Critical Foundations
Why is it essential to humanize our teaching of Asian art?
Introduction
When displayed on pedestals and behind glass, artworks in museums can seem detached from their original contexts and the people who made them. Furthermore, there is a legacy of dehumanization of the Asian American community. How can we as educators humanize Asian art for our students?
History of anti-Asian discrimination in the US
Even though Asian communities have made significant contributions to American life, anti-Asian discrimination has existed in the United States ever since their first large-scale arrival in the mid-1800s. Asian immigrants have been subject to various forms of prejudice, discrimination, and violence, targeted and scapegoated in the United States and abroad through exclusion, internment, colonization, and war. As a result, Asian Americans have long been depicted and construed as “the other”—portrayed and seen as exotic, as terrorists, and as “forever foreigners.” For example, fear and hysteria in reaction to the first Chinese immigrants in United States led to laws restricting emigration and barring citizenship for nonwhites. White Americans commonly referred to Chinese people as filthy and dirty and blamed them for spreading diseases, much like the backlash in response to the spread of Covid-19. During World War II, 120,000 Japanese Americans (many of whom had lived in the United States for multiple generations) were unconstitutionally relocated and imprisoned for being wrongfully seen as “the enemy.” After the attacks of 9/11, vilification and scapegoating of Muslims led to a surge in hate crimes against South Asians.
In addition to this historical legacy of dehumanization, Asian American communities continue to struggle with a lack of representation of their histories and experiences textbooks, classroom curricula, and the media. As educators seeking to teach our students about Asian arts and culture we must understand this fuller context to see why it is so important to humanize Asian artworks to see the people behind their cultural products. When we encounter stereotypes and prejudice against Asians, it’s important to: (1) slow down; (2) acknowledge check our assumptions; and (3) look and listen closely for connections and deeper understanding. It’s important to learn about real people, not stereotypes or caricatures so that we do not continue to perpetuate unfounded information that can fuel hate-filled sentiments, rhetoric, and attitudes.
Video: 8(9)
Video Discussion
What do you think is the main message of Bao Phi’s “8(9)”? What about the performance makes you think so?
What devices does the artist use to address the way the story of Fong Lee’s murder was told by the press and people in power? What do you think Bao Phi means when he says “put a blindfold on me. tell me who you fear and I will tell you your skin”?
What do Bao Phi’s words “Minnesota Nice. This city hides it scars so well” mean to you?
What part of Bao Phi’s performance, if any, resonates most with your experience? How?
Teaching and Learning Strategies
Emphasize the human: How can we teach in ways that prioritize human experience over objects? Objects in museums have been removed from their contexts and their people. Each object has a human story, created by the artist and the people who used it and lived with it. It had a meaning and a purpose. Look at the materials, and think about the hands that made it.
Emphasize and show examples of living artists. The names of historical artists who signed their work are known, but many other makers’ names were not recorded in their own times. As a result, there are many objects from our Asian collections that were created by “unknown artists.” Today, Mia tries to provide historical context for objects and seeks to acknowledge the people behind the artworks, but this “unknown” designation makes those unnamed creators much less visible. Together, we can aim to share images and videos of Asian and Asian American artists and makers whenever possible.
Emphasize that Asia is made up of diverse peoples and experiences. Counter the dominant narratives, assumptions, and stereotypes by teaching about Asian and Asian American histories—and not just well-known ones. Look for examples online, at local and national Asian cultural centers, and from your peers! It’s important to increase your students’ exposure to Asian and Asian American histories, because a major issue facing Asian Americans is invisibility and erasure of their experiences and narratives.