Friday 01/04/2016
From: Mai Nguyen
Subject: Being Asian in the West
Dear Dr Kim,
I hope you don’t mind me emailing you out of the blue. Last year I took your course on “Contemporary Issues in International Relations” and found it very enriching. Thank you very much. You’re an awesome lecturer.
I was wondering if you could help me with some political/cultural/personal (I’m not sure which) questions on the matter of East-West relations that I’ve been struggling with.
I’m an international student from Saigon and understand from some of your publications that you’re proud of your Vietnamese roots while also feeling relaxed in Australia and comfortable with Western civilization. I wish I could feel the same.
Although I’ve been in Australia for almost three years, I often feel isolated. I’ve got quite a few white Australian friends, but no-one that I’ve really connected with. And the society still seems alien to me. In one of my economics classes I’m surrounded by students with straight black hair; but I still feel out of place, like I don’t belong.
And at times I can’t help but feel insulted by Westerners and Western culture, but I can’t quite figure out why and how I should react. What am I supposed to think and feel when I go to the cinema and see Emma Stone playing an Asian-American in Aloha? It troubles me that Scarlett Johansson is playing Kusanagi in Ghost in the Shell, even though I really like Scarlett. A few months ago I went to see the ANU Interhall Production of Miss Saigon. It was a great musical, but almost all of the Vietnamese roles were given to white people.
I mean its not like Emma Stone or Scarlett Johansson tried to make themselves look “Asian” with fake buck teeth and sticky tape on their eyelids. From what I know of these productions, the cast is supposedly selected by merit and sometimes auditions are even blind. Maybe it’s a tribute to white Westerners that they can take on just about any role and that their culture carries them so far? But is there any merit to actually being Asian or Vietnamese?
With respect, Nguyen Thi Mai.
***
Thu 02/04/2016
From: Kim Huynh
RE: Being Asian in the West
Dear Ms Nguyen,
Thanks for your question. I encourage Asians and non-Asians alike to see and enjoy productions in which Western people respectfully play Eastern people. I know it seems odd and even bizarre at times. But there are bigger issues at play than accusations of yellow face, issues that demand understanding and forbearance from East to West.
Let me say from the outset that I too am a fan of Miss Saigon. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to see the ANU production, but if you haven’t done so already, then go to West End and experience it where it premiered and where it has recently made a stunning return. You just can’t replicate the native experience.
It’s like how you haven’t really tasted Western food until you’ve been to the exotic Far West. I don’t know whether it’s the freshness of the ingredients or the ambience. But because Australia has been swamped by Asians and others, you just can’t get genuine Western cuisine here anymore.
The fact is, fish ‘n’ chips taste much better when they have been made by real English people, people who have been cooking and eating fish ‘n’ chips for generations. I’ve tried to make silverside with white sauce several times; it’s okay, but lacks that magical Western touch. And do you know that Yorkshire puddings come in different sizes?
The people of the UK are so friendly! Before you came here, you no doubt heard that Westerners are inscrutable and aloof, but probably know now that it just takes a bit of effort to get to know them. It helps to learn some of their words and ways of course. I’ve found that smiling and saying, ‘good morning’, ‘thanks to you’ or ‘How do you do?’ makes their little white faces light up. Sometimes they’ll even invite you home to meet their families.
When it comes to culture, I don’t agree with those who say that Westerners are all the same. I have a colleague who’s spent twenty years collecting and tabulating Western films and books. She reckon that a single plot line runs through all of them: I’m happy, then I’m sad, and in the end I’m happy again.
But just because Western culture lacks depth and sophistication at times, doesn’t mean that Westerners are uncivilised.
And it certainly doesn’t mean that we should turn our noses up at all that is Western. Quite the opposite. Part of the reason that I’ve been able to live in Australia for so long is that I take every opportunity to engage with the other and in the process discover more about myself. For instance, Robert Frost’s agrarian verse provides a perfect counterweight to industrial dynamism of Su Shi’s poetry and prose. When I want something edifying or feel broody I turn to Vietnamese imperial court music or ironic cheo operas. But sometimes I just want to tap my feet and hum along to a catchy tune, so I listen to a Western musical or Tay Tay.
In short, I take Westerners seriously and so should you. I try to support them whenever I can. After all, they’re trying to be like us. Long ago we burst through that bamboo firmament. It was a great achievement, but what we need to do now is construct a mighty ladder so that others can follow.
Sure, most Westerners will only get to the first or second rung. And almost all of them will never know the difference between a durian and a jackfruit.
A thousand pardons for returning to food. I don’t want to suggest that the only contribution that Westerners make to the world is food. But the durian is actually a splendid metaphor for Westerners: green and not quite ripe, rough around the edges, but with a bit of patience and care you can crack them open. Then, provided you can put up with the smell, you’ll find a rich yellow reward inside.
Kind regards, Dr Kim.
