Lifting the Curtain

Not much has changed for UC Berkeley junior Lisa Lee.

In high school, which Lee says was almost 80 percent Asian-American, she was one of only three in her advanced drama class.

Now at UC Berkeley, Lee is just one of 12 Asian-American theater majors-out of 115 students in the program.

For Lee, the numbers are not surprising-studying acting often means departing from deeply rooted family norms for many Asian-American students.

Lee says Asian-American students steer away from performing arts because their often-traditional families encourage more lucrative and stable careers in fields like business or law.

"My grandmother used to tell me that there are three unmentionables: the clown, the prostitute and the thespian," Lee says.

Lee did not let what her elders said keep her from pursuing her passion for acting. But it appears many Asian Americans did: In 2003, only 2.5 percent of television and theatrical roles were given to Asian-American actors.

To combat the low number of Asian Americans on stage, UC Berkeley students are taking matters into their own hands.

"Just having Asians on stage is a statement in and of itself," says Lee, who is a member of Theatre Rice, an Asian-American student group that performs sketch comedy, improvisation and dramatic pieces.

Theatre Rice, which has roughly 30 members each semester, helps fledgling actors by providing them with tips for professional auditions and encouraging filmmakers to enter their works into competitions.

The group was founded in 1998 to encourage Asian Americans to pursue acting, and provide an outlet for Asian Americans who want to combat the stereotypes in entertainment.

"There is a stereotype that Asians are shy," says senior Rick Kitagawa, Theatre Rice producer. "We need to show that there is a market for Asians."

Although Theatre Rice opens the door for many Asian Americans in performing arts, many members still hesitate to devote their careers to pursuing the arts.

When sophomore Jeff Chou, an electrical engineering and computer science major, told his parents he was joining Theatre Rice, his mom told him to make sure it didn't affect his grades.

"They think acting's risky, and you'll end up homeless and poor," Chou says.

Chou says he does not want his parents to see him on stage because it would make them uneasy.

"I'm thankful (Theatre Rice) gave me a chance to see what my life would be like if I chose that path," Chou said.

But as an EECS major, Chou says he does not have time to double as a drama major, or even spare the time to enroll in a few acting courses.

Some of the few Asian Americans involved in the entertainment industry say to make progress, older generations of Asians need to be more open-minded about career paths.

"Asian-American parents must let go of the immigrant ‘let's play it safe' mentality," says Guy Aoki, who founded the Media Action Network for Asian Americans.

But Lee said the problem does not stop at the traditional family values that often limit Asian Americans' career paths. The root of the problem lies in the stereotypes found in the film and television industry.

"Most writers see Asian Americans as only Chinese food delivery boys or martial arts fighters," Aoki says. "We're not asking for a handout, just to reflect reality."

Lee, who is double majoring in mass communications as a backup, said the problem is circular. Even if parents allow children to enter the industry, there are limited opportunities for Asian Americans. Without a large number of Asian Americans getting their feet in the door, there will not be a push for better roles to be offered.

With an overwhelming majority of both prime-time television shows and blockbuster movies being written by white males, it's easy for many minorities to be continually portrayed as stereotypes, Aoki reports.

While Asian-American doctors and lawyers are making a good name for the ethnic group, Aoki says "another Asian doctor is not going to change how we are portrayed-civil rights activists and people in the arts will."

On campus, the Theater, Dance and Performance Studies Department is attempting to bring the issue to the forefront.

"Several courses are taught on Asian history and theater," says Michael Mansfield, undergraduate student affairs officer for the program. "And, the department is focused on how to do 21st century theater that includes all issues of race and gender."

Despite low numbers of Asian Americans on the big screen, Lee says there is still hope.

"Maybe it's just a process that Asian-American actors have to go through, like the black actors did in the past," Lee says. "After playing stereotypical roles for a while maybe we'll have an opportunity for regular roles like they do now."

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