CRRES Affiliate and Asian American Studies Director Ellen Wu was quoted in a Vox article titled “Asian American racism is the unfunny joke the comedy world needs to reckon with.” The article covers the long history of mocking Asian Americans in comedy that continues today. Even when comedians play on seemingly “positive” tropes like that of the model minority, race or ethnicity are treated, as the author notes, as “the butt of the joke.” Dr. Wu’s work adds historical context and implications of this trend.
