“Asian American Auto/Biographies” (Week 8 Entry 1) 5/23/17

“Asian American Auto/Biographies” Robyn Rodriguez and Vernadette Gonzales

            This article really piqued my interest, because of how they discussed this car culture and opened describing The Fast and the Furious. Due to my interest in cars and in that particular film I was curious to see how Asian Americans in particular are connected to the import car culture. He discusses that despite the marginalization of Asian Americans in the film, that Asian Americans generally dominate this import culture. I will say though that the third installment of this franchise did incorporate more Asian Americans and tried to minimize some of the misrepresentations in comparison to the first film, albeit with once again a white protagonist. 

            Throughout the rest of the article Rodriguez and Gonzales discuss the emasculation of Asian American men in our society, and how many have turned into this car culture and used it to in a way claim their masculinity. Another note by the authors is that this is often done at the expense of women, particularly Asian women who are seen in this subculture as trophies and belongings and not as actual people. In the end while participation in this car culture contests belonging and the emasculation, it also falls into the same traps, even at the expense of women.