Citations and Annotations (cont).

I KNEW you wanted more fascinating resources on Asian Pacific American identity and advertising!

3) Taylor, Charles R., Stacy Landreth, and Hae-Kyong Bang. "Asian Americans in Magazine Advertising: Portrayals of the "Model Minority." Journal of Macromarketing 25.2 (2005): 163-174.

The purpose of the study was to examine whether portrayals of Asian Americans in magazine advertisements have changed over time. In particular, hypotheses were formulated on 1) the frequency of appearance, 2) the types of representations, and 3) the settings/context in which they were placed. Data was collected through the observation of a sample of magazines. The results supported all the hypotheses; although there have been slight improvements over time, images were still consistent with the ideal of the “model minority” – the notion that Asian Americans are educated, technologically savvy, good at math, business oriented, etc. Although these stereotypes appear positive, they are limited and actually have damaging consequences on one’s peer relationships, self-motivation, and assimilation due to the large amount of pressure to live up to the image. Also, reinforced stereotypes are dangerous to society for they may eventually become accepted as reality. Therefore, the study has important implications for future advertising. Advertisers should portray Asian Americans in a wide variety of depictions/contexts because, just like a study cited earlier by Deshpande and Forehand, the mere presence of an ethnic minority in an advertisement influence viewers of the same ethnic group, and non-stereotyped portrayals are the ones that produce the most positive effect.

4) Mastro, Dana E., and Susannah R. Stern. "Representations of Race in Television Commercials: A Content Analysis of Prime-time Advertising." Journal of Broadcasting and Electronic Media 47.4 (2003): 638-647.

The researchers of this study looked at the portrayals of minorities in television commercials. Their hypotheses were based on the Social Cognitive Theory which states that simple repetition, a strategy characteristic of advertising messages, cause people to learn from the media, and viewers are more likely to emulate models that they perceive to be similar to self, especially of similar racial backgrounds. They evaluated commercial images on their 1) frequency, 2) representation, and 3) quality. Although they looked at numerous racial groups, findings concerning Asian Americans were most relevant to my topic. Coding of prime-time commercials produced these results: Asian Americans were found to be underrepresented and only depicted in a minor capacity. Furthermore, Asian Americans were found mostly in technology ads, shown working, and not put in familial settings. These representations are consistent with the image of the “model minority” (Taylor, Landreth, & Bang). Lastly, Asian American models were young in age and passive. According to the Social Cognitive Theory, repeated exposure to these somewhat negative depictions may prime Asian Americans into the image of the hardworking, technological, but submissive minority. Just like images of Asian Americans in magazine ads, television commercials have progressed in their portrayals of minorities, but are still unfortunately limited in their scope.

A couple more resources that can be found in the library or bookstore nearest you!

5) Chou, Rosalind S., and Joe R. Feagin. The Myth of the Model Minority: Asian Americans Facing Racism. Boulder: Paradigm Publishers, 2008.

6) Philip, Cheri. Asian American Identities: Racial & Ethnic Identity Issues in the Twenty-First Century. Youngstown: Cambria Press, 2007.