For Latinos, there is progress- though at
a much slower pace.
Our strengthening marriage equality movement, with strong
support from Hollywood, has thrust the gay community, which includes all races,
seems to have leapfrogged the Asians in
terms of attention and inclusion.
For Asians, equality remains a cold wet dream. The Civil Rights Act is now how old?
Hollywood, that liberal bastion, currently creates a false
reality in many of its shows and films. The most striking example-- I prefer
crime dramas like NCIS-LA-- would be the casting of hospital or lab staff roles.
On the West Coast, the medical field is very diverse and,
next time you stop at a health clinic, note the Asians comprise a significant number of the
workers.
With racist Hollywood falling behind the rest of society,
rarely do we see any Asians in the hospital scenes. These roles are reserved for
whites, women or blacks. Enter a
hospital or clinic in any city on the West Coast and you will find an abundance
of races, including many Asians.
This is 2013 and the entire Hollywood culture continues to
be stuck in 1950’s status quo racism when the visual arts did not at all
acknowledge the existence of any race but white. Back then, if a role called for an Indian or
Latina, it was played by a Caucasian in face paint.
In the 1960's, I watched a lot of American TV shows while I
was in Manila. I dreamed of someday coming to the United States. Such a nice,
clean atmosphere, America, and my family would be one of the first non-whites
to come to its shores. That's the deep impression American television left on
my 9-year-old brain...
... until my family landed in San Francisco, July 1970. I
was stunned. Where did all these black people come from? I didn't know there
were other Asians already here! I thought everyone in America was of the white
race-- all the heroes on TV were white. I was unsettled but did not discuss my
shock with anyone for decades.
Decades. Many have
passed since the Civil Rights Act. Still, the Dream isn't fully achieved. True, we've seen major progress for women and
blacks and some Latinos.
In 2013, I find it unacceptable that Asians continue to be
doormats of the community. Hollywood, that liberal bastion, barely acknowledges the significant number of
Asians that make up our great country. I know gay Democrats who still laugh at
Mickey Rooney’s Jap caricature in “Breakfast At Tiffany’s.”
I expect empathy and unconditional support for Asian
Equality from the women, blacks, Latinos and, especially, the gay community
that have benefitted from the sacrifices made by people of all races. I support
equality for all races, including women and gays.
We must not dismiss the fact
that Asians continue to face prejudice and exclusion. We can’t waste the lives
of American martyrs a second time by ignoring the reality of ongoing discrimination
against Asians.
Republican racists are immediately called out.
The liberal Democrats hide behind party affiliation or their
gay sexuality as they—much like the deep south bigots of the 1950’s, continue
to mock and laugh at Asians who decry racism. Democrats and Hollywood have
become complacent and self-absorbed, too lazy and ignorant to hear the cries
that we are still climbing. We have not reached the mountain top.
It is time for the Democrats and Hollywood to align itself
with the 21st century values of social, economic and political
equality.
Equality for ALL must happen now. The strength of racism in this century is a
slap in the face for Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Dream and the many--
including whites—who withstood torture, humiliation and death and defiantly
fought for the civil rights of ALL of The People.
After all, equality is for everybody.
