"Changin' Asian" #1
Ok, so this is a new segment-esque addition to the blog. It will focus on Asian Americans who are challenging Asian stereotypes by entering unexpected fields, and succeeding. So for the first installment of “Changin’ Asian” I’m profiling one of my favorite people: Jeannie Mai!
Now I wouldn’t be surprised to hear that many people have no idea who she is. However, I am a personal fan of her style; she is the host of the show “How Do I Look?” on The Style Network. Even though it is actually a makeover show, the real show is Jeannie Mai. The host goes through several chic outfits in a single episode. She has a keen sense of fashion and a winning personality that have made her a success.
Her father was a Vietnamese immigrant and her mother was Chinese. She was born and raised in California among several family members that her parents had brought over from Vietnam. It was this large family that encouraged Mai’s cheerful and bright personality that helped catapult her to television personality status. However, she first got her start as a makeup artist for several celebrities and the connections she established helped to make a name for her as a style expert.
One rarely sees Asian Americans in such a position and career as Jeannie Mai, but she has made a name for herself, which is why she is my first choice for “Changin’ Asian.” Feel free to leave your own suggestions of Asian Americans that are changing stereotypes and breaking out into different fields.
"Changin' Asian" #2
Usually people tend to be under the impression that all Asians do is study, which is far from the truth. Just like with any ethnic group it varies from person to person. Lately a lot of Asian American dancers have burst onto the scene and earned recognition for what they do.
On the most recent season of “America’s Best Dance Crew” (ABDC) an Asian American crew was victorious. Poreotix was declared the winner of Season 5. The crew consists of six members: Matt “Dumbo” Nguyen, Can Nguyen, Charles Nguyen, Lawrence “Law” Devera, Justin “Jet Li” Valles, and Chad Mayate. Their innovative style focuses on popping, choreography, and robotics, which is why their name was Po-reo-tics. Their signature is wearing shaded glasses for all of their performances.
Even for those who don’t follow ABDC, you might recognize the group from several other places. If you’re a Belieber or just suffering from a case of Bieber Fever you might recognize them from Justin Bieber’s music video for the single “Somebody to Love.” Even more recently they were in Bruno Mars’ music video for “The Lazy Song.” However, these boys don’t just dance; they also have a sense of humor.
They were featured in the video “Best Crew vs Poreotics” on the YouTube channel nigahiga in which they were jokingly challenged to a dance battle against some guys who could not dance. They ‘beasted’ the competition in their signature way. They were also on an episode of Disney Channel’s “Shake it Up” where they showed off their playful, nerdy side.
Poreotix is proving to the world that Asians don’t just spend their lives with their noses in books; they can tear up the dance floor.
