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“ The very fact that the show is called All-American Girl implies that it’s still peculiar for a young woman with Asian features to be considered a ”true” American. Every character in the series is a tidy stereotype: Grandma is hopelessly unassimilated; Margaret’s parents are first-generation strivers; Margaret is a second-generation rebel doing her best to reject her roots for what she sees as the freedom of American pop culture. Margaret says in one episode that she grew up watching sitcoms, and in one of the few touches that ring true, her conversation is filled with the vulgar put-downs typical of too many TV shows.

— Ken Tucker (TV Show Review: ‘All American Girl: http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0„304007,00.html)

ALL AMERICAN GIRL
In the pilot of the show, Margaret is introduced by being late to dinner and not following Korean tradition. She is stubborn and dislikes the men (all Korean) her mother chooses for her. Margaret epitomizes “assimilation” and is “an All-American girl” because she follows the white-black binary, follows white aesthetic, and rejects her ethnic culture. She works at the make up counter with white women and talks about dating (which is a popular topic in American popular culture). Her and her coworkers view the skin computer as “something they cannot touch,” thus put it in a higher ranking. Margaret reveals that she possesses inappropriate clothing (like the clothing in porn videos), which shows that she has given into the American ideal that “sex sells.” Margaret dates men that are masculine. In the episode, her boyfriend, Kyle, is white and portrays manliness; he is tall, works on automobiles, is buff, and is very American. Unlike Kyle, Margaret’s brother, Stuart, is emasculated in the show. In addition to being the “favorite” and nerdy, Stuart is seen as weak, especially through his statement, “Margaret, be gentle. He knows our address and has access to power tools.”

GLEE
In this performance of “Cool”, Mike (Harry Shum Jr.) showcases his singing ability for the first time and auditions for a role in the play, West Side Story. The football team, which is ethnically diverse, joins Mike on stage and they all show their athleticism through their dance moves. Because of his participation and ability to fit in in both the football team and the Glee Club, it is obvious that Mike is assimilated. His cuffed jeans and converse shoes are “American” and it is uncommon to see Asians play football (Football is usually associated with African Americans and Whites).

In earlier TV shows and movies, such as The Green Hornet, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, and Sixteen Candles, Asian males were portrayed to lack masculinity. They possessed no romantic feelings and were shy when it came to women. For instance, Long Duk Dong (Sixteen Candles) was nerdy, asexual, and pathetic, and “yellowface” (Breakfast at Tiffany’s) sneaked peeks at Audrey Hepburn. These portrayals encouraged the public to view Asian males to be feminine and females to rather seek a romantic relationship with White males. In contrast to earlier portrayals of Asian men, Mike is perceived to be masculine. He has a nice body (the show always focuses on his abs [as shown in the picture above]), is athletic, has a girlfriend, is charming, is confident, and stands up/fights for his friends. He is not afraid to speak his mind and follow his dreams. Harry Shum Jr. is seen as a sex symbol to the Glee audience. Thus, he can eventually change the Asian male stereotype and influence more women to be attracted to Asian males.

AE: We still don’t see that many Asian characters on TV. Do you feel like you’re kind of representing in a way that Chris Colfer wound up representing gay teens?
HS: In a way I do. I don’t really feel the pressure. Asian Americans have come up to me and said thank you for representing Asian Americans on television. So for that I just want to keep doing what I’m doing. I keep it in mind, and I just want to create a character to be a character that portrays things outside what you normally see and have seen on television.

- Michael Jensen “Interview with Glee’s Harry Shum: ‘I Usually Don’t Lift Up my Shirt’” (http://www.afterelton.com/people/2011/08/harry-shum-mike-chang-abs)

GLEE
This screenshot was taken from the Glee episode, Asian F. In this episode, Mike Chang receives an A- (also known as “an Asian F”) in his Chemistry exam and deals with his father’s high academic expectations. Because of the A-, his father believes Mike is either taking drugs or is distracted (by his girlfriend, Tina, and the Glee Club). He tries to persuade Mike to get rid of his dream of becoming a dancer and pursue a career as a Doctor (a profession that is linked with Asian Americans). In the first 10 minutes of the episode, it is evident that Mike Chang portrays the Model Minority Myth. He is intelligent, involved in several extracurricular activities, talented, and is pressured to stay on top of his academics.
The white-black binary is also shown in the episode. Although it is titled “Asian F,” the episode primarily focuses on the events that included non-Asians: the class presidential elections between Rachel, Kurt, and Brittany(all White), and the sing-off between Rachel (White character) and Mercedes (African American).

GILMORE GIRLS
In this clip, Lane is at a high school party with her boyfriend, Dave, and phones her strict, traditional mother when she is drunk. Lane reveals her secrets of being in rock band and being in love with Dave. She tells her mother that she is not interested in the Korean boy, Young Chu, her mom has set her up with. She refers to Young Chu as “a little tugboat tooting along,” which shows that Lane supports the emasculated Asian male stereotype. She describes her band as “Nirvana, the Clash, and Rage Against the Machine” (American rock bands) and admits that she drank beer (the drink that her mom views as the Devil’s drink). Lane is “assimilated,” because she has a White boyfriend, is in a rock band, portrays the common American theme of rebelliousness, and hangs out with mainly white people. She is ethnically ambiguous when she is away from her mother or talks about her mother.

GILMORE GIRLS
This image indicates Lane’s assimilation/Americanization. She is in a rock band, surrounds herself with White characters, and lives two different lives (traditional Korean life at home and all-American teenager outside of home). In the article “’You Can Never Be Too Rich or Too Thin’: Popular and Consumer Culture and the Americanization of Asian American Girls and Young Women,” Stacey Lee and Sabina Vaught discuss how buying into Whiteness (specifically the white-black binary) encourages Asian Americans to alienate themselves from their culture and families. Lane has done so by keeping her other life a secret from her mother for several seasons.

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ivegoneawayinsidemyhead:

Glee, your non-logic is showing.

For the past three seasons, Tina has been a supporting character. She sings backup and never gets her chance to shine. Whereas, the other characters (especially Rachel) has had their moment/solo performances. This shows the racial inequality and the social hierarchy (whites>minorities). Thus, Asian Americans are still perceived as “the other” and the inferior in popular culture.
Because she has been a backup singer for the other members of the New Directions and enables them to have the spotlight, Tina can be seen as the China Doll. She understands that she must be in the background to support the group’s main singers and is optimistic that one day she will have her chance in the spotlight.

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“ My eyes, are up here! I am a person with feelings, get out of my grill! I am a powerful woman, and my growing feminism will cut you in half like a righteous blade of equality!

—

Tina to Artie (her boyfriend in Season 1)

GLEE 1x15 - The Power of Madonna
For Tina to continue being his girlfriend, Artie told her that she must wear tight and seductive clothing. Tina explodes on him with this quote.
Through his want, Artie supports the China doll stereotype. He wants Tina to be subservient to him and please his needs. Tina’s response to Artie is significant; it rejects the perception that Asian American women exist only for the purpose of “serving” White males.
In contrast, Tina believes her purpose is to “serve” the Glee Club by doing the behind-the-curtain work (such as sewing outfits for competitions) and being a backup singer.

Glee: Tina as a self-hating Asian

Season 2, Episode 18 - Born This Way

In this episode, the Glee characters had to deal with traits/characteristics that they wish they can change and put that specific thing on their shirt. Tina wears blue contacts and admits that she wants to change her eye color. By doing this, she rejects her identity and gives into the White aesthetic.

GLEE 3x20 - Props
Tina bumps her head and switches bodies with Rachel (the main female singer of the New Directions). Tina is finally able to have a solo (not as herself but as Rachel). This brings up the white-black binary and demonstrates social hierarchy of whites being at the top. Tina succumbed to whiteness and has rid herself of her true identity in order to obtain acknowledgement and a solo performance.