Author: Mia

“Matty in the Morning” to host Newton Has Talent

The Rotary Club of Newton is pleased to announce that Matt Siegel, the genial host of Kiss 108’s “Matty in the Morning” will be hosting this year’s Newton Has Talent competition. The popular Matt Siegel has had an illustrious career which dates back to 1972 when he was selected to emcee his high school talent show.Years later, while student teaching at Stony Brook University, a professor who was amused by his classes directed him towards show business. After radio jobs in New York and Arizona, Matt joined Kiss 108 in 1980 and “Matty In The Morning” has been a staple of the morning commute ever since. Newton Has Talent is delighted to have him as part of its effort to raise money for the community service projects of Newton Rotary.

The 10 contestants for this year’s show are the Newfoundlanders, Andrew Larson, Drew Nolan & Ariana Mathews, Marina Vachon, Yumi Lee & Eun Young, Toy Boat, Jo & the Heritage, Becca Kraft, David Mapes-Frances and Mira Li.

Newton Has Talent will be held on March 30^th at the Newton North High School Auditorium^. Doors open at1:30 and the show starts at 2:00pm. Tickets are available at www.NewtonHasTalent.com and at the door. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for students & children. Raffle and auction items will also add to the fun!

The Newton Has Talent process began with 42 individuals and groups uploading their YouTube^© auditions to www.NewtonHasTalent.com. This group was narrowed to 20 semi-finalists whose auditions were then voted on by the public and judges. The resulting 10 finalists will perform at the live show on March 30th.

Our Celebrity Judges for Newton Has Talent are internationally renound classical guitarist Zaira Meneses, dance teacher and Boston Ballet collaborator Rebecca Rice and musician and executive director of The Record Company Matthew McArthur.

Winners will take home $1000 for first, $500 for second and $250 for third places. Don’t miss this exciting family event!

March 25, 2014
The Newton Kitchen Tour Fundraiser for Burr

The Newton Kitchen Tour is a citywide tour encompassing many of the villages of Newton (think same model as Newton Historic Homes Tour, minus everyone tramping through your bedrooms). It is a self guided tour through 10 amazing kitchens. Some big, some small, some modern, some traditional – there will be something for everyone.

The date of the Tour is April 13th, which is a Sunday afternoon from 12-5. We currently have two open spots left.

We’re modeling it after a highly successful and popular kitchen tour held in Melrose each year. One of the organizers is a Burr parent/architect who has participated in that event for years. There are also similar tours in Wellesley and Newburyport. I think ours could be the best of the bunch!

All the kitchens have an architect or designer attached to it. They will be at the home all day answering questions. The homeowner will also be there to show off their kitchen and talk about the process. We will have food on hand from local restaurants to serve to our guests at each kitchen.

Our goal has been to find interesting houses, with varied styles of kitchens, on a touring route that makes sense. I think it’s going to be a great local event that will just get better every year!

And of course all proceeds will benefit the Burr Elementary School Playground Fund. This year it is the sole beneficiary. As the tour becomes more successful we will include other groups and causes as well.

Our ticket sales are currently online through Eventbrite, but we also wanted to add a local vendor where people could purchase the tickets. Whole Foods seemed like the natural choice for this particular event. Good food and community, in a welcoming kitchen!

March 24, 2014
Parenting Our Daughters Free Discussion Group

Parenting Our Daughters – A discussion, support and activist group open to all Newton mothers of tween/teen daughters who are interested in figuring out how to best empower and support our girls.

March meeting:

Drop-in Discussion Group

Tuesday March 25 from 7:30-9:00 pm

• Open to all mothers of tween/teen girls in Newton
• Share any concerns related to raising your daughter with a group of other supportive moms

Meeting at Samadhi, 796 Beacon St, Newton Center (near B Street restaurant).

For more information or to RSVP, please contact: Kim Gallaugher at 617-558-0092 or momofiggy@hotmail.com or visit our website.

March 23, 2014
Rebuttal to ‘MILLIE in Newton: Turn Stereotypes into Lessons’

Someone sent me video of a local comedian’s youtube video of a character I’ve seen him portray once before. To call it infantile and racially insensitive would be a gross understatement. For the targets of his ridicule, it’s every bit as offensive as a mean-spirited performance in blackface. But because it’s against one of the few groups for whom bigotry, hostility, and ridicule is still acceptable (Chinese Americans and others of Asian and/or Pacific Island descent), it’s seen as okay by most and even encouraged by other local comedians. Kevin Marshall’s America

On March 21, 2014, this Opinion piece was printed in The Boston Globe. Here’s the kicker: it’s an opinion piece of someone who chose to be anonymous.

So, I would like to refute points by pulling quotes. Note that I have inserted these quotes. They are not from the anonymous author of this article. You can read the original here.

Having recently seen “Millie’’ in a different production at a Greater Boston high school where my daughter was in the cast, I must say that it’s hard to detect nuanced stereotype-busting in the show.

From ‘Millie’ flap highlights how old plays are rife with stereotypes by Don Aucoin in The Boston Globe

‘Millie’ in Newton: Turn stereotypes into lessons

MANY AMERICAN musicals are immortal pieces of the nation’s artistic heritage. Others are time capsules that capture the prejudices of an earlier era — but can still be used as educational material.

“Our son made the difficult decision not to do the show because he could not invite his grandparents, my parents, [who are Chinese American and speak with an accent] to come and see this show. … He felt like he couldn’t participate. Who else was excluded?”

Jenny Chou, mother of Newton North High School Theatre Ink Sophomore

From Talk Back: Racism in Thoroughly Modern Millie at NNHS

Newton North High School’s production of “Thoroughly Modern Millie” sparked controversy this week, as some members of Newton’s Asian-American community objected to the play’s stereotyping of Chinese culture in the 1920s. The musical, though first staged on Broadway just 12 years ago, was based on a 1967 movie, and it shows.

“Asian American faculty members at Newton and the AACC have been trying to tell the director of Theater Ink, the chair of the department of Performing Arts and the principal how offensive the play is since it was first announced. They’ve made some slight changes but they still don’t get why it’s offensive and there’s no telling what the actual performances will be like.

…

THanks so much again for speaking up against this. [Asian American faculty members and students] have been feeling shut out and dismissed so voices from the community really help a lot. (The school officials still may not get why it’s bad, but they’ll understand bad PR and bad press, so please keep it up. I look forward to reading a review of the performance if you are able to go.)” From My Take on Thoroughly Modern Millie

Yet it’s possible to present such plays in educational ways. Since rehearsals began, Newton North noted in a memo, the cast and crew held discussions and workshops about the stereotypes present. Directors worked with the school’s Office of Human Rights and Asian Culture Club to better understand community concerns and to help students recognize wider themes of racism in American media and society. The play’s program included a note explaining as much. All these efforts suggest that Newton North worked hard to stage “Thoroughly Modern Millie” in a sensitive manner.

“This is a play that — I have no other way to say it — at its heart, in its DNA is deeply, deeply racist. Ignorant. There are stereotypes. You have the names Ching Ho, Bun Foo. Those aren’t actual Chinese names. What you have is a sort of a White American concept of what Chinese and Asians are meant to be and it’s there, laid out, for entertainment value.”

Charlene Beh, English Teacher at Newton North High School and Co-Advisor to Thoroughly Modern Millie

From Talk Back: Racism in Thoroughly Modern Millie at NNHS

Putting plays in historic context won’t entirely prevent hurt feelings; in the canon of musical theater, some groups are more likely than others to be portrayed in cartoonish ways. Still, give students some credit. High schoolers are mature enough to understand difficult themes, and audiences should be able to recognize a distinction between indifference toward racism and a production that goes out of its way to identify backward attitudes and uses them to educate students.

“I chose to move here from Hawaii and to work here and live in Newton when it could be so much easier for me as an Asian American to live out West where people don’t question my experience as painful when I experience racism, little and big.

…

To have people doubt the pain that I experience, that has been another thing that has been hard about all this stuff. Not intended at all, but it’s happened where I’ve had to have conversations with staff members who doubted the racism and pain that exists in the play.”

Michele Leong, English Teacher and Director of the Office Human Rights at Newton North High School and Co-Advisor of the Asian Culture Club and Co-Advisor to Thoroughly Modern Millie

From Talk Back: Racism in Thoroughly Modern Millie at NNHS

“Millie” has raised concerns at other schools. The Dalton School, a private school in Manhattan, performed a sanitized version with the playwright’s permission after initially deciding to cancel the show, the New York Times reported in January. Brookline High School performed its own revised version last month.

“I felt strongly the script was disrespectful,” said the Brookline director, Christien Polos. He and students rewrote the part of Mrs. Meers to change her from Chinese to Southern American and turned the two Chinese laundrymen into undercover police officers.

“We thought it was important to bring it in line with 21st century thinking,” he said.

From Some slam ‘racist’ stereotypes in play at Newton North in The Boston Globe

Comments from Students:

i understand that people were offended but don’t you think some are taking this a little too far? being a little dramatic? an incoming freshman is “afraid” to come to school? really?
sorry, but i’m sitting here rolling my eyes.

LisaD

In the comments From Talk Back: Racism in Thoroughly Modern Millie at NNHS

Hello Z,

I just wanted to respond to you because I think the gravest concern expressed on this page is that you would feel unsafe going to Newton North. I just wanted to say, as a student, that Newton North has impressed me as an incredibly open-minded, kind and accepting school. You’d be hard pressed to find a more forward thinking high school. Evidently, you will have problems that are inherit in every high school (feeling excluded, drugs, cliques, etc.) but these problems are for the most part very limited. However, I have never witnessed any discrimination or unkindness based on race or background at Newton North. You might experience micro-agressions (being asked where you’re from and people expect you to say China or something when you’re from Boston too), but I think micro agressions are something that are at this point universal. I hope this eases your fears about Newton North.

As it concerns the play, I think I have more accurate insights as somebody who has seen its development and been privy to the process. Let me begin by saying the intention with which this play was chosen. There are a limited repertoire of plays available to a high school theater, due to a number of prerequisites. Millie was chosen because it afforded large opportunities for female roles, which I think is admirable. Last year we did How to Succeed in Businesses, which was downright sexist and had limited female roles, and nobody complained.

I want to also say that people are missing the context of this show and the point of theater. First of all, we must recognize that productions are a representation of a time in history. Last year we portrayed the 1960s, where a bunch of guys start at a women’s butt and drooled over it. Is that not offensive? The most controversial character in the script, Ms. Meers, is a WHITE woman in the 1920s attempting to portray an Asian American. How on earth would we expect her to not be racist, given the time period she was living in? The ignorance back then was even more profound than it is now, and that ignorance is reflected in the character. As such, her character is not poking fun at Asians but making fun of the stereotypes and the attitudes of white people themselves. Ms. Meers is over the top in her racism because it is making fun of the racism. In addition, the actress who played her did copious amounts of research and went out of her way to accurately inform herself about Asian American culture, and then she attempted to portray something that was evidently wrong (in order to indirectly poke fun at how wrong it was). We must remember that this show was about 10 years ago, so it is looking at the 1920s through a modern, more refined lens.

In addition, questioning the production of Thoroughly Modern Millie is in itself questioning the arts. You ask why we cold not have put on a production about a “lighter subject.” What would be the point of that? What would the arts be if there was no controversy? What would we be dedicating our time to if all we did was get on stage and dance about under rainbows and pretend everything was happy in the world? The stage, the arts are a place to generate healthy controversy and discussion. They should not be censored, lest our society end up looking a bit like that of fahrenheit 451. Thoroughly Modern Millie brought up the conversation of Asian stereotypes. It can be a hard conversation. But I don’t think stereotypes should be cast away because they are politically incorrect. We have to come to acknowledge them, know that they exist, and then be able to make fun of them and say that they are dumb (which is what Millie does). Ultimately, I feel that we need to understand the role the arts have. Often the arts are controversial – even pieces of classical music were controversial in their day.

Lastly, I, as a Newton North student, resent the negative comments that have been made about the artistic administration at Newton North. I have never met more considerate and thoughtful people than those who work in the music and theater departments. They put every ounce of their being into their jobs, staying until 11 o’clock, 12 o’clock at night to work on the production. Everything that is done in the arts at Newton North is a result of countless hours of work, of discussion and consideration. Nothing is done carelessly. Our arts department puts up shows that have controversial topics because it wants to generate that discussion and bring up these topics in an educated fashion amongst the artistic community. And when Mr. Brown, who is one of the most admirable people I have met, says he is planning a talk back tonight, it is not simply for the sake of appeasing upset parents and dismissing concerns. He truly wants to hear people’s considerations and thoughts.

I hope that this long note might help sway some people’s opinions about the production. I know that, as someone who was a part of the production, it is deeply saddening and disappointing to see such a negative response, given all the hard work put in.

NNHS Student

In the comments From Talk Back: Racism in Thoroughly Modern Millie at NNHS

Yes but that’s part of the plot. And as I think has been made clear, is not something we had the power to change. When you put on a show the script is kinda set in stone… I get that that character is offensive but saying we used yellow face isn’t really true. We honored the script.

NNHS Student

In the comments From Talk Back: Racism in Thoroughly Modern Millie at NNHS

I go to NNHS right now. (I wasn’t a part of this show). I think it’s important to understand that this how was written for 1960s hollywood, and then adapted for the stage in the 2000s. The songs and the music are outstanding and the plot hilarious and has many twists and turns. I bet that’s why this show was chosen. It happens to have some very racist material in it yes, but no one is saying that’s okay. No one at north is saying that we can now be mean or racist to asians at our school. NNHS instead put on a great show full of talented actors who are heart broken and distressed to have hurt people. I think that next time if you have an issue about the show you should say something earlier on. 3 days before the show on a blog doesn’t give anyone time to do anything about your complaints. I go to NNHS and I can tell you right now no one is trying to cause anyone any pain or discrimination.

NNHS Student

In the comments From Talk Back: Racism in Thoroughly Modern Millie at NNHS

Pragmatic Mom, I’m going to start by saying that yellowface is never used in this production. The closest the show comes to using yellowface is the sterotypically Asian lipstick design worn by Ms. Meers. I personally know every actor and actress in this production and not one of them would allow that to happen. Now to address the article, you often say that things could be easily changed. That is incorrect. When putting on a production certain rules must be followed. For example, the inability to change lines and plot points freely. The rights for a production must be acquired before putting it on and the rights do not allow the script or plot to be changed to fit certain requests. I understand that the racism in this show is wrong and I believe that everyone in the Newton community does. I don’t think that there is a single person who would deny the racism in this show and if there is I certainly haven’t met them. That being said, why not change it if there is racism? For the reason I mentioned before, the musical cannot simply be changed. Thanks for reading and I hope that to some extent this relieves your rage at the Newton community that allowed this production and, if anything, direct it at the playwright or company producing it.

Charlie

Comment from My Take on Thoroughly Modern Millie

Hey Pragmatic Mom,

May I suggest that you concentrate your commentary on teenage pregnancy, drug abuse and suicide: instead of your perceptions of Asian racism. Perhaps some thought about priorities and what really is important to our children, would help you reconsider your current unnecessary opinions.

See Jay

Comment from Thoroughly Modern Millie at NNHS is Thoroughly Racist

If the “concerned parents” want to make sure this doesn’t happen again, they should voice their complaints before these kids spend months putting a show together rather than heavily criticizing their plays the week of the show and destroying their self esteems. NNHS did How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (a show that I was in) and I didn’t hear anyone complaining about how sexist that show was.

Harry Watson

Comment from Thoroughly Modern Millie at NNHS is Thoroughly Racist

These are all related posts on Thoroughly Modern Millie at Newton North High School:

My Take on Thoroughly Modern Millie

Talk Back: Racism in Thoroughly Modern Millie at NNHS

NNHS Responds to Concerns About Thoroughly Modern Millie

MTI Advises How to Squelch Dissent on Thoroughly Modern Millie

Throwndown NNHS: Talk the Talk or Walk the Walk? Regarding Racism in Thoroughly Modern Millie

Rebuttal to ‘Millie in Newton: Turn Stereotypes into Lessons

More Than 50% of Asian American Teens are Bullied in School

White Privilege and Thoroughly Modern Millie

Thoroughly Modern Millie End of School Year Takeaway

Thoroughly Modern Millie Talk Back Videos

These are other articles and posts related to Thoroughly Modern Millie at Newton North High School:

The Boston Globe: School Play’s Stereotypes Bring Outcry and Apology. “Millie” touches nerve in Newton by Ellen Ishkanian

The Boston Globe: ‘Millie’ Flag Highlights How Old Plays are Rife with Stereotypes by Don Aucoin

The Telegraph: US high school show triggers race row by David Millward

NECN TV Segment: NECN Broadside with Jim Braude, Historical Musical Sparks Controvery at Massachusetts High School

The Boston Globe: ‘Millie’ Fight Creates a Chilling Effect by Joan Vennochi

The Boston Globe: ‘Millie’ in Newton: Turn Stereotypes into Lessons

The Boston Globe: Musical is Little More Than Staged Racism by Jeffrey Melnick (Letter to Editor in response to Joan Vennochi’s article above).

Monitoring, Exposing & Fighting Against Anti-Semitism and Racism: Thoroughly Modern Millie’ play draws controversy in Mass. over racial stereotyping

Company One: In the Intersection, Thoroughly Modern Millie Controvery at Local High School

A case study published by UMass Peter Kiang almost 20 years ago (see pages 9-13), parallels almost exactly what happened at Newton North High School. ScholarWorks at UMass Boston, We Could Shape It: Organizing for Asian American Student Empowerment by Peter Nien-Chu Kiang.

The Notebook: Racism isn’t entertainment: Why “Thoroughly Modern Millie” didn’t belong on CAPA’s stage

Resist Racism: Thoroughly Racist ‘Thoroughly Modern Millie’

Genki Speak: Racism in Our Backyard

Angry Asian Man

Village 14: Decision to Stage ‘Thoroughly Modern Millie’ at North Challenged

AsAm News: Play Filled With Offensive Images Sparks Town Hall Meeting

AsAm News: I Love Newton: High School Production Fails To Address Heavy Dose Of Asian American Stereotypes

Greer Tan Swiston: Kudos to Newton North for a thoroughly modern update of ‘Millie’

The Boston Globe: Oh, by the way, how about a round of applause for the kids? (Letter to the Editor from a grandparent)

The Boston Globe: Choice, execution of musical informed by thoughful education process (Letter to the Editor from the writers who comprise the Theatre Arts Opportunity Committee at Newton North High School.)

The Boston Globe: We miss a vital chance for understanding when we swap out ethnic characters(Letter to the Editor from a great-grandmother, teacher and volunteer)

Arissa Oh ‏@arissaoh 1h

3 white ppl on @GreaterBoston unhelpfully discuss HS prodns of “Thoroughly Modern Millie.” cc: @pragmaticmom

Pawprint: Millard West Student Newspaper: Through with Thoroughly Modern Millie

The Washington Post: Twenty-Three Skiddo: ‘Modern Millie’ Doesn’t Dance

It’s an attempt, sort of, at a parody of the old-style musicals of the ’20s and ’30s, the sort jerry-built out of cheerful songs, convoluted plots, elaborate tap demonstrations and derogatory stereotypes.

IMDb: Thoroughly Embalmed Musical

Project Muse: Thoroughly Modern Millie (review)

Not Like Crazy: An Easily Overlooked Racism?

In the Spring semester at school, the Musical Theater Department put on Thoroughly Modern Millie, which was overflowing with racism in its portrayal of Asians. I must say, I was thoroughly upset about the whole thing. First, the guys playing the Asians, I believe they were supposed to be Chinese immigrants, had white face makeup and slanty eyes. I couldn’t help but think that if they’d dressed in blackface, surely there’d be an uproar (Of course, they are putting on Ragtime this year, so we’ll see how they handle that– they’re already sending out emails about how they want the black students to try out for roles because there aren’t many black people in the musical theater department *eyeroll*). That wasn’t the only bad thing about the musical, however, the villian was a white woman pretending to be Asian who pronounced her L’s as R’s, and said she used soy sauce to clean a stain. Of course, she also treated the two Asian immigrants who worked for her as if they were stupid, and the silently and humbly submit in front of her, though behind closed doors they argue in Chinese (I guess it was real Chinese), with subtitles projected above the stage. And then one of the Asian men falls in love with one of the white women in the musical, blonde hair, blue eyes, you know the deal. At the end of the musical, they get together, as if his reward for working hard and being submissive, for being mistreated, is the gift of white womanhood, the pinnacle of creation. So yeah, I was pretty pissed about that whole thing.

Myvanwy: Review of Thoroughly Modern Millie

Someone sent me video of a local comedian’s youtube video of a character I’ve seen him portray once before. To call it infantile and racially insensitive would be a gross understatement. For the targets of his ridicule, it’s every bit as offensive as a mean-spirited performance in blackface. But because it’s against one of the few groups for whom bigotry, hostility, and ridicule is still acceptable (Chinese Americans and others of Asian and/or Pacific Island descent), it’s seen as okay by most and even encouraged by other local comedians. Kevin Marshall’s America

Zak Keith: Hollywood Asian Stereotypes

Racism against Asians is often “unawares”—a form of racism that flies under the radar due to its widespread acceptance as the norm. Its interactive dynamic resembles that of an unwritten social contract. Asians in the West are expected to accept patronizing remarks and racist taunts so demeaning that perpetrators would think twice before dishing them out with such unwavering consistency to any other minority group, such as Latinos or African Americans. Asians who object to such treatment are typically met with befuddlement and offense at their audacity to make an issue out of it.

p.p.s. Here are some related posts on my Asian American blog:

How Asian Americans Are Portrayed in U.S. Media. Who Should Be the Next Asian Old Spice Guy?

Asian Americans in Recurring TV Gigs

A Racist Bakesale Exposes Reverse Discrimination Against Asian Americans (I include this link because this is the real racist front that Asian Americans are currently fighting. All my posts on this topic are here.

Making us explain why Yellow Face is offensive is a waste of our time. I can’t believe this is still being used. In real life, has there ever been a white person pretending to be Asian? It’s only in the media and on the stage that this ridiculous premise exists.)

Survivor: Cook Islands Winner Yul Kwon and Why Media Portrayal of Asian Americans Matters

Mia Wenjen blogs at PragmaticMom: Education Matters, here and occasionally at her Asian American blog JadeLuckClub. She resides in Newton with her husband and three kids, the oldest of which will attend Newton North High School this fall. She can be found on Pinterest, Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Sulia, Google +, Instagram and YouTube.

Photo credit: Grasshopper and Sensei, my oldest.

March 22, 2014
Support Celebration at NNHS

Your donations make Celebration happen!

Celebration has been a fun and safe post-prom party at Newton North for 18 years; it is a tradition for seniors. (For an example of what Celebration can look like check out the New Orleans themed event from two years ago by clicking HERE.)

This post-prom party is funded by donations from Newton North parents and local businesses so that all seniors (regardless of whether they go to the prom) are invited to attend free of charge. It is our graduation gift! Please help us keep this tradition alive for Newton North students by making a contribution today.

You can volunteer and donate online.

If you prefer to donate via check, make your check payable to NNHS PTSO Celebration and mail it to

Celebration 2014
Newton North High School PTSO
457 Walnut Street, Newtonville, MA 02460

All supporters will be acknowledged in Newton North’s newspaper, The Newtonite.
Thank you for making this a festive night to remember for the Class of 2014, and for helping us to continue offering Celebration to Newton North students in years to come.

If you have any questions, please contact Celebration co-chairs Maria Bonyhay and Eileen Rielly.

March 22, 2014
Teens: Host YA Bookclub at Newtonville Books

From Newtonville Books:

This summer, we’re asking local teens to host our new Summer Young Adult Bookclub on Sundays at 2pm. Teens will select a title in advance and schedule their bookclub for one of the upcoming summer Sundays. We’ll publicize the book and host and meeting time in-store, as well as in our newsletter.

Interested teens should email me at mary@newtonvillebooks.com with a paragraph about the book they’d be interested in leading a discussion about. Please also let us know school affiliation so that we can be sure to balance teens from all schools.

March 21, 2014
Boston Globe: ‘Millie’ flap highlights how old plays are rife with stereotypes

Small wonder, then, that Asian-American audiences would object to the crude ethnic cartoons in “Millie,’’ and that, more broadly, they would consider the choice between invisibility and insult to be unacceptable in this day and age.

In the aftermath of the Newton North controversy, it’s worth remembering that high school productions are frequently the first experience of theater that students receive: as performers, crew members, or spectators. In other words, high school is where the theater audiences of the future are forged.

‘Millie’ flap highlights how old plays are rife with stereotypes by Don Aucoin in today’s Boston Globe

But the concerns expressed in Newton before and after the performances of “Thoroughly Modern Millie’’ also deserve to be taken seriously. In part, the “Millie’’ imbroglio underscores the difficulty that even well-intentioned people confront when they tackle problematic source material.

Ethnic stereotyping is popular culture’s original sin, and it’s proving a hard one to shed.

Look no further than the uproar over last weekend’s production of “Thoroughly Modern Millie’’ at Newton North High School. A storm erupted on social media and community blogs about the musical’s depiction of three characters — two of them Chinese, one of them masquerading as Chinese — who kidnap young women and sell them as sex slaves. The director of the organization that staged “Millie’’ apologized at a community meeting Monday.

Having recently seen “Millie’’ in a different production at a Greater Boston high school where my daughter was in the cast, I must say that it’s hard to detect nuanced stereotype-busting in the show.

It was the latest loud collision between the past and the present, a frequent occurrence in theater as a dated canon meets an increasingly diverse population. The very plays and musicals that outwardly seem like a good fit for high schoolers — because of their tunefulness and large casts and overall buoyancy — are often the most problematic in their depictions of nonwhite characters.

The very plays and musicals that outwardly seem like a good fit for high schoolers — because of their tunefulness and large casts and overall buoyancy — are often the most problematic in their depictions of nonwhite characters.

Consider, for example, 1949’s “South Pacific,’’ which sends an earnest antiracism message undercut by the cringe-inducing, pidgin-English-speaking character of Bloody Mary. Or 1934’s “Anything Goes,’’ whose Chinese characters are naught but walking punch lines. Concerns about negative stereotypes of Puerto Ricans in 1957’s “West Side Story’’ have escalated in the past couple of decades. (Amherst High School canceled a scheduled student production in 1999.)

Read the rest of the article here.

… she [actress Jenna Lea Scott] remarks, tellingly and poignantly, that “among my reasons for pursuing an acting career was a desire to see myself represented on the stage.”

That’s a widespread desire among members of ethnic groups who for too long have been slighted or ignored: to see themselves represented on the stage and screen, accurately and fully.

It doesn’t seem like too much to ask.

These are all related posts on Thoroughly Modern Millie at Newton North High School:

My Take on Thoroughly Modern Millie

Talk Back: Racism in Thoroughly Modern Millie at NNHS

NNHS Responds to Concerns About Thoroughly Modern Millie

MTI Advises How to Squelch Dissent on Thoroughly Modern Millie

Throwndown NNHS: Talk the Talk or Walk the Walk? Regarding Racism in Thoroughly Modern Millie

Rebuttal to ‘Millie in Newton: Turn Stereotypes into Lessons

More Than 50% of Asian American Teens are Bullied in School

White Privilege and Thoroughly Modern Millie

Thoroughly Modern Millie End of School Year Takeaway

Thoroughly Modern Millie Talk Back Videos

These are other articles and posts related to Thoroughly Modern Millie at Newton North High School:

The Boston Globe: School Play’s Stereotypes Bring Outcry and Apology. “Millie” touches nerve in Newton by Ellen Ishkanian

The Boston Globe: ‘Millie’ Flag Highlights How Old Plays are Rife with Stereotypes by Don Aucoin

The Telegraph: US high school show triggers race row by David Millward

NECN TV Segment: NECN Broadside with Jim Braude, Historical Musical Sparks Controvery at Massachusetts High School

The Boston Globe: ‘Millie’ Fight Creates a Chilling Effect by Joan Vennochi

The Boston Globe: ‘Millie’ in Newton: Turn Stereotypes into Lessons

The Boston Globe: Musical is Little More Than Staged Racism by Jeffrey Melnick (Letter to Editor in response to Joan Vennochi’s article above).

Monitoring, Exposing & Fighting Against Anti-Semitism and Racism: Thoroughly Modern Millie’ play draws controversy in Mass. over racial stereotyping

Company One: In the Intersection, Thoroughly Modern Millie Controvery at Local High School

A case study published by UMass Peter Kiang almost 20 years ago (see pages 9-13), parallels almost exactly what happened at Newton North High School. ScholarWorks at UMass Boston, We Could Shape It: Organizing for Asian American Student Empowerment by Peter Nien-Chu Kiang.

The Notebook: Racism isn’t entertainment: Why “Thoroughly Modern Millie” didn’t belong on CAPA’s stage

Resist Racism: Thoroughly Racist ‘Thoroughly Modern Millie’

Genki Speak: Racism in Our Backyard

Angry Asian Man

Village 14: Decision to Stage ‘Thoroughly Modern Millie’ at North Challenged

AsAm News: Play Filled With Offensive Images Sparks Town Hall Meeting

AsAm News: I Love Newton: High School Production Fails To Address Heavy Dose Of Asian American Stereotypes

Greer Tan Swiston: Kudos to Newton North for a thoroughly modern update of ‘Millie’

The Boston Globe: Oh, by the way, how about a round of applause for the kids? (Letter to the Editor from a grandparent)

The Boston Globe: Choice, execution of musical informed by thoughful education process (Letter to the Editor from the writers who comprise the Theatre Arts Opportunity Committee at Newton North High School.)

The Boston Globe: We miss a vital chance for understanding when we swap out ethnic characters(Letter to the Editor from a great-grandmother, teacher and volunteer)

Arissa Oh ‏@arissaoh 1h

3 white ppl on @GreaterBoston unhelpfully discuss HS prodns of “Thoroughly Modern Millie.” cc: @pragmaticmom

Pawprint: Millard West Student Newspaper: Through with Thoroughly Modern Millie

The Washington Post: Twenty-Three Skiddo: ‘Modern Millie’ Doesn’t Dance

It’s an attempt, sort of, at a parody of the old-style musicals of the ’20s and ’30s, the sort jerry-built out of cheerful songs, convoluted plots, elaborate tap demonstrations and derogatory stereotypes.

IMDb: Thoroughly Embalmed Musical

Project Muse: Thoroughly Modern Millie (review)

Not Like Crazy: An Easily Overlooked Racism?

In the Spring semester at school, the Musical Theater Department put on Thoroughly Modern Millie, which was overflowing with racism in its portrayal of Asians. I must say, I was thoroughly upset about the whole thing. First, the guys playing the Asians, I believe they were supposed to be Chinese immigrants, had white face makeup and slanty eyes. I couldn’t help but think that if they’d dressed in blackface, surely there’d be an uproar (Of course, they are putting on Ragtime this year, so we’ll see how they handle that– they’re already sending out emails about how they want the black students to try out for roles because there aren’t many black people in the musical theater department *eyeroll*). That wasn’t the only bad thing about the musical, however, the villian was a white woman pretending to be Asian who pronounced her L’s as R’s, and said she used soy sauce to clean a stain. Of course, she also treated the two Asian immigrants who worked for her as if they were stupid, and the silently and humbly submit in front of her, though behind closed doors they argue in Chinese (I guess it was real Chinese), with subtitles projected above the stage. And then one of the Asian men falls in love with one of the white women in the musical, blonde hair, blue eyes, you know the deal. At the end of the musical, they get together, as if his reward for working hard and being submissive, for being mistreated, is the gift of white womanhood, the pinnacle of creation. So yeah, I was pretty pissed about that whole thing.

Myvanwy: Review of Thoroughly Modern Millie

Someone sent me video of a local comedian’s youtube video of a character I’ve seen him portray once before. To call it infantile and racially insensitive would be a gross understatement. For the targets of his ridicule, it’s every bit as offensive as a mean-spirited performance in blackface. But because it’s against one of the few groups for whom bigotry, hostility, and ridicule is still acceptable (Chinese Americans and others of Asian and/or Pacific Island descent), it’s seen as okay by most and even encouraged by other local comedians. Kevin Marshall’s America

Zak Keith: Hollywood Asian Stereotypes

Racism against Asians is often “unawares”—a form of racism that flies under the radar due to its widespread acceptance as the norm. Its interactive dynamic resembles that of an unwritten social contract. Asians in the West are expected to accept patronizing remarks and racist taunts so demeaning that perpetrators would think twice before dishing them out with such unwavering consistency to any other minority group, such as Latinos or African Americans. Asians who object to such treatment are typically met with befuddlement and offense at their audacity to make an issue out of it.

p.p.s. Here are some related posts on my Asian American blog:

How Asian Americans Are Portrayed in U.S. Media. Who Should Be the Next Asian Old Spice Guy?

Asian Americans in Recurring TV Gigs

A Racist Bakesale Exposes Reverse Discrimination Against Asian Americans (I include this link because this is the real racist front that Asian Americans are currently fighting. All my posts on this topic are here.

Making us explain why Yellow Face is offensive is a waste of our time. I can’t believe this is still being used. In real life, has there ever been a white person pretending to be Asian? It’s only in the media and on the stage that this ridiculous premise exists.)

Survivor: Cook Islands Winner Yul Kwon and Why Media Portrayal of Asian Americans Matters

Mia Wenjen blogs at PragmaticMom: Education Matters, here and occasionally at her Asian American blog JadeLuckClub. She resides in Newton with her husband and three kids, the oldest of which will attend Newton North High School this fall. She can be found on Pinterest, Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Sulia, Google +, Instagram and YouTube.

Photo credit: Grasshopper and Sensei, my oldest.

March 20, 2014
Support Boys and Girls Club Through Fight Night!

Please come and support my boxing gym, Nonantum Boxing Club, who is, in turn, supporting the John M. Barry Boys and Girls Club of Newton.

Nonantum Boxing Club’s very own trainer, Raf Rivera, will be sparring!

Rafael is a USA Boxing Level 1 Certified coach as well as a 2013 Lowell Golden Gloves Champion and New England Tournament of Champions Semi-finalist. Raf has extensive experience working with Youth and teens.

The John M. Barry Boys & Girls Club of Newton in partnership with Nonantum Boxing Club present Fight Night on Saturday, March 22, 2014.

This year we are changing locations to the Boys & Girls Club, 675 Watertown Street, Newton.

VIP tickets are $50-$65 and general admission tickets are $20.

There are two tiers of VIP tickets. Heavy Hitter VIP tickets are $65.00 each and include prime location table seating, a designated bar server, dinner and drink ticket. VIP Tickets are $50.00 each and include table seating and dinner.

Sanctioned by USA Boxing, Fight Night attracts more than 350 spectators. With a fight card of over five bouts between amateur fighters, VIP guests enjoy a sumptuous dinner catered by Jean’s Catering. Doors open at 5:30PM for VIP ticket holders, and 7:00 PM for general admission.

Tickets will be issued on a first-come, first-served basis. VIP tickets are sold out. You can buy tickets here.

March 20, 2014
Talk Back: Racism in Thoroughly Modern Millie at NNHS
Thoroughly Modern Millie was offensive to me. White privilege denies me the right to feel the pain I experienced.

Whether you are white or a person of color, if you were not offended by the musical, you have no right to deny another’s pain. That’s my takeaway from the Talk Back.

Last night I reluctantly attended the Talk Back held at Newton North High School to discuss the stereotypes from the recent musical Thoroughly Modern Millie. Emotions were heightened as The Boston Globe was running a piece the next day and had spent an hour interviewing administrators at Newton North.

I did not want to go. This racist controversy was wearing on me. It is not even my personal bone to pick. I am a third generation Asian American and my children — ethnically Chinese, Japanese and Korean — have never experienced racism at all. This was not my cause.

I have actually spent the last year on a crusade to make available more multicultural books for children, even creating a special day for celebration this past January. And yet, maybe this is the same thing. Learning empathy from other voices through children’s books seems an effective way to combat the nascent racism in all of us and certainly bubbles under the surface of Newton as one insightful Newton North student who attended commented.

So, what exactly happened at the Talk Back? The NNHS administrators, Todd R. Young (Chair, NNHS FPA Department), Adam Brown (Director, Theatre Ink), Jennifer Price (Principal, NNHS), and Bradley Jensen (English Teacher and director and choreographer of Thoroughly Modern Millie) started it off by saying that they were here to listen.

The stories began as nearly 80 people in the room shared their perspectives.

“We do not program shows to reflect the diversity in our school. Frankly, I think we program shows to entertain our white audience.” A 17-year-old student at Newton North High School who is part of Theatre Ink

“Our son made the difficult decision not to do the show because he could not invite his grandparents, my parents, [who are Chinese American and speak with an accent] to come and see this show. … He felt like he couldn’t participate. Who else was excluded?” Jenny Chou, mother of Newton North High School Theatre Ink Sophomore

“I was really offended yesterday [her voice breaks and she is in tears]. And I read the program notes and what it said to me was there are some really bad stereotypes in here but we made it a teachable moment and everybody learned a lot so it’s ok. And it’s not ok. Teachable moments should be planned. They should not be reactions to something that someone else pointed out because that what it feels like to me.

…

This was not one of those planned teachable moments. It’s not the message that I want my Asian American kids to hear that just because we learn about the issue that we can still do it. My father was an Asian American immigrant who was made fun of all the time for his accent and was never given any respect and was considered stupid until they found out that he was a doctor.

…

I hope this dialogue leads to action and not just to more talk and appreciation that we learned a lot more.”

Joy Bautista, Academic Dean and Science Teacher at Boston Arts Academy

“This is a play that — I have no other way to say it — at its heart, in its DNA is deeply, deeply racist. Ignorant. There are stereotypes. You have the names Ching Ho, Bun Foo. Those aren’t actual Chinese names. What you have is a sort of a White American concept of what Chinese and Asians are meant to be and it’s there, laid out, for entertainment value.” Charlene Beh, English Teacher at Newton North High School and Co-Advisor to Thoroughly Modern Millie

“I chose to move here from Hawaii and to work here and live in Newton when it could be so much easier for me as an Asian American to live out West where people don’t question my experience as painful when I experience racism, little and big.

…

To have people doubt the pain that I experience, that has been another thing that has been hard about all this stuff. Not intended at all, but it’s happened where I’ve had to have conversations with staff members who doubted the racism and pain that exists in the play.”

Michele Leong, English Teacher and Director of the Office Human Rights at Newton North High School and Co-Advisor of the Asian Culture Club and Thoroughly Modern Millie

[This is her response to White privilege Husband who was texting and failed to listen to Michele Leong and therefore wasn’t able to respond to her.]

Michele continues …

“Acknowledge and respect that our pain is real whether we are Asian or not. I know that I have many allies in this room who experienced the same pain and I ask that you all hear that.”

“[You did not make more changes] Because you are afraid someone is going to sue you [for changing the script]? And instead what happens? You have offended me. You have offended her. You have offended everybody in here. You had a teaching moment for how many nights that you performed? You think that disclaimer was going to be good enough? NO! For all this talk about doing an anti-bullying curriculum. What have you just committed? You have bullied a whole community just like that.” Andrew Leong

“Telling Asian and Asian Americans that their anger is inappropriate or that art someone trumps the validity of their feelings is an indicator how deeply socialized White Supremacy is within us. … I was concerned about the letter that went out that said “for some this will still not be enough.” But I think that if it’s not enough for some in the community, then it shouldn’t be enough for Newton North and it shouldn’t be enough for Theatre Ink. And I was really concerned about that.

….

I know that Theatre Ink thinks of itself as a professional company and that’s great but that doesn’t that mean that because there are Broadway shows that are more racist than Thoroughly Modern Millie that it’s ok to do Thoroughly Modern Millie.

…

There is a huge problem with casting and that fact that there was a white student — and I know that Ezra is a great actor — but that doesn’t mean that it’s ok for him to be cast as an Asian man. And there was nothing that went out about yellowface. What does it mean when the only roles for Asian students are these really stereotypical, demeaning, hurtful things? And what does it say when Asian students aren’t even given a chance to be in those roles?”

Aviva, a Newton North High School Student

“As a person of color, when white people say “don’t be angry,” it’s one just one more way to offend. It’s one more way to put down. It’s one more way to diminish the power and the truth of what is being said.” Cynthia Silva Parker

“To me it’s disappointing because we’re talking about having all these anti-bullying sessions and then the actions that the school takes by having a play like this … it’s all a lie. The actions don’t back up what the talk is. That’s disappointing to me. How can you teach kids by just talking and not showing?” Archana Szpak, parent of two kids in Newton Schools

“Art tackling stereotypical representations and using that as a point of humor. When you thinking largely about the production as it was put on these past couple of days, to me there was an element about those moments of humor within the context of an audience that was predominantly white, within a cast that was also predominantly white, and feeling that the humor felt uncomfortable and spurred deep feelings of anger, of just general discomfort, because it seemed that the representations that you saw — which in actuality they were — lacked nuance and depth of experience.

…

A musical for a variety of reasons did not have a lot diverse representation so a lot of the notes around humor felt as those they were pointed and that was the larger idea around why so much discomfort was felt. I always say this to my students, when you are having a discussion about race and about stereotypes, I think it’s important to feel uncomfortable. Honestly, I don’t think you are doing the discussion right if you are feeling comfortable.” Ariel Roshlan, a first year teacher in Newton who teaches Social Studies to 10th and 11th grade and a person of color

The hurt and anger were palpable. As well, the white privilege man to my near right. I will refer to him at White Privilege Man.

A man in his late 50s were there to protest the protest he told me. As Asian Americans in the room shared their heartfelt stories of how this musical hurt them, White Privilege Man to my right made snorting, derisive noises. My husband called him out, asking him to speak up as he clearly did not agree with the Asians in the room. His point was that there were racist stereotypes in a lot of musicals and works of literature and that this was ok. When Michele Leong responded, she waited for him to reply. There was a long pause.

Why? He had been texting on his phone the entire time, not listening and not realizing that, in fact, this Michele was speaking to him.

That’s so telling isn’t it? So illustrative of the conflict between an Asian American trying to voice her feelings of not being heard and validated while While Privilege Husband snorted and texted away, not listening, not caring, not learning anything that night. And while I personally found this behavior offensive, he was an important reminder of the racism that exists in our community that takes a stubborn hold and is difficult to diminish. It won’t go away with just one night of sharing our feelings either — that much was clear!

Thankfully, the Newton North teachers and administrators were a completely different story. They truly listened, painfully, and heard, painfully, what we of color had to say. That this was bullying all over again. That this hurt us. That some rising freshman of Asian descent were now nervous to come to NNHS (breaking the heart of principal Jennifer Price).

That a grandfather and grandmother could not come to see their grandson perform because he elected not to try out for fear of subjecting them to painful racism.

An elderly Asian American man who was likely a grandfather himself made this point, “So the grandparents could not see their grandson perform.”

And then there was deadly silence as we all felt the shame, the sadness and the tragedy that could have been so easily been avoided.

Newton North teachers were brave to lend their voices about how this play and their participation made them feel uncomfortable and marginalized.

Newton North students asked why:
- In the letter from NNHS, they asked why is ok for it not to be enough? “We do apologize for the impact that this has caused and may cause members of our community. Even with these steps in place, we acknowledge that for some it may not be enough.” No, they said. We expect more from Newton North. Make it enough.
- They asked why aren’t more Asian Americans on staff as teachers and administrators at Newton North?
- Why aren’t students of color in leadership roles at Theatre Ink?
- Why can’t all students take a Leadership Class led by Michele Leong that teaches racism in order to break it down.
As each person told their story of disappointment in Newton North, of the hurt that they caused, of the pain that they felt, the emotions felt overwhelming at times. It was not surprising to see people break down in tears.

But when Adam Brown bravely said, “I’m sorry, I am so, so sorry you are feeling the anger you are feeling. We blew it. I’m sorry,” the clouds parted. He had heard us. Truly heard us. And he wasn’t making any excuses or spouting any rhetoric.

From there, the group came together. We felt validated for expressing our point of view. We felt heard. We knew we could work together and that changes, really wonderful and positive changes, were going to result from this. (Hopefully!) It felt great. We feel grateful to everyone in that room including White Privilege Man.

On the stage of life, we all have roles to play and in seeing and really hearing each other, we can make something truly great. And that is the essence of Newton North High School and living in a town like Newton.

I am so very proud of my community — students, NNHS alumni, parents, teachers, administrators, community members who are not even at NNHS, alderwoman, Asian American activists, neighbors and friends — on this day. For coming out. For speaking up. For listening. And most importantly, for the willingness to learn and grow. I am so grateful to you all for coming to my blog and attending the Talk Back. For engaging. For caring. For making our corner of the world just a little better. Thank you so much. I can not tell you what this means to me.

p.s. I taped half of the Talk Back (until my phone ran out of space). I have posted it privately on my YouTube account. If you would like to give me permission to make your portion of the video public, please contact me and I will add the video to this post. The quotes were all taken from video transcription. (Clearly, I don’t have Millie’s stenography skills!)

Thoroughly Modern Millie Talk Back Videos

One way to use this Talk Back as a teachable moment is to have students or audience members read the quotes and the compare it to the video of the exact same words. You will notice, as I have, how more affecting the video is compared to the words on the page. It’s because the video conveys the deep emotions in a way that the written word simply can not.

p.p.s. Our neighboring town, Brookline, put on Thoroughly Modern Millie a few weeks ago. There was no murmur of dissent there. Why? They had, on their own, and without pushback from parents, rewritten the musical. I do not know if they did this under the radar or in conjunction with MTI who sells the script. They made Mrs. Meers a Southerner and the two Chinese brothers undercover cops.

Brookline has a 18% Asian population. Newton has 11%. Does this 7% make all the difference? Why would Newton react differently to the racism in Thoroughly Modern Millie than our neighbor? What do you think?

Brookline High School performed its own revised version last month.

“I felt strongly the script was disrespectful,” said the Brookline director, Christien Polos. He and students rewrote the part of Mrs. Meers to change her from Chinese to Southern American and turned the two Chinese laundrymen into undercover police officers. From The Boston Globe

Related Links:

Thoroughly Modern Millie is Thoroughly Racist

NNHS Responds to Concerns About Thoroughly Modern Millie

My Take on Thoroughly Modern Millie

Throwndown NNHS: Talk the Talk or Walk the Walk? Regarding Racism in Thoroughly Modern Millie

MTI Advises How to Squelch Dissent on Thoroughly Modern Millie

Rebuttal to ‘Millie in Newton: Turn Stereotypes into Lessons

More Than 50% of Asian American Teens are Bullied in School

White Privilege and Thoroughly Modern Millie

Thoroughly Modern Millie End of School Year Takeaway

Thoroughly Modern Millie Talk Back Videos

More links:

The Boston Globe: School play’s stereotypes bring outcry and apology. “Millie” touches nerve in Newton by Ellen Ishkanian, Globe Correspondent

The Boston Globe: ‘Millie’ Flag Highlights How Old Plays are Rife with Stereotypes by Don Aucoin

The Telegraph: US high school show triggers race row by David Millward

NECN TV Segment: NECN Broadside with Jim Braude, Historical Musical Sparks Controvery at Massachusetts High School

The Boston Globe: ‘Millie’ Fight Creates a Chilling Effect by Joan Vennochi

The Boston Globe: ‘Millie’ in Newton: Turn Stereotypes into Lessons

The Boston Globe: Musical is Little More Than Staged Racism by Jeffrey Melnick (Letter to Editor in response to Joan Vennochi’s article above).

Monitoring, Exposing & Fighting Against Anti-Semitism and Racism: Thoroughly Modern Millie’ play draws controversy in Mass. over racial stereotyping

Company One: In the Intersection, Thoroughly Modern Millie Controvery at Local High School

A case study published by UMass Peter Kiang almost 20 years ago (see pages 9-13), parallels almost exactly what happened at Newton North High School. ScholarWorks at UMass Boston, We Could Shape It: Organizing for Asian American Student Empowerment by Peter Nien-Chu Kiang.

The Notebook: Racism isn’t entertainment: Why “Thoroughly Modern Millie” didn’t belong on CAPA’s stage

Resist Racism: Thoroughly Racist ‘Thoroughly Modern Millie’

Genki Speak: Racism in Our Backyard

Angry Asian Man

Village 14: Decision to Stage ‘Thoroughly Modern Millie’ at North Challenged

AsAm News: Play Filled With Offensive Images Sparks Town Hall Meeting

AsAm News: I Love Newton: High School Production Fails To Address Heavy Dose Of Asian American Stereotypes

Greer Tan Swiston: Kudos to Newton North for a thoroughly modern update of ‘Millie’

The Boston Globe: Oh, by the way, how about a round of applause for the kids? (Letter to the Editor from a grandparent)

The Boston Globe: Choice, execution of musical informed by thoughful education process (Letter to the Editor from the writers who comprise the Theatre Arts Opportunity Committee at Newton North High School.)

The Boston Globe: We miss a vital chance for understanding when we swap out ethnic characters (Letter to the Editor from a great-grandmother, teacher and volunteer)

Arissa Oh ‏@arissaoh 1h

3 white ppl on @GreaterBoston unhelpfully discuss HS prodns of “Thoroughly Modern Millie.” cc: @pragmaticmom

Pawprint: Millard West Student Newspaper: Through with Thoroughly Modern Millie

The Washington Post: Twenty-Three Skiddo: ‘Modern Millie’ Doesn’t Dance

It’s an attempt, sort of, at a parody of the old-style musicals of the ’20s and ’30s, the sort jerry-built out of cheerful songs, convoluted plots, elaborate tap demonstrations and derogatory stereotypes.

IMDb: Thoroughly Embalmed Musical

Project Muse: Thoroughly Modern Millie (review)

Not Like Crazy: An Easily Overlooked Racism?

In the Spring semester at school, the Musical Theater Department put on Thoroughly Modern Millie, which was overflowing with racism in its portrayal of Asians. I must say, I was thoroughly upset about the whole thing. First, the guys playing the Asians, I believe they were supposed to be Chinese immigrants, had white face makeup and slanty eyes. I couldn’t help but think that if they’d dressed in blackface, surely there’d be an uproar (Of course, they are putting on Ragtime this year, so we’ll see how they handle that– they’re already sending out emails about how they want the black students to try out for roles because there aren’t many black people in the musical theater department *eyeroll*). That wasn’t the only bad thing about the musical, however, the villian was a white woman pretending to be Asian who pronounced her L’s as R’s, and said she used soy sauce to clean a stain. Of course, she also treated the two Asian immigrants who worked for her as if they were stupid, and the silently and humbly submit in front of her, though behind closed doors they argue in Chinese (I guess it was real Chinese), with subtitles projected above the stage. And then one of the Asian men falls in love with one of the white women in the musical, blonde hair, blue eyes, you know the deal. At the end of the musical, they get together, as if his reward for working hard and being submissive, for being mistreated, is the gift of white womanhood, the pinnacle of creation. So yeah, I was pretty pissed about that whole thing.

Myvanwy: Review of Thoroughly Modern Millie

Someone sent me video of a local comedian’s youtube video of a character I’ve seen him portray once before. To call it infantile and racially insensitive would be a gross understatement. For the targets of his ridicule, it’s every bit as offensive as a mean-spirited performance in blackface. But because it’s against one of the few groups for whom bigotry, hostility, and ridicule is still acceptable (Chinese Americans and others of Asian and/or Pacific Island descent), it’s seen as okay by most and even encouraged by other local comedians. Kevin Marshall’s America

Zak Keith: Hollywood Asian Stereotypes

Racism against Asians is often “unawares”—a form of racism that flies under the radar due to its widespread acceptance as the norm. Its interactive dynamic resembles that of an unwritten social contract. Asians in the West are expected to accept patronizing remarks and racist taunts so demeaning that perpetrators would think twice before dishing them out with such unwavering consistency to any other minority group, such as Latinos or African Americans. Asians who object to such treatment are typically met with befuddlement and offense at their audacity to make an issue out of it.

Mia Wenjen blogs at PragmaticMom: Education Matters, here and occasionally at her Asian American blog JadeLuckClub. She resides in Newton with her husband and three kids, the oldest of which will attend Newton North High School this fall. She can be found on Pinterest, Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Sulia, Google +, Instagram and YouTube.

Photo credit: Grasshopper and Sensei, my oldest.
March 19, 2014
Intergenerational Spring Fling to Honor Newton Senior Citizens

ASC (formerly called Athletes Serving the Community) sponsors Lunch and Show to honor Newton Senior Citizens.

Newton Senior Citizens are invited to attend:

Intergenerational Spring Fling

Saturday, March 29

Newton North High School

Noon to 3:00PM

This special event, sponsored by Newton high school students who are members of ASC, will feature a luncheon and a variety show that will showcase the talents of the community youth and seniors.

Newton ASC (formerly called Athletes Serving the Community) is a completely volunteer run high school community service organization formed in 2003. It was created to provide opportunities for youth from across the City to work together to give back to the community.

There is no charge for the lunch and show but space is limited. Registration is required. RSVP by calling the Newton Senior center at (617) 796-1660

March 18, 2014