Artists Confront Asian American Stereotypes http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-14501196?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter: A new exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery in Washington explores the nature of Asian-American identity. It took more than a year to select the seven artists who are exhibiting at the Asian American Portraits of Encounter. Their work confronts stereotyping through self-portraits.
Some Asians' college strategy: Don't check "Asian http://www.seattlepi.com/news/article/Some-Asians-college-strategy-Don-t-check-Asian-2342006.php#page-1
But leaving the Asian box blank felt wrong to Jodi Balfe, a Harvard freshman who was born in Korea and came here at age 3 with her Korean mother and white American father. She checked the box against the advice of her high school guidance counselor, teachers and friends.
"I felt very uncomfortable with the idea of trying to hide half of my ethnic background," Balfe says. "It's been a major influence on how I developed as a person. It felt like selling out, like selling too much of my soul." "I thought admission wouldn't be worth it. It would be like only half of me was accepted."
Other students, however, feel no conflict between a strong Asian identity and their response to what they believe is injustice. "If you know you're going to be discriminated against, it's absolutely justifiable to not check the Asian box," says Halikias.
