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Is Lucy Liu the New All-American Girl?

Last month ABC premiered its new Sex and the City-ish show Cashmere Mafia, starring Lucy Liu as Mia Mason, a high-powered publishing executive in New York City. Not since Margaret Cho’s All-American Girl (also ABC) has an Asian American been featured as a main character. But All-American Girl was criticized by some for exploiting stereotypes for laughs, and Cho and network executives argued over just the right formula of “Asian-ness.” After the whole debacle, Cho spiraled into various forms of self-destructiveness, and the show was canceled after one season. That was 1994.

Over the past few decades Asian Americans have been slowly eking their way into casting rooms and onto sets in Hollywood. (Think Lost, ER, Grey’s Anatomy, Heroes, Entourage, Gilmore Girls, etc.). Exposure is a good thing, but Asian Americans for the most part are still relegated to ancillary roles.

In Cashmere Mafia, Mia isn’t immediately identifiable as the protagonist via voiceovers a la Carrie Bradshaw, but she’s clearly the leader of her pack. And Liu has first billing (plus the most star power out of the cast).

And the show doesn’t ignore Liu’s Asian-ness. In a recent episode, Mia's mom sets her up with a charming Chinese brain surgeon, Jason (played by Jack Yang)—but the date ends with an awkward handshake. Jason later tells Mia that he doesn't usually date Chinese women. She confesses that she doesn't date Chinese men, either, and they both laugh. The interaction isn't preachy, just a nod to the fact that yes, people do have biases—especially when it comes to dating.

Another noteworthy moment: In the most recent episode, Mia and the brain surgeon exchange a few words in Chinese (probably ad-libbed by the two actors). Cut to Mia's cohort of stiletto-stalking best friends gossiping (in English) about her new man. Soon we’re forgetting about the Chinese and getting caught up in the rest of the scene.

When it comes to diversifying prime time, this half-serious, half-silly show has the right idea: We don’t need exaggerated stereotypes; we just need to see cultural differences, and then get used to them. I'm staying tuned—if not to see how this trend plays out, then merely because the show is one of my guilty pleasures.

—Joyce Tang

Comments

There is nothing more beautiful, nor frightening, than a herd of Lucy Liu-bots destroying your city.

Posted by: D.Rose on 02/12/08 at 4:52 AM Respond

Sure...but wouldn't it be nice if an Asian American character on TV could be one who actually DOES date other Asians?

This "I'm too much my own person to date within my race" attitude is the most common one for Asian American characters in popular media. It's as though writers don't believe that someone could be an interesting person with their own personality traits AND intentionally date other people of Asian descent.

Why is it more acceptable in mainstream media to say "I don't date other Asians" than it is to say "I only date other Asians"...?

Posted by: giles on 02/14/08 at 11:18 AM Respond

To giles: meet a few Asian women, and ask them point blank about their dating preferences. Quite often, it's white men -- often enough to be a painful stereotype, and to add another stereotype, it's painful for Asian men, who, quite often, do prefer Asian women. What this scene actually sidestepped was having the Asian man trying hard to get the girl while she was not interested because of his race. That's the real ugly stereotype they are actively avoiding.

Posted by: SingleInSanFrancisco on 02/15/08 at 2:19 PM Respond

Nah, I'd rather make out with my Lucy Liu-bot. ;-)

Posted by: Rosemary on 02/22/08 at 12:50 PM Respond

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