Harry Potter Triggers Debate on the Asian Image in Media
By Erin Pangilinan (August 1, 2005)
Source: Philippine News

With the international release of J.K. Rowling’s “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” (Harry Potter #6), Asian fans and readers of the book are looking critically at how Asian Americans fit into the Hogwarts world by examining Asian roles in previous Harry Potter books.

Harry’s romantic relationship with an Asian female named Cho Chang ended in “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix” (Harry Potter #5). The upcoming release of the film this year, “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire,” debuts Scottish-Asian actress Katie Leung, playing the role of Cho Chang.

Asian Americans are paying attention.

Jealous online teens write their thoughts in forums and ever-popular blogs, as well as popular Asian American watchdog websites like Angry Asian Man. Some Asian teens complain that Leung is “ugly,” while non-Asian fans are “jealous” that Harry Potter is kissing an Asian (this is what happens in Harry Potter #5.)

Chang rarely speaks throughout the entire book series (until she is in a relationship with Harry Potter). She is always described as pretty and popular. One may ask: Is Rowling attempting to be politically correct by choosing an Asian as Harry’s love interest?

Some Asian Americans are outraged by the stereotypical use of the -Ch at the beginning of the character’s names. Wikipedia says the last name Cho has no meaning in Chinese, and is closely related to Chou, which has negative definitions (i.e. "stink," "slap," "worry," "thick" and "ugly"). “Cho Chang” also means “elephant” in Thai.

UC Berkeley Chinese American student Zechariah Feng says, “Everyone seems to be looking too much into it. It’s not exactly possible to tell what Cho Chang means because we don't have the stresses (accents) to help us determine what words they are, and of course in the traditional Chinese sense a name always has some kind of meaning as technically so do names in English.”

Rumors have Korean Japanese-pop singer BoA and Filipino singer Heart Evangelista playing the role in the film. Online petitions have been circulated to support BoA as Cho Chang, with similar online discussions for Heart Evangelista. Initially, this sparked interest in the political and cultural identity of Asian Americans as they are depicted in various ways, as Pacific Islanders, East Asians, South Asians, Orientals, Chinese, Filipino, etc.

UC Davis Filipino American student Anthony Tadina does not find this surprising. He says, “Rowling based Cho Chang on what she views Asian girls are -- light skinned, skinny, smart ... the stereotype.”

Closer to home, it is not surprising to find actors/actresses with “Filipino” in their bios playing roles different from their true ethnicity. Aside from the notable films like “The Debut,” “Lumpia,” “The Flipside,” “Lolo’s Child,” “Disoriented” and other attempts to bring the Filipino American to mainstream cinema, many Fil-Am actors/actresses are cast in token roles in films as, maybe, an East Asian nurse, a Hawaiian cook, or a Chinese martial artist.

The same frustration has been expressed by some Asian Americans who have criticized Asian representation in films, ranging from old favorites like “The Flower Drum Song” to the recent druggie comedy “Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle.”

What about the modern depictions of William Hung as the buck-toothed, tone-deaf singer; Lucy Liu as the swashbuckling dragon lady and the exaggerated image of Mulan as a warrior woman? Isn’t the Asian American much more than these images?

Which brings us back to Harry Potter and Cho Chang. What message is Rowling trying to send by choosing an Asian girl to be Harry’s love interest?

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