Let’s see what’s on TV this fall…Looks like Kal Penn is joining the cast this fall on “24.” Bet he’s going to play the typecast terrorist. Oh, my bad…
“Penn will play a man associated with the leader of an Islamic group that may or may not be plotting a terrorist attack.”[link]
…and who’s that in the America’s Next Top Model promo? Looks desi- Neha did say there would be one this season. Also on the reality TV show front, we have married couple Vipul and Arti hailing from the nation’s angriest city, Orlando, FL. Aren’t they a cute couple? Looks like they’ll be competing on Amazing Race, season 10.
Speaking of race…where my desis at on this reality show this fall?
“…the 20 castaways for Survivor: Cook Islands will be grouped by race, with competitors divided into four tribes consisting of whites, blacks, Asians and Hispanics.
“The idea for this actually came from the criticism that Survivor was not ethnically diverse enough, because for whatever reason, we always have a low number of minority applicants apply for the show,” Probst said. [link]
‘There are going to be people looking for stereotypes: Will this tribe be smarter than this tribe, or will this tribe be faster than this tribe?’ says Probst. ‘That’s why I think it’s fun. But five people on a tribe do not represent an entire ethnic group.’ [link]
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p>Would it be a racist move to start placing bets on what team we think is going to win? Kidding. Kind of…
Bodog.com has made the Whites a favorite to win at odds of 7 to 3 (or $7 paid out for every $3 bet). The Asian tribe gets a price of $13 for every $7 bet. “It seems that stereotypes are already coming into play with Bodog.com assuming that because Asians are often classified by the gambling establishment as big gamblers they get the highest priced odds,” comments Payton O’Brien, columnist for Gambling911.com. [link]
But where is my Macaca team in this mix? I looked through the cast and was hopeful with the name ‘Parvati Shallow,’ but homegirl is on the white team (And it doesn’t look like in a Thind Supreme Court kind of way). And the Asian team has no South Asians in it. I say we create a Macaca Mutiny reality team to ambush the survivors on Cook Islands and show them all who the real survivors are. Who’s with me?
First of all- don’t mark other! Mark Asian American; As someone that works on research for South Asians within the framework of the larger Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) movement. I’ve been playing with data all summer, and it would really help me if you didn’t do that. Don’t worry, I’ll blog about my research when it’s done next month- you’ll see…
Second, along those lines- I just bought this shirt.
Third, interesting conversation- are south asians asian americans? An age old conversation when you do the work that shruti and I do, and I went to a conference on it back in 2003. Yes, I am a South Asian American activist, but I feel that I am more powerful, and there are more resources out there to help me if done in the scope of AAPI, despite how hard it is to get other SAA, or East Asians to recognize as as a part of that movement. I’ve been working in pan-Asian organizations all summer in an attempt to learn and make sure that the resources in the larger movement is also inclusive of being desi… But I too felt that twinge of “here we go, taking one step back in the trying to include South Asian in the Pan Asian identitity perspective in TV again.”
Shruti, are you sure we haven’t met already? There seems to be too many missed opportunities here.
LOL. the asian american association at berkeley. two white d00ds, no brownz 🙂 i did a survey a few years ago of wedding registries where i queried brown surnames i knew (mostly bengali and gujarati, e.g., chatterjee & patel), and i saw no tendency of brownz + non-brown asianz to mate with greater than random frequency.
(uh, sorry for being overly analytic & clinical, too linear and western for some folk i suppose :=)
Its not India’s fault that Afghans still live like cavemen from the Mesolithic era.
Don’t say these thing about the Afghans please. I could say a lot about the way people live in the Indian gutters but i’ll refrain. Thank you for your cooperation.
But we know our viewers aren’t going to really consider this, and we’re not going to put up a disclaimer to this effect on our show, so here’s to marketing racist stereotypes! Bottoms up!
Seriously: if five people on a tribe don’t represent an entire ethnic group, then what the fuck is the point of this whole exercise?
If you know it, then don’t do it!
Haha, all this White/Asian fit debate. Let’s just have brown solidarity and claim Hispanic, yo.
Don’t say these thing about the Afghans please. I could say a lot about the way people live in the Indian gutters but i’ll refrain. Thank you for your cooperation.
Think you just did. thank you.
Taz (#51) GREAT SHIRT!
I just checked out the Common Application, which most American high school seniors use to apply to college (which I realize affects how people want to present themselves), and the choices are as follows: (1)African American, African, Black; (2)Native American, Alaskan Native; (3)Asian American (list countries); (4)Asian including Indian Subcontinent (list countries); (5)Hispanic, Latino (list countries); (6)Mexican American, Chicano; (7)Puerto Rican; (8)White or Caucasian; (9)Other.
It’s pretty interesting that African American and African are in the same category, but Asian American and Asian are not. Also, there is no way to figure out how this is defined. If I were an ethnic-Indian whose grandparents lived in Kenya and whose parents were born and raised in Kenya, and I was born and raised in America, what does that make me? Asian American? African American?
Please do! Clearly, I would be quite interested.
In the US, don’t you choose your own racial classification for official purposes. (Unlike in South Africa, where the gvt decided your race using ‘straightness of hair’ etc). Why not just call yourself ‘other’.
(Question: In the UK, Asian means Desi, and Chinese aren’t Asian. In the US, its the opposite. What about Australia, Canada, NZ? France?)
Afghanistan joined SAARC a few years ago, and want to be part of the SAARC free trade zone. Apparently, Indian-educated Karzai thinks he’s South Asian. And the masses of Afghan refugees in Karachi (some living in the gutters!) seem to function just fine in a South Asian environment.
As someone who is also involved in Asian American activism, I find it particularly annoying that people don’t include South Asians with Asian Americans. I have had people tell me that India is not a part of Asia – umm, can we go back to 2nd grade geography for a moment here?
I fully understand that there are differences between the largely defined groups of East Asians and South Asians – but what group defined by an outside authority DOES make sense? Arguably, there are just as many differences among East Asians as there are between these two large groups. The point is, there are huge similarities (immigration patterns, family situations, cultural values), enough so that it would be to South Asian Americans’ benefit to ally themselves with other Asian Americans.
I know that many people in the South Asian community are reluctant to see a connection to other Asian Americans (especially among the earlier/older generations), but I see that as a non-progressive way of looking at things. We are a very very small minority in this country, and it’s the sheer truth that there is strength in numbers.
Arguably, there are just as many differences among East Asians as there are between these two large groups.
i agree with your general point, but anyone arguing this point is really r*tarded 🙂
lol. Look at some of the older threads on Sepiamutiny, most Indians don’t like being lumped in with other South Asians, and Pakistanis think they are a part of Central Asia, and Bangladeshi Khans think they are Pashtuns. Hindus, Sikh and Christian desis really hate being mistaken for Arab, Central Asian or Muslim, particularly when boarding airplanes. Telegus hate being lumped in with Tamils. Punjabi Khatris hate being lumped in with other Punjabis.
I hate being lumped in with all the other humans. I think I’m a higher life form. Geez, get over yourselves. You all sound like a bunch of idiots. This is why some parts of the world are so shitty.
LOL, WeeWee! I agree with RS Khan, Turd, superbrown, & WeeWee. RS Khan, regarding your comment against Turd… Turd said that because some people don’t take lightly these mere “facts” of what is basically RACISM or ethnocentrism. There are black men who love light, non-black women. So what! It’s basically stupid to be discussing this ridiculousness. We KNOW there are Asians who don’t like other Asians. That is why Asians try to find solidarity with all kinds of different Asians. This ethnocentrism happens everywhere. In Europe. In North Asia. In South America and so forth! My boyfriend’s white and he thinks all Indians and Middle Easterners look alike. And you know what my response was? “You’re right!” Because you know what, it’s foolish to be “distinguishing” the “differences” based on ethnic identity. It’s interesting to learn about the history of our ethnic differences but I believe alot of that history is misconstrued. And besides, as an Indian, I find more in common with a Korean or Chinese person because alot of our traditions and old values are similar, i.e. marriage, education, home life, parental strictness, etc. I can tell you, middle easterners are always striking up a conversation with me and keep telling me that I don’t look Indian because of my white looking facial features and fair skin. I’ve gotten marriage proposals from Isreali Jewish men. I mean this “disdain” can be forgotten. It’s really hidden. But really it can be forgotten.
(speaking as an afghan) …. Mira,
Of course some ppl (everywhere) are racist assholes, but like someone said above, if ppl haven’t each reached the basic comprehension of 2nd geography – but how can you forget ignorance?
if you forget it, then that’s only going to lead to the spread of more ignorant assumptions. & its the frustration of those “others” mistaken classified – that leads to a shortness of temper and an inability to correct politely – because if you’re proud of who you are, you want others (esp your friends, classmates, co-workers, etc) to get it right.
oh and here”
I agree completely and consider this across the board for all of asia.
we have alot of similarities – and that’s something that ignorance works to destroy. A united asian front would be the start of a new age away from eurocentricism and alot of ppl who maintain this structure wouldn’t want that to happen.