Yo Is This Racist? Anna Hanes and Jacqueline Fox

Anna Hanes (hanes.111) and Jacqueline Fox (fox.1393)

What are we talking about?

“Lady and the Tramp” is a well-loved movie about two dogs who fall in love, who couldn’t resist that? The puppy eyes hold more than just pawprints and classical music, but a song that is culturally inappropriate that hurts and pushes people away from who they truly are. In the movie, there are two Siamese cats who always appear with a jingle. This “jingle” introduces a truly racist song known as, “We Are Siamese (If You Please).” This song may not seem like it is doing that much damage, since it is sung by two cats, both of which are given racially inclined names of Si and Am, but the song actually stereotypes the origins and individuals of the Asian American culture. The musical elements also create questions as a gong is played in the background. The cats were seen as “Siamese Twins,” a term used today to compare Asians based on their features and stereotype them into one big group. The physical movements of the cats reflect a sneaky and intruding manner, adding to the negative influence of their character. Many people don’t know that Asia is one of the most diverse continents. Si and Am have a broken accent, a characteristic that many people will still harmfully use today. Siamese cats actually originate from Thailand. The cats are being used to symbolize another culture when in fact they don’t even symbolize the beauty or correctness of the culture. 

 

What measures did Disney take to address this issue?

With the addition of Disney+ streaming services in November of 2019, Disney was granted the ability to create alterations to their original films. Due to this new platform, Disney took advantage of this adjustment by placing a warning prior to watching six classic films. “Lady and the Tramp,” “Peter Pan,” “The Aristocats,” “Swiss Family Robinson,” “Dumbo,” and “The Jungle Book” all include questionable actions within the films that are unacceptable to overlook. The warning reads, “This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this context, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together. Disney is committed to creating stories with inspirational and aspirational themes that reflect the rich diversity of the human experience around the globe. To learn more about how stories have impacted society visit: www.Disney.com/StoriesMatter.” This reads across a black screen for approximately 10 seconds and viewers are unable to skip, forcing viewers to absorb the message. Disney+ permits parents to implement their child’s age when creating an account, allowing them to view only age-appropriate films and TV shows. These six culturally inappropriate films are blocked for children under the age of 7. 

Disney.com/StoriesMatter completely provides a place for all Disney lovers to feel safe as they present an inclusive outlet

demonstrating the approaches Disney has taken to create a positive environment for their brand. As you enter the website, there are multiple tabs leading you to other aspects of the page, but the main tab reflecting these remarks reads “Social Responsibility.” Here, Disney expresses the criticality of building relationships within their company’s community, and specifically under “Diversity and Inclusion,” readers are about to digest their fresh opinions on their brand and who it addresses. It reads “Stories are better when the storytellers represent the vast experiences of the people who will hear them,” “… We are committed to doing that in a way that counts everybody in” (The Walt Disney Company).   

 

Is this a first?

Walt Disney Studio Films has produced six films, including “Lady and the Tramp,” that have caused questions to arise in regards to cultural stereotyping and racially inappropriate approaches. The 1967 production of “The Jungle Book” contains the character King Louie, a ditsy ape that embodies African American stereotypes. In the 2016 remake, they made an adaptation to his personality, giving King Louie a more mature and respectable demeanor. 

The film, “Peter Pan” contained issues of improper terminology of the phrase “redskins,” along with “yellowface” and “brownface” pirates in the movie, “Swiss Family Robinson.” “Dumbo” also exhibits some sickening actions of slavery. A character in the film is named Jim Crow, reflecting the laws that drove racial segregation. Many Black characters are shown endlessly working away while singing the “The Song of Roustabouts,” which claims a lack of reading, writing, the inability to retain money, and calls them slaves within the song. Another disrespectful application of Siamese cats was used in “The Aristocats” as a racist reenactment of Asian Americans was used for comic relief. For example, Shun Gon, the siamese cat, plays the piano with chopsticks. 

 

The Danger of a Single Story

This movie was created in the year 1955, eight years after the Chinese Exclusion Act was repealed. There was still a lot of hatred towards Chinese and Asian Americans, as well as misleading information being spread. During this time, many Asian Americans were still fighting for their rights in America and trying to find who they are. In class, we have studied major structures and concepts in Asian American Identity. This included many informational videos, novels, speakers, discussions, and more on what it means.

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie has made her mark by demonstrating the “The Danger of a Single Story.” Society is quick to sterilize the diversity among cultures, branding it into one generalization. Adichie spent her life living in Nigeria, and never gained the chance to explore outside the country. She shared her lack of exposure towards American culture, believing it’s a country filled with apple pies and blue eyes because that is simply how children’s books shared them. Children are granted storybooks and animated films at their most vulnerable state as they are only a child. Adichie claims herself, “So that is how to create a single story, show a people as one thing, as only one thing, over and over again, and that is what they become” (Adichie 9:23). When children are strictly exposed to new cultures through media, that will be what their perception forms as. The emphasis of Asian Americans’ single story in the “Lady and the Tramp” elaborates the issue within this injustice. The racist manner Disney went about this torments the Asian American culture in a mocking approach. The symmetric movements of the cats lead viewers to believe the lack of personality and differential between them, replicating the concept of a single story.  To view the Ted Talk, click here.

Identity is important to a human being and Ms. Eunice Uhm explains this perfectly for us. Ms. Uhm teaches in the Comparative Studies Department here at The Ohio State University. Jeff Chang is a well-known activist in the Asian American Movement and is expressed by Ms. Uhm that, “ the term Asian American did not emerge until the late 1960’s” (Uhm 1:03) (TOSUCarmenCanvas link ). It took over ten years after the repeal to gain the correct citizenship they deserve. It took formations of support groups to help rally for the cause, and protest to the fullest.  She goes on to explain the myths that have correlated Asian Americans as well as their successes and how Asian Americans should be proud to be who they are with all they have accomplished. It is our society that has let them down, especially with racist songs, movies, posters, and more. 

The novel The Leavers by Ko is about a boy named Deming who grows up in the Bronx in a Chinese family. His mother ends up leaving him and he soon gets adopted by a white couple, who changes his name to Daniel, and almost everything about him. He ends up getting taken away from his culture, home and struggles with his identity most of his life while searching for what happened to his birth mother and family friends. Lisa Ko, the author really wanted the readers to focus on the effects of the foster system, especially on interracial adoptions. The harm and identity crisis it can cause individuals is powerful and lasts a lifetime. She wanted us to also focus on the hate and racial discrimination Deming/Daniel grows up with in his new school and how it affects his life. The isolation in this novel is isolation millions of people still face today, and works by other people help enclose them, making them think they’re not worthy enough. Ko’s work reflects the core of why change needs to be seen and the criticality of creating a more inclusive society. This literacy provided multiple perspectives that all acknowledged embracing culture, rather than a stereotype.

 

Today’s Society

This is not the first or last time Disney has made hurtful comments and remarks on people of color, sexuality, and more. Many people have begun to rise up to hold Disney accountable for their actions from the past. We have since learned about pop-ups on the Disney+ website and have seen protests around the globe over the past couple of years to edit original movies and start a new movement of change into the Disney culture. Disney has been moving at a pace too slow for the revolution millions of people worldwide want to make. Their newest movies will involve culturally appropriate songs, and educate smaller children’s impressionable minds.  As we close off today we want to know are their actions acceptable,  can they be doing better?

 

Works Cited

Adichie, Chimamanda Ngozi. “Transcript of ‘The Danger of a Single Story.’” TED, https://www.ted.com/talks/chimamanda_ngozi_adichie_the_danger_of_ a_single_story/transcript?language=en. 

Ko, Lisa. The Leavers. 1st ed., Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill, 2017. 

Sprague, Scott, director. Introduction To Asian American Identity. CompStds1100 Week 11, The Ohio State University CarmenCanvas, 3 Mar. 2020, https://osu.instructure.com/courses/106813/pages/asian-american- identity?module_item_id=6554191. Accessed 15 Nov. 2021. 

“Stories Matter – the Walt Disney Company.” Stories Matter – The Walt Disney Company, https://storiesmatter.thewaltdisneycompany.com/. 

“We Are Siamese (If You Please) – Youtube.” YouTube, Crowley, 8 May 2014, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RG5mOd8Ubsk.