On Drawing Asian Characters

I was asked to do a talk/presentation at the Association of Chinese Teachers Lunar New Year Conference in January concerning the drawing of Asians. 

This came out of a concern that even Asian American teachers themselves are not aware of stereotypes involved in drawing of Asians.

I am going to get a little stipend which will partially pay for a digital project I will purchase for this presentation.

Here is the little blurb for my presentation:

The Association of Chinese Teachers (TACT)

presents

Lunar New Year Celebration Workshop

Year of the Ox

Drawing Asian Americans

Leland Wong is well-known for his colorful art. His posters for the Nihonmachi Street Fairs are collector’s items and his work is currently exhibited at the Chinese Culture Center.  Leland will demonstrate his unique ability to capture the facial expressions, postures and emotions of Chinese American with a few simple lines. 

DATE:  SATURDAY, JANUARY 10, 2009  8:30 – 12:00 A.M.

Francisco Middle School, Little Theater

2190 Powell Street (at Francisco), San Francisco  **** uh oh...they're making fun of my eyes. The Spanish Tennis Federation show their gratitude to their Chinese hosts.

A little kid once came up to me and did this before.  His parents thought it was cute.  I think the parents would look cute with a black eye.

The Spanish basketball team show their gratitude to their hosts in China.  Chingate Madres!

The Argentines get on it too.

Hello Dr. Fu Manchu!

well...at least his buck teeth are natural.

Fu Manchu...a person to be  feared.

rabbit teeth.  Someone added that moustache.

What eyes???

Bow legged, hands together in the sleeve.  Well...at least you can see pupils in his eyes.  But damn...it's so slanted.

This one is interesting....it's an illustration from Japan.  The Japanese has big eyes, the Korean has smaller eyes and the Chinese eyes with tiny tight eyes but yet he's the biggest figure n this illustration.  This stereotypical drawing happens amongst Asians too.

Two cartoons of Japanese from a Popeye cartoon.  Note the huge teeth.  Coke bottle glasses. etc.

Looks like a yellow peril image...a fear of the yellow race taking over the world.  A giant evil spectre floating above the city without a body with sharp claws ready to kill you.  Bullets cannot stop it. 

But there is what appears to be an Asian couple on the lower right.  You can tell by their squinty eyes.

Interesting....the eyes are open but have no pupils.  The skin is gray like a ghoul.  He has fangs.  A Qing dynasty official hat.  He's not human.  Kill him!

This recent illustration is is from Britain to protest the building of the Xizhang railroad.  It shows ethnic Tibetans with normal eyes and the ethnic Han as evil with yellow skin, buck teeth and squinty eyes.