Renaissance

by 8RG: 

I have often said that real change, the kind that lasts, comes slowly over many years time. Though it can be difficult to be patient if you are already hungry for the benefits of what you believe in - for the most part you just have to suck it up. You can do your own part to help create that change, of course... but if there is one painful lesson I've had to accept it is that the average masses will mostly meander along at a snail's pace while heading down the path - easily distracted by shiny things and often stopping for lunch. Even if you are already at the place everyone will eventually get to and you know this, there's a good chance you're going to be hanging out alone - kicking rocks and feeling frustrated - until you're ready to burst.

Waiting for the Western mainstream (as a whole but more personally for me in the Deep South) to discover that there's an entire galaxy of amazing things to celebrate from the East has been difficult. From cultural events to cuisine to film and music to art to amazing friendships/relationships and so on... so much to appreciate, admire and respect.

But I am keenly aware of the process of change in all of its tedious bulk: time and positive exposure, over and over again, with little hope of seeing much of the benefits of all of that work in a single lifetime.

Having said all of that however, after nearly 45 years of watching this process take place, I can genuinely see where seeds have started sprouting in tiny social crevices. And here is one that I was glad to notice:

In a Walmart, in the Deep South, I counted 14 DVDs on sale that featured entirely Asian casts. When adding DVDs with a mixed cast but an Asian character prominently featured (and illustrated on the cover art), I could add 3 more. Adding one particular film with several different collectible covers, in this case, 'Ip Man' with Donnie Yen, the number is a tad higher. Throw in the number of anime DVDs that started much of this trend 25 years ago and the count is really high.

Then I went on to discover 2 music CDs by Asian American performers.

And finally a 'Thor' official movie zine designed for young folk. It featured nice full color images of Asano Tadanobu as 'Hogun' a good 9 or 10 times (with one full page mini poster of him that teen girls often hang on their doors - at least they did in my youth... I had Bruce Lee).

I realize that in some parts of North America people might be shrugging and thinking, "Big deal." Places like New York City or San Francisco or Toronto. But I live in a part of the world that traditionally does not enjoy such easy access to Asian arts. It has always been a case where much effort is involved in the search alone (before the internet, one used snail mail orders by such specialty services as the old 'Bud Plant's Incredible Catalog'). Add to that the extra high expense of getting items that are considered rare in this area... especially when they are shipped in from overseas.

Five years ago, I would have seen none of this in a Walmart. The animes might have been available in some Best Buys and Barnes and Nobles. The comic shops have always been pretty good about having things you couldn't locate elsewhere for their eclectic clients.

But the Walmarts always seemed to stick to the average and the mainstream at affordable (sort of) prices. Which means, hopefully, that the average and the mainstream is starting to absorb Asian identities into itself. Finally.

Yes - most of the films were of the action and epic adventure genre. Yes - my favorites are not there yet, such as the cerebral 'Last Life in the Universe'. But it's that change thing again... slow and ponderous. Unfortunately for me, most of the public only wants to see adrenaline rush flicks, not the quiet and quirky material that I often favor. I've had to learn to live with that as well.

So I see this as it is (despite the fact that there are still imperfections) - a small but positive sign that things are still changing in the right direction.

And to help encourage that change I voted with my wallet. I bought two of the DVDs:

'The Warlords' with Jet Li, Andy Lau and Takeshi Kaneshiro

'Shinobi' with Yukie Nakama, Jo Odagiri and Tomoka Kurotani