Part of the harm of the model-minority myth Asian Americans face in the United States is that they are often not understood as being interesting, said Dr. David Oh, an associate professor of communication arts at Ramapo College of New Jersey.
Dr. David Oh
For years, Oh has been studying Asian American representation along with matters of identity, critical media studies, and the diaspora.
Oh joined Ramapo in 2013. Before Ramapo, he held appointments including special assistant professor at Colorado State University, visiting assistant professor at Villanova University, assistant professor at Denison University, and visiting assistant professor at University of Pittsburgh at Bradford. He holds a Ph.D. in mass communications and an M.A. in broadcast journalism from Syracuse University as well as a B.A. in psychology from Baylor University.
Oh cites — among the reasons for Asian underrepresentation in TV, music, and film — the “Black-white binary” through which Americans view race. Other people of color are not as visible on the United States racial landscape, he said, noting that Asian immigration became a phenomenon after the 1965 Immigration Act.
“I think perhaps … it’s taken a while for the second and the third generation to come of age and to join the entertainment industries in ways in which they can make a difference,” Oh said.
And stereotypical views that Asian Americans are often discouraged by their families from pursuing entertainment careers are dubious, said Oh.
