Saving Face

The movie "Saving Face" focuses on a mother and daughter who each face troubles when it comes to bringing honor to their family. Ma is pregnant at 48, without a husband and Wil is a lesbian who feels as though she must suppress her sexual preference in order to remain a good Chinese daughter. As it is with Chinese tradition, the acts of the children reflect the status and respect for the parent.

Throughout this film there are many CRT terms that can be used to encompass the film. The first term that can be identified is within the first few minutes of the movie. The term is Model Minority Myth, which is the "idea that Asian American are hardworking, intellegent, and successful and that other groups should emulate them". Immediately within the film we meet Wilmar, a young successful twenty something who is a surgeon and onlookers state that she will be the Chief executive of the hospital by the time she is forty. This is very stereotypical of what people think of an Asian American because immigrant parents want their children to be successful here and do they push their kids to do great things, however this is not the case for all Asian American children. In the film we also meet Vivian and while she is an amazing dancer her profession is not considered to be of the standard that this model minority myth would allow, especially when she decides to take a break from ballet to try her hand at modern dance. This does not please the elder Chinese in the film and so it continues to put forth the stereotype that all Asians need to be a successful Doctor, lawyer, business man, etc.

The idea that Asians have everything figured out, that they are these exotic creatures, that they are of this Model Minority Myth as can be seen in the film also reminds me of the passage we read from "Monkey King" by Chao. This story is about a Chinese girl who dropped out of college to get married and who is now divorced and depressed. This story shows that Asians can get depressed; just as the film shows a young Chinese can be gay or have a baby without a husband. They are all human, perfectly imperfect just as anyone else.