Why "Joy Luck" Brings me Misery (2 of 3)

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The disturbing element in all of this is the flagrant inaccuracies attached to the media-constructed image of the Asian American woman. And the consequence that I suffer due to this is that I am viewed as an aberration from the supposed "norm". I am an aberration because I speak my mind. I am an aberration because I assert my preferences. I am an aberration because I choose to date Asian males exclusively.

In thinking of ways in which to combat stereotypes, I came upon the following conclusion: If people who have little to no contact with Asians continue to rely on the media as their source of information, then the media image should at least be a more accurate reflection of reality. It is with this determination that I came upon a certain idea.

Campaign Against Joy Luck Club
My campaign, or better put, my goal is simple: to either replace or supplement Amy Tan's Joy Luck Club from the reading lists of high schools and universities across the nation with works written by other Asian American authors who more accurately portray Asian Americans. JLC is currently used by institutions of learning across the nation, and is referenced as a novel that is "representative of the AA experience". Its recognition is so mainstream, in fact, that it comes along with study guides by Cliffs Notes. Furthermore, JLC holds the record for the highest gross sales for a novel written by an Asian American author, and even hit the silver screens in 1993, directed by Hollywood big shot Oliver Stone. Through Amy Tan and JLC, the images of self-loathing Asian women and abusive Asian men have reached the minds of thousands across the nation.

In my campaign to replace JLC from school curriculums, I have enlisted the support of Asian American groups of every feasible nature. I am not looking to wipe out all works written by Asian American authors. Nor am I looking to censor Amy Tan. If academic institutions would even supplement their reading lists with other more representative works by Asian American authors in addition to JLC, I feel that many misconceptions that non-Asians hold about Asians could be clarified.

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