My latest post over at Change.org:
Karate Kid Remake a Mixed Bag of Stereotypes
The 1984 film Karate Kid was a classic. If you were born in the 80s, you can probably remember spending hours practicing crane kicks and “wax on-wax off” technique as a child — all while fantasizing about beating up the evil Cobra Kai. So it’s no wonder that the Karate Kid films are being remade for a new generation of moviegoers to appreciate.
Unfortunately, this year’s updated Karate Kid (which made $19 million on its opening night) comes complete with a mixed bag of stereotypes that are raising eyebrows in the Asian-American community.
Okay, it’s not like the original Karate Kid films were without their fair share of stereotypes. While growing up, I had to remind kids that — unlike Mr. Miyagi — I did not possess the magical ability to heal people with a single clap of my hands. I could not catch flies with my chopsticks. I do, in fact, speak English fluently.
