Topics and Topos

Alright. So, a few posts back, I set up the context for a research topic that I thought would be interesting to delve deeper into.

My topic: targeted advertising
Tentative thesis: I propose that the prevalence of racial stereotypes, specifically about Asian Americans, in the media will have an effect on ethnic identity formation.

Unfortunately, the topic is far too broad, and the research I found broadened my scope of understanding even more. I can see this subject branching off into many different tangents… and some don’t even have anything to do with advertising.

My research kept giving me consistent data in that the main stereotypes of Asian Americans are that of the model minority, the hard worker, the business oriented, the smart one, or the technologically savvy. If I were to compare and contrast this with media representations of other minorities, I would say that these images are relatively positive (Asian Americans are not portrayed as gangsters, or hoodlums, or hypersexual, etc.). Because these images are considered positive, many would assume that Asian Americans are one minority group that has had a pretty easy time of assimilating into the United States. However, assimilation is one of those topics that’s been done before…

Were these images really created by the white majority? If so, then why must they be the ones who decide what images of minorities exist? Is this a battle between inferior/superior, dominant/subordinate? Perhaps I can make some assumptions from this. The United States has a history of imperialism. Even though relationships between nations have changed, it has been an evolution to get to this point. Maybe the persistence of racial stereotypes is a byproduct or even is a remnant of this long struggle between the oppressed and the oppressor...

Did you know that the Philippines was once a commonwealth of the United States? The Philippines is a very diverse country and derives much of its culture from indigenous, Spanish, Chinese, Muslim, and American influences. Yet, it’s funny how the American/European ideals appear to dominate even in the Philippines. From much of the Filipino television shows and movies I’ve seen, the actors/actresses/entertainers don’t even look like your “typical” Filipino. They have a very distinct “European” look with light skin tone. It’s no wonder we’re having such a hard time negotiating our ethnic identity when portrayals of our own people don’t appear in the US or Filipino media! I can see where much of the confusion is coming from. The fact that the Philippines emphasizes this particular ideal of beauty has had a lot of social consequences. The pressure this places on Filipino women is astounding. The drastic measures they take to live up to this ideal! I don’t even want to get into the types of beauty products women have resorted to which claim to help “whiten one's skin.” And these products are actually very harmful to your health! Some have been found to contain mercury...

So far I’ve taken a look at this topic from a social standpoint with underlying ethical values. Perhaps I can apply this ethical lens back to advertising. Is the existence of stereotypes due to institutional racism or individual bias? But can I even make such a claim about racism? Because despite the negative impact these media portrayals have, ultimately, do advertisers have the moral responsibility to present positive and correct images of Asian Americans? Do people in the advertising business even see this is as an ethical problem? Do they even recognize that it’s happening, and if so, are they open to creating imaginative solutions to the problem?

I made the claim a long time ago that advertising influences society and I still believe it does, especially in terms of identity formation. But advertising may also reflect society. Maybe these portrayals are just reflections of the images that Asian Americans put on themselves. It may come down to it that their own cultural and social norms and beliefs are what motivate them to strive for perfection, and advertisements are proof of that. Then, how is it the advertisers’ fault?

Wow. It looked like I just went off on a rant. But this really got me thinking, and I feel like I came up with quite a few good points. Now my problem is finding which point I’m interested in researching the most!

Do you have any ideas?