One day a reality or just Photoshop?
The New York Times just did a story about “Before Obama, There Was Bill Cosby,” which I found quite coincidental, since I was contemplating recently with all the Obama election victory coverage about his historic win about what brought us to this moment in time, and how I thought that there would be no President Elect Obama without The Cosby Show (also coined as The Huxtable Effect by a blogger). As the Times put it:
“But one idea seems to be gaining traction, and improbably it has Bill Cosby and Karl Rove in agreement: “The Cosby Show,” which began on NBC in 1984 and depicted the Huxtables, an upwardly mobile black family — a departure from the dysfunction and bickering that had characterized some previous shows about black families — had succeeded in changing racial attitudes enough to make an Obama candidacy possible. On election night Mr. Rove, the former Bush strategist, said on Fox News: “We’ve had an African-American first family for many years in different forms. When ‘The Cosby Show’ was on, that was America’s family. It wasn’t a black family. It was America’s family.” “
That is what I thought when I saw the Obama family on stage in Grant Park as they all were waving their hands into America’s living rooms and why I used that family photo on my blog post about Asian Americans overwhelmingly supporting Obama. Before, if you saw a black president portrayed on television, like Dennis Haysbert’s portrayal of David Palmer as the President of the United States or Morgan Freeman as president in Deep Impact, you knew that you were watching fiction. Who would have ever thought that the United States would ever elect a black man as president? In the final episode of the final season of The West Wing, Jimmy Smits portrays Matthew Santos, a Hispanic Democratic candidate and Senator that becomes President Elect.
Some have argued that ABC’s 2005 failed “Commander in Chief” television series portraying Geena Davis as female President Mackenzie Allen was a liberal conspiracy to get the country comfortable for a President Hillary Clinton… In the upcoming new season 7 of Fox’s ‘24,’ actress Cherry Jones will be portraying the president.
I ask you – has there ever been an Asian American portrayed as a president or presidential candidate on American television or film? If not, more now than ever, is the time to have one! If we cannot even imagine having an Asian American president fictionally, how will America ever have an Asian American in reality?
I think the first viable Asian American to run for president will be Republican Governor Bobby Jindall of Louisiana. He was already rumored to be on John McCain’s vice-presidential short list. I expect Jindall to run in 2010 and/or 2014. Jindall is currently 37, so he has plenty of time to get more experience. A future contender may be John Chiang, currently California’s state controller. But first, I believe Chiang has ambitions to be the governor of California. There are rumors that America’s first Asian American governor (of the mainland, or as Sarah Palin would put it, “in the lower 48″), former governor of the state of Washington, Gary Locke, may be appointed to an Obama cabinet position.
I missed this 3-part series in AsianWeek earlier this summer titled, “The First Asian Pacific American President: With an African American on the path to the White House, when is it our turn?” I think it will probably not be in my lifetime. But at the very least, I would hope to see an Asian American president in a television series or major American film prior to an Asian American being elected President of the United States (POTUS).
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10 Comments to “So when are we going to see an Asian American President on mainstream TV or in the movies?”
Tim wrote:
Is it really that important for their to be an Asian-American president? Obama was an extremely qualified candidate who just happened to be born an African-American.
All this stink about it being “our turn” is ridiculous…
Posted on 09-Nov-08 at 12:02 am | Permalink
John wrote:
Of course we want qualified presidential candidates who happen to be Asian American – what is wrong with that? We are not talking about “our turn” – we are talking about expanding the talent pool of leaders beyond white males. What is wrong with that?
Posted on 09-Nov-08 at 1:40 am | Permalink
XZL314 wrote:
no no what is this crap?? Obama proven himself to be a president for all americans not just african americans. Plus he had a asian stepfather and half asian stepsister and asian brother in law. We don’t need a asian american president we need any president that will aid the country not a president from each group. And how about a native american or hispanic american president first??
Posted on 09-Nov-08 at 3:48 pm | Permalink
John wrote:
All of you are missing the point of this post. My point is that if we are ever to have a president who happens to be Asian American, that we should see Asian American presidents played on television and in the movies.
Without removing mental blocks and not imagining that there could be a president who happens to be an Asian American, we will probably never see one.
Posted on 09-Nov-08 at 5:18 pm | Permalink
Jeff wrote:
It seems that Bobby Jindal (Indian-American governor of Louisiana) is being considered as a possible presidential candidate in the future, according to some:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ynews/ynews_pl147
Maybe the TV/Movie step can be skipped.
Posted on 09-Nov-08 at 7:49 pm | Permalink
8Asians.com » Irvine, California Elects Sukhee Kang as Mayor: An Asian American/Asian Canadian Blog wrote:
[...] they are Asian, but because they are qualified to represent the communities in which they live in. But Asian Americans need role models or examples of Asian American leaders to encourage more Asian A… – both in elected and non-elected positions within the towns and cities we live in. We need to be [...]
Posted on 10-Nov-08 at 2:04 pm | Permalink
Tim wrote:
Why is there a need to see an Asian American President on TV? There have been quite a few Asian presidents in the past IRL…
Off the top of my head, president Alberto Fujimori of Peru.
Isn’t that enough?
Posted on 11-Nov-08 at 10:59 pm | Permalink
John wrote:
Huh? How many Americans do you think even *knew* that there was a Japanese Peruvian that was president of Peru? You just don’t get my post.
Posted on 12-Nov-08 at 12:25 am | Permalink
Tim wrote:
I guess I don’t.
You’re arguing for better recognition of Asian presidents among the lowest common denominator?
Posted on 12-Nov-08 at 1:10 pm | Permalink
8Asians.com » San Francisco Supervisors Elect David Chiu as President of the Board of Supervisors : An Asian American/Asian Canadian Blog wrote:
[...] I have no doubt that David Chiu will serve with honor his two-year term as President of the Board of Supervisors, be re-elected as city supervisor in four years, and eight years from now — there is that lucky eight again — run for mayor and become the first Asian American mayor of a major US city in the continental United States! And eight years after being mayor of San Francisco, becoming the first Asian American governor of California! Or a Californian Asian American Senator or POTUS! [...]
Posted on 13-Jan-09 at 9:00 am | Permalink
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