Asian Americans and the Media

This exciting new book provides a concise, thoughtful, and critical approach to the study of Asian Americans and the media. It introduces the complex subject of US media representations of Asian Americans and explores ways in which Asian Americans have resisted those representations, but have also reconceptualized the terrain of challenge and resistance, often through their own media productions.

In a style that is both engaging and accessible, Ono and Pham summarize key scholarship and lay theoretical groundwork to help students, scholars, and other interested readers understand their subject. The book covers representations of Asian Americans in traditional media, including print, film, music, radio, and television, as well as in newer media, primarily Internet-situated. The authors powerfully illustrate how Asian Americans had little control over their representation in early US media and what the resultant images constructed by historically dominant white society were. In this context, the book draws attention to both recurring patterns and responses by Asian Americans: today, they are creating complex, sophisticated, and imaginative self-portraits, often equipped with powerful information and education. Throughout, Ono and Pham encourage careful consideration of the relationship between media and minority groups in their historical, cultural, political, and social contexts, and envision an even more active role for Asian Americans in future media.

Asian Americans and the Media will be an ideal text for all students taking courses such as on Asian American Studies, Minorities and the Media, Media Criticism, and Race and Ethnic Studies.