As mentioned in a previous blog post, the drawback of teaching culture as a 'laundry list' of heroes, historical events, etc..is that you reduce that culture to that list and you disregard the rich fabric of the people who make up that culture. For instance, a laundry list of Asian American culture may include, "The Joy Luck Club", Amy Tan, Chinese fortune cookie, Chinese laundry, Fu Manchu, Charlie Chan, rice fields, Model Minority, computer and math nerds, Tiger Mom, Bruce Lee, Kung Fu, Karate, Martial Arts, Kung Pao Chicken, Chinatown, majong, Peking Duck, Chinese restaurants, Chinese take-out food, Asian furniture or Asian art, geisha girls, Crazy Rich Asians, and The Farewell. And lately, Asian Americans have become associated with illness, Wuhan Virus, Chinese Virus--dirt, slovenly, illness, and death because COVID 19 originated in China and so did SARS.
Asian Americans are seen as exotic objects just like the Asian art you see in the Asian furniture store. Asian Americans have always been seen as the 'other'--somebody not quite American. The prototypical American is still somebody of European descent--or more specifically, somebody of English descent. During this pandemic, for Asian Americans, this sense of 'otherness' has become even more pronounced. Non-Asians patrons no longer shop at Asian grocery stores for fear of getting COVID19 (false). Non-Asian patrons no longer eat at Asian restaurants because of their fear of getting COVID19 (false). During the SARS epidemic, Chinese restaurants stood empty and many had to close. Many non-Asian people do not distinguish an Asian American from an Asian from Asia. Also, many non-Asian people confuse all Asian groups together.
If you have Asian American students in your class, ask them how the COVID 19 crisis is affecting them. Make that a teachable moment about stereotyping and racism. When you add the student's personal stories to the curriculum, it makes the racism that much more real to the non-Asians because the racism is hitting close to home to their classmates. If you want a great book on the history of xenophobia in U.S. and how this relates to Asian American xenophobia, read Erika Lee's America for Americans. Fascinating book! Erika Lee goes on NPR to talk about COVID 19 and racism against Asian Americans https://www.npr.org/transcripts/813700167. A transcript of that broadcast is also available.
You can talk about the following topics about Asian Americans
1. Why is it wrong to say 'Chinese virus' or 'Wuhan virus'? Why is it more advisable to call this virus, COVID 19? (I mean why not call it the Chinese virus or the Wuhan virus since the virus, after all, came from Wuhan, China.) Even so, why is it still wrong to call this the Chinese virus? or the Wuhan virus?
2. Why are people not frequenting Chinese restaurants, but still going to Italian restaurants even though Italy is also showing a high instance of COVID19 outbreaks and death? What is it about Chinese restaurants that make them more 'infected' than Italian restaurants?
3. Since the COVID19 outbreak, how has public perception of Asian Americans changed?
4. After watching Crazy Rich Asians, by contrast, what was the public's reaction or perception of Asian Americans? How has that changed since the COVID19 outbreak?
5. How deep rooted is prejudice against Asian Americans (Google Fu Manchu to read Fu Manchu before you answer this question/notice when Fu Manchu was produced). As you read Fu Manchu, how are the Chinese depicted in this story?
6. Who was Charlie Chan and how does Charlie Chan contribute to deep rooted prejudice against Asian Americans?
7. How do you think Asian Americans are now being treated during this COVID19 crisis?
8. Why do you think Asian Americans celebrated Crazy Rich Asians as a breakthrough movie?
9. Why do you think Asian Americans loved The Farewell as a breakthrough movie?
10. If you are teaching online, have students google Chinese stereotypes cartoons and discuss why these cartoons belittle Asian Americans and why these cartoons are racist?
11. Why is 'yellow face' considered racist? Should white actors be allowed to play Chinese roles in movies? Why or why not?
12. What effect do all these negative stereotypes have on Asian Americans, in your opinion?
13. Would you go grocery shopping in an Asian grocery store or eat at a Chinese restaurant during this COVID19 period? Can you get COVID19 from eating at a Chinese restaurant?
14. What kind of racism/discrimination have you or somebody you know experienced?
15. How did it feel when somebody gossiped about you behind your back or told falsehoods about you without evidence? Ever have a boss make up a bad situation just to get you fired? How did that feel?
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