#japanese-american holden

[purecommemasolitude]

Japanese-American Paul and Soviet exchange student Sergei and Jewish Brill hiding it from Bev’s parents and Hispanic-in-disguise Rogelio and Japanese-American Brill adopted by a white family and every other Soc Ryo role you are so so important to me. Minority and marginalized Socs you are my everything

[asexual-juliet]

japanese american paul holden lore that beamed itself into in my brain as soon as ryo made his debut

his mom: Kimi Takahashi, born in 1921, grew up on a farm in Fresno. 

his dad: Frank Horikawa, born in 1919, grew up in LA and graduated college around six months before america entered world war ii

both Kimi and Frank are the children of Japanese immigrants (part of the Nisei generation)

Frank grows up as this all-American city boy and doesn’t speak much Japanese while Kimi is a little more connected to her roots. 

they meet in 1942 after Executive Order 9066 is issued and they are forcibly relocated to the Japanese American incarceration camp in Rohwer, Arkansas

they get married in camp in early 1945 (a few months before the camps start to close down)

Frank americanizes their last name to “Holden” shortly after leaving Rohwer and Kimi starts going by “Kim” at his request

Paul is born in 1947 shortly after his parents resettle in Tulsa

Kim wanted to give paul a japanese first name (i am leaning toward Isamu) but his dad refused

Frank is very much trying to distance himself and his family from their heritage in an attempt to fit in and provide his wife and child the best life he can

Kimi was closer to her heritage growing up and has a more positive relationship with her ethnicity but reluctantly follows her husband’s example because it’s the 40s/50s/60s and she is playing the role of the devoted housewife

(this is a story about generational trauma!!)

but like. Paul is very much the all-american boy. he is a star football player and he gets good grades and his dad’s a self-made businessman and his mom’s the perfect housewife and yet he feels so different from his peers in a way he’s never quite felt able to acknowledge

in 1960 there were 749 Japanese families in the entire state of oklahoma and “the number of Asian residents [in oklahoma] did not increase dramatically until the 1970s,” so Paul is this all-american boy who grows up very isolated from people who look like him, and growing up, the very few other asian people who he is aware of (notably Two-bit’s family) are on the other side of the class divide

but like, he is very much a Soc and is definitely accepted in that group of almost entirely white kids (myth of the model minority and everything) but there is still this otherness about him that makes him feel very isolated

and i think he does find himself kind of jealous of someone like Two-bit who doesn’t seem to be trying to blend in and who is fine with existing as he is. but Paul’s dad is very much using assimilation into american society to deal with the trauma of the wwii era and paul is raised on that principle

i don’t really want to play into the stereotype of the strict Asian parent, but i do think that Paul’s dad sets these very high expectations for him as a defense mechanism/an attempt to force his family into the status of the “model minority.” As a successful and wealthy Japanese American businessman in 1960s Oklahoma, he has to be twice as perfect to be taken as seriously as a white man, and he wants his son to be successful, too, so he drills that message into Paul’s head from a pretty early age.

and i think that probably fucks Paul up a little. for years he doesn’t really get why his dad’s expectations are so high and he feels like he’s never going to be good enough and he is a teenage boy in the 60s so he doesn’t know how to like. express an emotion and his feelings of inadequacy come out as resentment and anger that is often directed towards his dad

Paul grows up not knowing about the incarceration and how/where his parents met but his mom very casually mentions something about it when he’s around 15-16 and he’s like ??? and so she explains some stuff to him and he is understandably shocked and above all pretty pissed at his dad for keeping this huge thing from him for so long

so that night he and Darry get drunk together and he starts off just being like “FUCK my dad fr” but then he kind of like actually talks about his relationship with his race and his heritage for the first time

(i wrote a fic about this you can read it here!)

his dynamic with Darry is like. they are both jealous of each other in this very abstract way because neither one of them feels like they belong anywhere but there is also something extremely homoerotic about it. they kind of allow themselves to be more soft and open with each other and it’s clear they have a bond that none of the other Soc boys share

I think after Paul finds out about his parents’ past (and after he sleeps off the ensuing hangover) he goes snooping and finds a box of old photos and stuff from their time in Arkansas and there’s this photograph from their wedding and they are clearly in this like kind of rundown recreation center/high school gym-type space and their clothes are nothing fancy but they look more in love than he’s ever seen them and it’s this really surreal experience that makes him feel a little sick so he puts the box back and pretends he never saw it

when he and Darry stop being friends he loses the only person he’s ever been able to talk to about the things that matter and he becomes pretty closed off emotionally and doesn’t really allow himself to feel anything real and tries twice as hard to assimilate 

Joining the other Soc boys in jumping greasers and wreaking general havoc is kind of a coping mechanism for the debilitating anger that he is constantly feeling but it’s also an unsuccessful attempt to fit in with these all-American boys

He tries so so hard to fit in and never really feels like he belongs, especially after he and Darry stop being friends

idk there is just something so purposeful about the choice to have a Japanese American actor portray this character and i think there’s so fucking much to explore within that choice <3

[to-know-how-it-ends]

Chapter 1 of the Jewish Outsiders fic is done! Hope you enjoy — this is from brills perspective but there’s more to come!

[frommybedroom]

so i’m thinking about japanese american paul holden, and how his mom performs kashin on him (also known as gua sha in chinese medicine, aka that scraping that all the beauty influencers on tiktok do now but has deep roots in asian culture). i imagine the first time darry saw it he was freaked out because the skin can get pretty red if you’re holding in a lot of tension, but then paul explained to him that it doesn’t hurt, convinced darry to let him try it, and afterwards it was the first time darry felt completely relaxed.

and years later, after the curtis parents have died and darry and paul have drifted apart, he comes home, sits at the table, and rubs his shoulders, thinking about how much he would like paul to perform kashin on him again before forcing himself up cuz someone has to make dinner for soda and pony.

[to-know-how-it-ends]

*meekly raises hand* if i may... poke at you some jewish brill/curtis bros fanfic I am currently writing that has one chapter.... mayhaps?

just a-- you can ignore this haha -- I think you will like it if u like angst and jewish brill and Japanese American paul holden

So I haven't really read fanfiction for a long time but for some reason I rlly want to right now anyone have some good angst suggestions? I only really have access to ao3💀

( @sondheim-girly tagging you cause I know you must know some lol)

[byneddiedingo]

Alec Guinness in The Bridge on the River Kwai (David Lean, 1957)

Cast: William Holden, Alec Guinness, Jack Hawkins, Sessue Hayakawa, James Donald, Geoffrey Horne, André Morell. Screenplay: Carl Foreman, Michael Wilson, based on a novel by Pierre Boulle. Cinematography: Jack Hildyard. Art direction: Donald M. Ashton. Film editing: Peter Taylor. Music: Malcolm Arnold.

Alec Guinness and David Lean made six features together, starting with Guinness's film debut in Great Expectations (1946). The Bridge on the River Kwai won him his only Oscar, but he seems to have been as much a good-luck charm for Lean as vice versa, since Lean miscast him rather badly in two otherwise successful films: Lawrence of Arabia (1962), in which he is rather embarrassingly non-Arab as King Feisal, and A Passage to India (1984), in which he plays Prof. Godbole with an accent that sounds more like Apu on The Simpsons than any actual Brahmin scholar. The part of Col. Nicholson in Bridge is a bit underwritten: We never really learn what the character's motives are for his eventual collaboration with the Japanese in building the bridge, and his moment of self-awareness as he says, "What have I done?" when he realizes the bridge is about to be blown up, is not adequately prepared for. But Guinness was a consummate trouper, even though he often clashed with Lean about the character, whom he wanted to be less of a stiff-upper-lip type than the director did. The movie won seven Oscars, including one for screenplay that was presented to Pierre Boulle, the author of the novel on which it was based. In fact, Boulle spoke and wrote no English; the screenplay was by Carl Foreman and Michael Wilson, who were blacklisted for supposed communist ties and were judged ineligible under Academy rules. Their Oscars and their screen credit were restored posthumously in 1984. Today, Bridge looks like a well-made entertainment with some major flaws: The moral dilemma that centers on Col. Nicholson, who wants to demonstrate the superiority of the British at the expense of actually serving the Japanese cause, feels artificially created -- surely some of the officers and enlisted men under Nicholson's command had something to say about the colonel's plans. Sessue Hayakawa deserved his supporting actor nomination as Col. Saito, though the part verges on stereotype. The role of the American, Shears (William Holden), who opposes Nicholson, seems to be cooked up to provide something for a major movie star to play: Note that Holden receives top billing, and that Guinness, even though he was nominated for and won a leading actor Oscar, is billed third. The trek through the jungle by Shears, Maj. Warden (Jack Hawkins), Lt. Joyce (Geoffrey Horne), and their attractively nubile team of female bearers takes up a lot of not very involving screen time. And the demolition of the bridge and the train crossing it seems oddly anticlimactic, owing to some complications in blowing up and filming an actual full-size bridge and train. Today, of course, miniatures and special effects would be used to make the scene more exciting, but even for an actual blowing up of a bridge and a train, a sequence that had to be got right the first time, the one in Bridge is actually less successful than the one done 30 years earlier by Buster Keaton in The General (1926).

[themomsandthecity]

150 Cool Baby Names Like Arya, Orion, and Zaire

So you're getting ready to have a baby? Chances are, you are already brainstorming meaningful baby names to make sure that your little one has the coolest name in their class. The word cool likely means very different things to very different people, yet there's something universally "cool" about picking a baby name like "Orion" or "Esme" for your child. Still for many parents, the concept of naming can be the most daunting part of preparing to have a baby, partially because a kid's first name could inform their future identity, individuality, and even personality. It's also likely that one big question festers in your mind as you scroll through endless lists of baby name ideas: "should we go for a meaningful baby name, or should we opt for a cool baby name so our child can stand out?" Fortunately, if you decide you want to go for a cool, unique name, you can define what exactly "cool" means to you. Because picking any baby name can be hard, though, we've curated a list below of cool baby names to make things easier. Whether you interpret cool as popular, rare, fashionable, or having sentimental meaning in your culture, this list will meet all your naming needs. Scroll through this list for some pretty cool names for girls and cool names boys that any child will say with pride as they grow up. Many of these are also gender neutral baby names, so they'll match any gender of your baby. Happy name hunting! Cool Names For Boys * Ace: Latin - One; unity * Arlo: Irish and English - Between two hills * Archer: Latin - bowman * Atlas: Greek - To carry * Axel: Scandinavian - Father of peace * Beckett: English and Irish - Beehive; little brook; bee cottage * Bishop: English - Occupational name; overseer; guardian * Bowie: Scottish - Blond * Brooks: English - Of the brook * Bryant: Irish - Strong, virtuous, and honorable * Camden: Scottish - Winding valley * Chance: French - Chancellor * Colt: English - Young horse * Crew: English - Fort near a slope * Dallas: Irish - Skilled * Duke: English - Leader; English rank of nobility * Easton: English - East-facing place * Eddison: English - Son of Edith or Adam * Ellis: Welsh - Benevolent * Ender: Turkish - Very rare * Felix: Latin - Happy; fortunate * Finn: Irish - Fair * Flynn: Irish - Son of the red-haired one * Fox: English - Animal name * Greyson: English - Son of the steward * Griffin: Welsh - Strong lord * Holden: English - Hollow valley * Hugo: Latin - Mind; intellect * Jace: Hebrew - The Lord is salvation * Jagger: English - Occupational name; carter * Jax: American - God is gracious * Jett: English - Excellence; stone * Jones: English - God is gracious * Kai: Hawaiian - Sea * Kenji: Japanese - Second son * Knox: Scottish - Round hill * Leo: Latin - Lion * Lincoln: English - Town by the pool * Maverick: American - Independent; nonconformist * Max: Latin - Greatest * Miller: English - Occupational name; grinder of the grain * Orion: Greek - Constellation; hunter; mountain dweller * Orson: Latin - Bear cub * Oscar: English and Irish - God spear; deer lover; champion warrior * Otis: German - Wealthy * Peyton: English - Fighting-man's estate * Phoenix: Greek - Dark red * Pierce: English - Son of Piers * Porter: French and Latin - Carrier; gatekeeper * Remy: French and Latin - Oarsman or derived from Rheims; a city in Northeastern France * Rider: British - Horseman * Riggs: English - One from the ridge * Roman: Latin - Citizen of Rome; strong; powerful * Rowan: Scottish and Irish - Rowan tree; little redhead * Ryder: English - Messenger; cavalryman * Smith: English - Blacksmith * Tate: British - Cheerful * Thompson: English - Son of Tom * Wilder: English - Wild; passionate * Wyatt: English - Brave in war * Xavier: Basque - New house * Zaire: African - The river that swallows all rivers * Zayn: Arabic - Beauty; grace Cool Names For Girls *… https://www.popsugar.com/family/Cool-Baby-Names-46043726?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=tumblr

[brookstonalmanac]

Events 3.22 (before 1950)

106 – Start of the Bostran era, the calendar of the province of Arabia Petraea. 235 – Roman emperor Severus Alexander is murdered, marking the start of the Crisis of the Third Century. 871 – Æthelred of Wessex is defeated by a Danish invasion army at the Battle of Marton. 1185 – Battle of Yashima: the Japanese forces of the Taira clan are defeated by the Minamoto clan. 1312 – Vox in excelso: Pope Clement V dissolves the Order of the Knights Templar. 1508 – Ferdinand II of Aragon commissions Amerigo Vespucci chief navigator of the Spanish Empire. 1621 – The Pilgrims of Plymouth Colony sign a peace treaty with Massasoit of the Wampanoags. 1622 – Jamestown massacre: Algonquians kill 347 English settlers around Jamestown, Virginia, a third of the colony's population, during the Second Anglo-Powhatan War. 1631 – The Massachusetts Bay Colony outlaws the possession of cards, dice, and gaming tables. 1638 – Anne Hutchinson is expelled from Massachusetts Bay Colony for religious dissent. 1739 – Nader Shah occupies Delhi in India and sacks the city, stealing the jewels of the Peacock Throne. 1765 – The British Parliament passes the Stamp Act that introduces a tax to be levied directly on its American colonies. 1784 – The Emerald Buddha is moved with great ceremony to its current location in Wat Phra Kaew, Thailand. 1792 – Battle of Croix-des-Bouquets: Black slave insurgents gain a victory in the first major battle of the Haitian Revolution. 1794 – The Slave Trade Act of 1794 bans the export of slaves from the United States, and prohibits American citizens from outfitting a ship for the purpose of importing slaves. 1829 – In the London Protocol, the three protecting powers (United Kingdom, France and Russia) establish the borders of Greece. 1849 – The Austrians defeat the Piedmontese at the Battle of Novara. 1871 – In North Carolina, William Woods Holden becomes the first governor of a U.S. state to be removed from office by impeachment. 1873 – The Spanish National Assembly abolishes slavery in Puerto Rico. 1894 – The Stanley Cup ice hockey competition is held for the first time, in Montreal, Canada. 1895 – Before the Société pour L'Encouragement à l'Industrie, brothers Auguste and Louis Lumière demonstrate movie film technology publicly for the first time. 1896 – Charilaos Vasilakos wins the first modern Olympic marathon race with a time of three hours and 18 minutes. 1906 – The first England vs France rugby union match is played at Parc des Princes in Paris. 1913 – Mystic Phan Xích Long, the self-proclaimed Emperor of Vietnam, is arrested for organising a revolt against the colonial rule of French Indochina, which was nevertheless carried out by his supporters the following day. 1916 – Yuan Shikai abdicates as Emperor of China, restoring the Republic and returning to the Presidency. 1920 – Azeri and Turkish army soldiers with participation of Kurdish gangs attack the Armenian inhabitants of Shushi (Nagorno Karabakh). 1933 – Cullen–Harrison Act: President Franklin D. Roosevelt signs an amendment to the Volstead Act, legalizing the manufacture and sale of "3.2 beer" (3.2% alcohol by weight, approximately 4% alcohol by volume) and light wines. 1933 – Nazi Germany opens its first concentration camp, Dachau. 1934 – The first Masters Tournament is held at Augusta National Golf Club in Georgia. 1939 – Germany takes Memel from Lithuania. 1942 – World War II: In the Mediterranean Sea, the Royal Navy confronts Italy's Regia Marina in the Second Battle of Sirte. 1943 – World War II: The entire village of Khatyn (in present-day Republic of Belarus) is burnt alive by Schutzmannschaft Battalion 118. 1945 – World War II: The city of Hildesheim, Germany, is heavily damaged in a British air raid, though it had little military significance and Germany was on the verge of final defeat. 1945 – The Arab League is founded when a charter is adopted in Cairo, Egypt. 1946 – The United Kingdom grants full independence to Transjordan.

[jonfarreporter]

Hamilton Family Wines to be featured at Jack London Village’s Songbird Parlour

The break from the winter rain and the delightfully unexpected burst of spring weather had Sonoma residents and tourists alike wandering out and about upValley to Glen Ellen.

Nestled amid the shops and restaurants of Jack London Village is Songbird Parlour, an event space that has a dinner gathering open to the public this coming Thursday March 9. 

Fried chicken and Bubbles is a unique flavor take on an American standard and bringing in a bit of Japanese style barbecue to it. Chef Nathan Holden has put together a menu that is sure to delight and impress many on Thursday as Songbird aims to please. The wine that will be served is from Hamilton Family Wines. Greg & Lindsay Hamilton have been living their dream of wine making since they met in the early 2000s. “Having had the incredible good fortune to make the move to the heart of the beautiful Sonoma Valley, has inspired our mission for Hamilton Family wines,” Lindsay said. “It’ simple, she emphasized, to make wines that we love and that showcase this amazing place.”

“Everything starts and ends with our love for our local community,” said General Manager, Brandy Aviña. Songbird is also about the artisans, farmers, and winemakers that provide us with some of the best food and drink in the world.”

“Whether we’re throwing one of our famous dinner parties like the one this Thursday March 9 she said, or a professionally-designed wedding celebration, we always aim to celebrate our local culture and create space to gather and make memories within it.”

People driving by often don’t know Jack London Village is there “because the tranquility of the rural highway often leads visitors to think it’s just vineyards and rustic open spaces; it’s easy to miss the turn off,” said Aviña.

“There’s so much more that we here at Songbird are aiming to do” said Aviña. “And to work with our fellow shops and restaurants in this little complex to provide a unique experience for both tourists and locals is important to us,” she added.

To learn more about Songbird Parlour and to attend the Fried Chicken & Bubbles dinner Thursday evening, March 9, visit the Songbird website.

[ljones41]

Favorite Best Picture Oscar Winners

With the nominations for the 95th Academy Awards on the horizon, I had decided to list my favorite Best Picture Oscar winners (in chronological order):

FAVORITE BEST PICTURE OSCAR WINNERS

“It Happened One Night” (1934) - A renegade reporter trailing a young runaway heiress for a big story joins her on a bus heading from Florida to New York, and they end up stuck with each other when the bus leaves them behind at one of the stops.  Directed by Frank Capra, the movie starred Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert.

“Mutiny on the Bounty” (1935) - This adaptation of Charles Nordhoff and James Norman Hall’s 1932 novel is about the mutiny against Lieutenant William Bligh, commanding officer of the H.M.S. Bounty in 1789.  Directed by Frank Lloyd, the movie starred Clark Gable, Charles Laughton and Franchot Tone. 

“Casablanca” (1943) - This wartime romantic drama focused on an American expatriate torn between his love for a woman and helping her husband, a Czech resistance leader, escape from the Vichy-controlled city of Casablanca.  Directed by Michael Curtiz, the movie starred Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman and Paul Henreid.

“The Best Years of Our Lives” (1946) - This adaptation of MacKinlay Kantor‘s 1945 novella, “Glory for Me” told the story of three servicemen re-adjusting to societal changes and civilian life after coming home from World War II.  Directed by William Wyler, the movie starred Fredric March, Dana Andrews and Harold Russell.

“The Bridge on the River Kwai” (1957) - This adaptation of Pierre Boulle‘s 1952 novel told the story of Allied prisoners-of-war forced by the Japanese Army to work on the construction of the Burma Railway during World War II.  Directed by David Lean, the movie starred Alec Guinness and William Holden. 

“Gigi” (1958) - This adaptation of Collette’s 1944 novella is about a young Parisian girl being groomed for a career as a courtesan and her relationship with a wealthy cultured man who falls in love with her and eventually marries her.  Directed by Vincente Minelli, the movie starred Leslie Caron, Louis Jordan, Hermione Gingold and Maurice Chevalier.

“The Apartment” (1960) - This romantic comedy-drama told the story of an insurance clerk who, in the hope of climbing the corporate ladder, lets more senior coworkers use his Upper West Side apartment to conduct extramarital affairs.  Directed by Billy Wilder, the movie starred Jack Lemmon, Shirley MacLaine and Fred MacMurray.

“Tom Jones” (1963) - This adaptation of Henry Fielding’s 1749 novel, “The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling”, told about the romantic and chivalrous adventures of the adopted bastard of an English landowner in 18th-century England.  Directed by Tony Richardson, the movie starred Albert Finney and Susannah York.

“The Sound of Music” (1965) - This adaptation of Maria von Trapp’s 1949 memoir, “The Story of the Trapp Family Singers“, and the 1959 Broadway musical told the story about a young Catholic novice sent by her convent to become a governess to the seven children of a widowed naval officer during the months before the Anschluss in 1938 Austria.  Directed by Robert Wise, Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer starred.

“The Godfather” (1972) - This adaptation of Mario Puzo’s 1969 novel told the story of the Corleone crime family in post-World War II New York City.  Directed by Francis Ford Coppola, the movie starred Marlon Brando and Al Pacino.

“The Sting” (1973) - This movie told the story of two professional grifters who plot to con a violent mob boss in 1936 Chicago.  Directed by George Roy Hill, the movie starred Paul Newman and Robert Redford.

“The Godfather Part II” (1974) - This sequel to “The Godfather” continued the Corleone family’s story in the late 1950s and chronicled the early life of its original patriarch, Vito Corleone, during the early 20th century.  Directed by Francis Ford Coppola, the movie starred Al Pacino, Robert Duvall, Diane Keaton and Robert DeNiro.

“Unforgiven” (1992) - This western told the story of an aging outlaw and killer who takes on one more job, years after he had turned to farming.  Directed by Clint Eastwood, the movie starred him, Morgan Freeman and Gene Hackman.

“Shakespeare in Love” (1998) - This movie depicted a fictional love affair between playwright William Shakespeare and the daughter of a wealthy merchant, while the former wrote “Romeo and Juliet”.  Directed by John Madden, the movie starred Gwyneth Paltrow and Joseph Fiennes.

“Gladiator” (2000) - This movie told the story of a Spanish-born general for the Roman army who sets out to exact vengeance against the corrupt emperor who murdered his family and sent him into slavery.  Directed by Ridley Scott, the  movie starred Russell Crowe.

“The Departed” (2006) - This remake of the 2002 crime movie, “Infernal Affairs”, told the story about an undercover cop and a police mole for the Irish mob and their attempts to identify each other in South Boston.  Directed by Martin Scorsese, the movie starred Leonardo Di Caprio and Matt Damon.

 “No Country for Old Men” (2007) - In this adaptation of Cormac McCarthy’s 2005 novel, violence and mayhem ensue in 1980 West Texas after a hunter stumble upon a drug deal gone wrong and over two million dollars in cash near the Rio Grande.  Directed by Ethan and Joel Coen, the movie starred Tommy Lee Jones, Josh Brolin and Javier Bardem.

“Argo” (2012) - In this adaptation of Tony Mendez’s 1999 memoir, “The Master of Disguise“ and Joshuah Bearman’s 2007 “WIRED” article "The Great Escape: How the CIA Used a Fake Sci-Fi Flick to Rescue Americans from Tehran"; the C.I.A. led the rescue of six U.S. diplomats from Tehran, Iran, under the guise of a film crew for a science-fiction movie during the 1979–1981 Iran Hostage Crisis.  Ben Affleck directed and starred in the movie.

“12 Years a Slave” (2013) - This film is an adaptation of Solomon Northup’s 1853 memoir, “Twelve Years a Slave”, about his experiences as a free man in New York State who is kidnapped and sold into slavery.  Directed by Steve McQueen, the movie starred Chiwetel Ejiofor.

[frommybedroom]

i literally came up with an entire japanese american paul holden headcanon bc i’m trying desperately to kill time

guys how do I distract myself while waiting for the faft performance help

[purecommemasolitude]

Every time someone drops lore on a Soc of colour an angel gets its wings

[asexual-juliet]

no but ryo paul debut is actually making me care about paul as a character for the first time because holy fuck if a white darry & japanese american paul dynamic is not supremely compelling in terms of 1960s oklahoma race and class tensions

[the-portrait-of-seraph]

September Wrap-up

The Crucible [Miller, Arthur]: 8/10

The drama in this book is insane (obviously because it is part of the American drama canon)! There is so much going on in this book and the characters are all so memorable, but I think we can all agree that Abigail was the absolute worst. She did play a role in John’s character development and the plot as a whole, but I can’t say she’s my favorite.

There’s a lot to think about when you read this book; to understand the socio-political situation of both eras of John Proctor and Arthur Miller, the Salem Witch Trials (accuracy) and McCarthyism, you get the idea.

Over all an amazing book, will read again soon.

Catcher in the Rye [Salinger, J.D.]: 7.5/10

I know what you're all thinking: “But Icaruia, the whole idea of the book is that Holden is meant to be disliked because he’s still a growing boy who’s going through different phases of his life and hates the world because of his own view of people; and that’s why he calls them fakes and phonies all the time because he’s still confused/scared of the world inside-”

It still doesn't stand out to me. I don’t know if it’s because I’m closer to him in age, but complete opposites, or maybe it’s because I just don’t care enough for the book, call me immature. It’s okay to still hate books you didn’t like back then; some things change and some don’t. Don’t get me wrong, I do understand what place Holden is coming from and why many Americans do consider it a top-notch coming-of-age novel, but it simply wasn’t my thing.

Hell Screen [Akutagawa, Ryuunosuke]: 10/10

Call me biased, but I love Akutagawa, I really do! His work is just so magical to me and never fails to make me happy. You can see more of this on my Japanese Literature recommendations post here!

The Queen of Spades [Pushkin, Alexander]: 9.5/10

We have the Belkin Stories, Dubrosky, and The Queen of Spades in this book and it is just so amazingly wonderful! I love Pushkin's style of Romantic writing, which feels different from the other Romantic authors I've acquainted myself with and I was so excited to read this book. I definitely recommend The Queen of Spades bc it has love, human greed, tragedy, and ghosts(???). I couldn't give it a 10 though bc the spine was a little stiff and I can be very petty about the comfort level of the book haha

The Scarlet Letter [Hawthorne, Nathaniel]: 8/10

Dimmesdale needed to step up quicker, maybe then his health wouldn’t have been so bad. Besides that, The Scarlet Letter has redeemed itself and enjoyed reading it. I am getting second-hand religious trauma from some of the scenes from the book, like when Dimmesdale falls ill and Chillingworth notices the minister’s scarlet letter, deducing that it is the result of unconfessed sin. Hester deserved so much more better than what she got in the story, she could have had great potential.

It was very interesting to see how the people viewed Hester’s scarlet letter, transitioning from “Adultery” to “Able” during the people’s time of need and it’s great fun to notice these details in writing.

💌: I am a little disappointed in myself for not reading and posting as consistently as I want, but this is the life of student who has their hands full. What did you all finish in September? Is there anything you’d comment about on this month’s wrap-up?

[tcm]

“It’s still hard:” Asian Americans Paving the Way in Hollywood By Jessica Pickens

The 2018 film CRAZY RICH ASIANS was a success in many areas. Based on the best-selling novel by Kevin Kwan, the film became the highest-grossing romantic comedy in 10 years. An August 2018 article in Time Magazine noted that the film would “change Hollywood.” CRAZY RICH ASIANS was the first film since THE JOY LUCK CLUB (’93) to have an all-Asian American cast or an Asian American lead role. Nearly 60 years before, the all Asian American cast of FLOWER DRUM SONG (‘61) also hoped they were changing the way Asians were cast in Hollywood.

Since the silent era of films, Asian American actors have struggled to find quality roles and respect in Hollywood. Some, actors like Sessue Hayakawa and Anna May Wong, were frequently cast as vamps or villains — which in return put them in poor favor with Japanese and Chinese communities of their time. Miscegenation laws kept Asian American actors from having a romantic leading role with a white actor. In turn, Asians lost roles to white actors in yellowface, from Austrian actress Luise Rainer in THE GOOD EARTH (’37) to English actor Alec Guinness in A MAJORITY OF ONE (’61).

These actors helped fight and pave the way for the success of CRAZY RICH ASIANS:

Sessue Hayakawa

Today, actor Sessue Hayakawa is best recognized for his roles in THE BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI (’57) and as the pirate in Walt Disney’s SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON (’60). But from 1915 to the early 1920s, Japan-born Hayakawa was one of the top silver screen idols of the silent era in the United States and Europe. He was as famous and recognizable as Charlie Chaplin or Douglas Fairbanks, according to his biographer Daisuke Miyao in the book Sessue Hayakawa: Silent Cinema and Transnational Stardom.

Fame followed Hayakawa after playing the lead in Cecil B. DeMille’s THE CHEAT (’15), in which he gives a financial loan to a wealthy woman (Fannie Ward). When she tries to back out of their bargain, he won’t take money as payment, but sexual favors. His character also brands Ward to signify that he owns her. THE CHEAT brought Hayakawa success, but it also brought typecasting. His resulting characters were usually dangerous, forbidden lovers or sexy villains. Hayakawa was criticized by the Japanese-American community for his roles. The Los Angeles-based Japanese American newspaper Rafu Shimpo said THE CHEAT “distorted the truth of Japanese people” depicting them as dangerously evil and would cause anti-Japanese movements.

Hayakawa eventually grew tired of the stereotypical roles he was cast in. In 1922, Hayakawa went to Europe where he performed in England and France. He stayed in Europe until after World War II and returned to Hollywood in 1949. Hayakawa was recognized for his role in THE BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI with an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor in a Supporting Role.

Anna May Wong 

She was rejected by China because she was “too American” and rejected in Hollywood because she was “too Chinese.” But Chinese American actress Anna May Wong achieved international fame by the mid-1920s, though she struggled with being stereotyped. Often cast as a vamp, sexual figure, slave or prostitute, the Chinese government said she played roles that demeaned China, and Graham Russell Hodges’ Anna May Wong: From Laundryman's Daughter to Hollywood Legend recalls how the Chinese media and government resented “having their womanhood so represented.”

When Wong campaigned for roles that could potentially change her image, like O-Lan in THE GOOD EARTH, she lost out to a white actor playing yellowface. In fact, the Chinese government worked against Wong being cast in THE GOOD EARTH. Hodges states how General Tu, MGM’s Chinese government advisor, told MGM that her reputation was bad in China and whenever she appeared in a film, newspapers printed that “Anna May loses face in China again.”

When white actor Paul Muni was cast as the male lead of THE GOOD EARTH, Wong knew she had missed her opportunity because of miscegenation laws. Wong supported China during World War II through the Red Cross, USO and China Relief efforts. She also wrote articles in China’s support and created a cookbook of traditional Chinese dishes. On the first anniversary of the Pearl Harbor attacks, she was sworn in as an air raid warden, according to Hodge’s book.

In 1943, the First Lady of the Republic of China, Madame Chiang Kai-shek, visited Hollywood. She gave a speech at the Hollywood Bowl and a luncheon was held. Madame Chiang Kai-shek was flanked by actresses like Marlene Dietrich and Loretta Young, but noticeably not Wong. Madame Chiang had specifically requested for Wong to be excluded from the events. Anna May Wong continued to act sporadically and died just before she was to co-star in the all Asian American cast of THE FLOWER DRUM SONG.

Keye Luke 

Chinese actor Keye Luke started in films in the 1930s, usually playing a mild-mannered, polite and intelligent young adult Asian male. Often, Luke played young physicians, like in THE PAINTED VEIL (’34), MAD LOVE (’35) and the Dr. Kildare and Dr. Gillespie film series. Luke became best known for his role in the 1930s as Lee Chan, the No. 1 son of detective Charlie Chan, who was played by white actor Warner Oland. The film series has since been criticized for perpetuating Asian stereotypes and having a white actor in the lead role, but Luke defended the films.

“How can they be criticized when the character was a hero,” Luke said in a 1986 Los Angeles Times interview. “People respected him. Police departments consulted with him and called on him to help them.” However, despite this, Luke and other Asians faced racism in Hollywood. Luke said in the 1930s that Los Angeles was “segregated, but not formally.” He was only hired when they needed a “Chinaman.”

“One never saw blacks on Wilshire Boulevard. Parts of the city I avoided–all white areas like Beverly Hills. Even after working with somebody like a big Caucasian actor, I’d be ignored if we met on the street. Asians were invisible, you see. We knew our place: One step back. That’s why the Charlie Chan films were so important. They deflated a lot of the current racial myths. But even the Chan films had rules. Charlie never touched a white woman except as a handshake. I’d never have a white girlfriend, not that I wanted one in pictures,” Luke said in an interview published in Conversations with Classic Film Stars: Interviews from Hollywood's Golden Era by James Bawden and Ron Miller.

After World War II, Luke found roles were harder to find, and many of his roles were uncredited. By the 1960s, more Asian actors were on the screen. In his interview with Miller, Luke joked that before the 1960s he and Korean actor Philip Ahn “divided the work.”

Philip Ahn 

Philip Ahn was a Korean American actor who only played a Korean character once on film. In Hye Seung Chung’s Hollywood Asian: Philip Ahn and the Politics of Cross-Ethnic Performance, he details how before World War II, Ahn was promoted as a Chinese actor and often nicknamed the “Oriental Clark Gable.” During World War II, however, Hollywood shifted its publicity and focused on Ahn’s Korean ancestry. The publicity articles discussed Ahn’s father, Ahn Changho, who was an activist against the Japanese government. Ahn was also promoted as “the man we love to hate” and the “leering yellow monster.”

During the war, Ahn was frequently cast as a Japanese soldier in the 1940s, something he later said that he didn’t mind, as he felt he was contributing to his late father's legacy. Despite these characters not reflecting Ahn’s personality, Chung recalls how Ahn received hate mail from audiences who confused his onscreen characters for real life. In the 1953 Korean War film BATTLE CIRCUS, Ahn and his brother Ralph both played North Korean prisoners. Ahn said while he played many nationalities, this was the only time he played a Korean character, according to his 1978 The New York Times obituary.

Miyoshi Umeki

Japan-born Miyoshi Umeki was the first Asian to win an Academy Award for a performance. Umeki won Best Supporting Actress for her first Hollywood film, SAYONARA (’57). Though Umeki was the first Asian to win an Academy Award, this “first” isn’t often discussed. Despite the accolade, Umeki was still stereotyped in Hollywood. Her characters were generally demure, humble, delicate and subservient. Umeki’s characters spoke in broken English with a sweet smile.

Her son Michael Hood later asked her why she agreed to play these characters. “Her answer was very simple: ‘I didn’t like doing it, but when someone pays you to do a job, you do the job, and you do your best,’” Hood said in a 2018 Entertainment Weekly  article. Umeki later threw away her Academy Award statue, according to Hood. As of 2020, Umeki is the only Asian female to win an Academy Award. 

Nancy Kwan 

Hong Kong-born actress Nancy Kwan burst on to the film scene in 1960. She was cast as the lead in THE WORLD OF SUZIE WONG (’60) alongside one of Hollywood’s top actors, William Holden. Kwan was then cast in the all -Asian American cast of the Rodgers and Hammerstein film version of FLOWER DRUM SONG. With a strong start in films, a successful Hollywood career seemed likely for Kwan, but the roles weren’t there. William Holden told her, “You can do a big film and be very successful but in order to sustain a career, you have to have roles written for you,” Kwan shared in a 2018 NBC interview. Kwan was more successful than her predecessors, however, as Asians were starting to be cast rather than white actors in yellowface. Kwan was also cast in roles where she had white romantic leading men, like HONEYMOON HOTEL (’64) and THE WILD AFFAIR (’65). But Hollywood still didn’t know what to do with Kwan. She was cast in “exotic” roles like in the Walt Disney film LT. ROBIN CRUSOE, U.S.N. (’66) as an island girl. Kwan was offered a role in the film THE JOY LUCK CLUB, but she revealed in a 2018 interview at the TCM Classic Film Festival that she declined it because of a line criticizing SUZIE WONG. While she mentioned in a 1990 Los Angeles Times interview that “There are now many, many Asian actresses — but not many roles,” 18 years later she noted that the film industry had changed, but not enough. “There are more leading roles and not just small roles, but it’s still hard.”

[ncisladaily]

NCIS TAKES THE CASE PERSONALLY WHEN AN LAPD OFFICER’S FATHER, A BELOVED JAPANESE AMERICAN VETERAN, IS THE VICTIM OF A VICIOUS HATE CRIME, ON “NCIS: LOS ANGELES,” SUNDAY, OCT. 17

“Fukushu” – NCIS takes the case personally when an LAPD officer’s father, a beloved elderly Japanese American veteran, is the victim of a vicious hate crime, on NCIS: LOS ANGELES, Sunday, Oct. 17 (9:30-10:30 PM, ET/9:00-10:00 PM, PT) on the CBS Television Network, and available to stream live and on demand on Paramount+.

REGULAR CAST:

Chris O’Donnell

(Special Agent G. Callen)

LL COOL J

(Special Agent Sam Hanna)

Linda Hunt

(Operations Manager Henrietta “Hetty” Lange)

Daniela Ruah

(Special Agent Kensi Blye)

Eric Christian Olsen

(NCIS Investigator Marty Deeks)

Medalion Rahimi

(Special Agent Fatima Namazi)

Caleb Castille

(Special Agent Devin Rountree)

Gerald McRaney

(Retired Admiral Hollace Kilbride)

GUEST CAST:

Christopher Sean

(LAPD RHD Detective Jack Tanaka)

Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa

(Craig Tanaka)

Sebastian Sozzi

(LAPD Detective Matt Guerrero)

Jose Yenque

(Navy Captain Carlos Fuentes)

Obi Ndefo

(Joyner)

Dashiell Connery

(Jason Quinn)

Peter Holden

(Benjamin Strauss)

Michael Fitzgerald

(Billy Strauss)

Tyler Capri Clark

(Molly)

Duncan Campbell

(NCIS Special Agent Castor)

WRITTEN BY: Kyle Harimoto

DIRECTED BY: Dennis Smith