ABSTRACT
The evidence establishes that the concept Asian evokes an association not with a specific nation or geographical region, but with race. In the general view of things, anyone with a particular bone structure and skin color will count as Asian. A secondary stereotype grows out of the mystification of Asia, the mysterious Orient where hard-working but simple people ply their crafts and study arcane philosophies, attaining wisdom and a spirituality specific to their race. At a later point the thread turns to a more thoughtful discussion of race and ethnicity in casting. This is just one of hundreds if not thousands of examples that are easily found on the internet, radio, television and in print. Like African Americans, Asian Americans have more and more difficult hurdles to leap before they can transcend stereotype and be accepted as individuals. Accent, when it serves as a marker of race, takes on special power and significance.
