Slaying the Dragon

Media Stereotypes of Asian & Asian American Women

SLAYING THE DRAGON is a comprehensive look at media stereotypes of Asian and Asian American women since the silent era. From the racist use of white actors to portray Asians in early Hollywood films, through the success of Anna May Wong's sinister dragon lady, to Suzie Wong and the '50s geisha girls, to the Asian-American anchorwoman of today, this fascinating videotape shows how stereotypes of exoticism and docility have affected the perception of Asian-American women.

SLAYING THE DRAGON: RELOADED looks at the past 25 years of representation of Asian and Asian American women in U.S. visual media -- from blockbuster films and network television to Asian American cinema and YouTube -- to explore what's changed, what's been recycled, and what we can hope for in the future.

"Slaying the Dragon shows how racism and the shifting winds of history have inhibited realistic portrayals of Asian women."- John Carman, San Francisco Chronicle