 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|||||||||||
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
||||||
Harry Potter and Cho Chang: Exotified Asian Women and Invisible Filipinos
by Erin Pangilinan
July 2005
With the hyped popular author's (J.K. Rowling) Harry Potter #6, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, selling close to 9 million copies in the UK and US on the date of release, we must look critically at how Asian Americans fit into the picture of the Hogwarts world by looking at Asian roles in previous Harry Potter books.
Harry's infatuation with Asian female Ravenclaw quidditch player, Cho Chang, began in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Harry Potter #3) – but was not in its equivalent film. Their romantic relationship ended in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Harry Potter #5). The upcoming release of the film this year, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, debuts Scottish Asian actress, Katie Leung, playing the role of Cho Chang.
So far, Asian Americans are paying attention.
“Jealous” online teens write in forums and blogs, while popular Asian American watchdog websites like “Angry Asian Man” also take heed to this issue. Some Asian American teens write that Leung is ugly, while White nationalist websites are angry that Harry Potter is kissing an Asian, though this is what is actually written in Harry Potter #5.
