DOI: https://doi.org/10.14710/ca.v10i1.33583

The Struggles of Asian Immigrants in the Documentary “Being Asians in America (2022)”

Andika Heka Putra  -  Universitas Diponegoro, Indonesia
*Sukarni Suryaningsih, M.Hum.  -  Faculty of Humanities, Universitas Diponegoro, Indonesia, Indonesia

Citation Format:
Abstract

Documentary films are one of the media which are able to represent social reality while building public understanding of the experiences of minority groups. This study aims to analyze the representation of the struggles of Asian immigrants in the documentary Being Asians in America (2022) produced by the Pew Research Center. The research uses a descriptive qualitative approach with the film text analysis method. The research data in the form of dialogues, narratives, and scenes related to the experiences of Asian immigrants were then analyzed using the perspective of Critical Race Theory to uncover power relations, discriminatory practices, and representational politics built in the film. The results show that this documentary represents the experience of Asian immigrants as a complex process, from the arrival of Chinese, Japanese, Sikhs, and Pakistanis to the United States to their struggles with stereotypes, discrimination, hate crimes, physical violence, language barriers, and limited access to social and economic opportunities. On the other hand, the film also shows various adaptation strategies carried out by immigrants through education, entrepreneurship, community solidarity, and the preservation of cultural identity as a form of resistance to marginalization.

Fulltext View|Download Email colleagues
Keywords: documentary; Asian immigrants; Being Asians in America; Critical Race Theory; representation; identity.

Article Metrics:

Article Info
Section: Cultural Studies
Language : EN
  1. Barbara, P. (2001). In the Name of Hate: Understanding Hate Crimes (1st ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203905135
  2. Bonilla-Silva, E. (2017). Racism without racists: Color-blind racism and the persistence of racial inequality in America (5th ed.). Rowman & Littlefield
  3. Creswell, J. W., & Poth, C. N. (2018). Qualitative inquiry & research design: Choosing among five approaches (Fourth edition). SAGE
  4. Delgado, R., & Stefancic, J. (1993). Critical Race Theory: An Annotated Bibliography. Virginia Law Review, 79(2), 461. https://doi.org/10.2307/1073418
  5. Denzin, N. K., & Lincoln, Y. S. (2017). The SAGE Handbook of Qualitative Research (5th ed.). SAGE Publications
  6. Hall, S. (1996). Introduction: Who Needs ‘Identity’? In S. Hall & P. Du Gay, Questions of Cultural Identity (pp. 1–17). SAGE Publications Ltd. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781446221907.n1
  7. Hall, S. (1997). Representation: Cultural representations and signifying practices. SAGE Publications Ltd
  8. Kim, Y. (2001). Becoming Intercultural: An Integrative Theory of Communication and Cross-Cultural Adaptation. SAGE Publications, Inc. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781452233253
  9. Lee, J., & Zhou, M. (2015). The Asian American Achievement Paradox. Russell Sage Foundation
  10. Lowe, L. (1996). Immigrant Acts: On Asian American Cultural Politics. Duke University Press. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1215/9780822379010
  11. Omi, M., & Winant, H. (2014). Racial Formation in the United States. Routledge
  12. Pew Research Centre. (2022, August). Being Asian in America [Video recording]. https://www.pewresearch.org/race-and-ethnicity/2022/08/02/documentary-being-asian-in-america/
  13. Portes, A., & Rumbaut, R. G. (2014). Immigrant America: A Portrait (4th ed.). University of California Press
  14. Puar, J. K. (2007). Terrorist Assemblages: Homonationalism in Queer Times. Duke University Press. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1215/9780822390442
  15. Rose, G. (2023). Visual Methodologies: An Introduction to Researching with Visual Materials. SAGE Publications Ltd. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.4135/9781036231576
  16. Ruiz, N. G., Shao, S., & Shah, S. (2022). What it means to be Asian in America. Pew Research Center. https://www.pewresearch.org/race-and-ethnicity/2022/08/02/what-it-means-to-be-asian-in-america/
  17. Said, E. W. (1978). Orientalism. Pantheon Books
  18. Tracy, S. J. (2019). Qualitative research methods: Collecting evidence, crafting analysis, communicating impact (Vol. 5). Wiley-Blackwell
  19. Wing Sue, D., M. Capodilupo, C., Torino, G. C., Bucceri, J. M., Holder, A. M. B., Nadal, K. L., & Esquilin, M. (2007). Racial microaggressions in everyday life: Implications for clinical practice. American Psychologist, 62(4), 271–286. https://doi.org/https://psycnet.apa.org/doi/10.1037/0003-066X.62.4.271
  20. Zhou, M. (1992). Chinatown: The Socioeconomic Potential of an Urban Enclave

Last update:

No citation recorded.

Last update:

No citation recorded.