61 10 805 https://archives.caaav.org/files/original/8bf1f8d2c7ce6f4b3dc9f283a9dc7be5.jpg 149454af47aacf21ab6b15eb9cee64d6 Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Retail Space For Lease Description An account of the resource An empty storefront window with a sign that reads "Retail Space / for Lease / Amira Yunis". The storefront has a green wall sign above the doorway with yellow letters in Chinese. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource undated Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Laura Juliano Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Copyright is held by CAAAV Organizing Asian Communities. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Photograph Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context CAAAV_1926 Chinatown Immigration Tenant Advocacy https://archives.caaav.org/files/original/d69f7727897746ab0dbb2cddae62df7c.jpg 6ac43a7a5d0a50f2b29ea6b4d29a6e62 Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Rising Sun Protest Description An account of the resource CAAAV activists protesting the opening of the movie Rising Sun in Times Square. Activists carry drums and a sign for the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1993 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Will Brown Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Copyright is held by CAAAV Organizing Asian Communities. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Photograph Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context CAAAV_1573 Anti-Asian Violence and Representations Demonstration https://archives.caaav.org/files/original/76ebc1e1245d9465434f9049832aa277.jpg d99fcd2f95a56e2695e17b20d26613c7 Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Rising Sun Protest Description An account of the resource A crowd marches through Time Square chanting to the beat of a bright red drum. The demonstrators, unfazed by billboards looming overhead, brandish signs and banners of their own. Their destination? A movie theater. The activists pictured above were some of the hundred-strong marchers who gathered at Time Square’s Criterion Theater on July 30, 1993 in protest of the xenophobic film Rising Sun, set to open there that night. CAAAV members Jonathon Sung Bidol, Ginny Moon, and Julia Wang helped organize the New York action, while similar, simultaneous protests took place outside theaters in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Chicago. Rising Sun, directed by Philip Kaufman and adapted from Michael Crichton’s book of the same name, was a murder mystery framed around a Japanese corporation aiming to seize control of the American economy. Its depictions of Japanese people and culture were far from subtle. As CAAAV wrote in their Voice newsletter, “Virtually all the film’s Japanese male characters are portrayed as venal and sexually deviant foreigners bent on taking over American institutions.” Organizers feared these racist stereotypes would combine with the film’s xenophobic messaging - Crichton himself said his novel was a “wake-up call” to Americans - to incite acts of violence upon members of the Asian American community. Kaufman’s various defenses were uninspired. He cited the film’s Japanese-American cast and that his son was a Mandarin-fluent Asian Studies major, before ultimately comparing the protestors to “thought police.” CAAAV activists were not deterred by Kaufman’s blustering. At the theater, they joined other participating organizations in an education session. A boycott was not on the table; rather, they spoke with and distributed literature to moviegoers and passerby about the racist stereotypes of Rising Sun and their harmful ramifications. Said CAAAV’s Bidol, "I think there is a lot of fear in this country about what Japan owns… when there is not the same concern when some European countries own a similar if not greater share of property." Such “selective economic scapegoating” in popular media is directly related to CAAAV’s prolonged fight against systemic and institutional racism. In fact, the Rising Sun protest was just one of several instances where CAAAV called out anti-Asian media representations. The Spring 1993 issue of The Voice features a skewering of “this year’s bias-adventure film,” Falling Down, whose protagonist attacks people of color, including a Korean shop-owner, for comedic effect. Similarly, a 1994 Voice review of sitcom All-American Girl notes that “never on the show is there a representation of an Asian American who is neither freaky nor whitewashed.” The wanton carelessness of Asian American media representation detailed here - and particularly in Rising Sun - perpetuate stereotypes and reinforce the systemic racisms that CAAAV identifies as a root cause of anti-Asian violence. The activists outside the Criterion on July 30th recognized that threat and took direct action to counter its spread. A second photo shows the same drummer at the theater amongst a crowd of CAAAV members handing out pamphlets. The marquee’s bright red lettering advertises the coming attractions: “Connery / Snipes / RISING SUN.” A fellow protestor’s sign summarizes it more succinctly: “20th Century Movie, 19th Century Mentality.” Bibliography: “All-American Whitewash.” The CAAAV Voice. Winter 1994. https://caaav.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Voice_Winter_1994.pdf. Chung, L.A. “Protests Planned For `Rising Sun’ - Groups Fear Anti-Asian Violence after the Movie Opens Friday.” San Francisco Chronicle. July 27, 1993, sec. News. https://infoweb-newsbank-com.proxy.library.nyu.edu/apps/news/document-view?p=WORLDNEWS&docref=news%2F0EB4F53A9DC561EE. “Falling Down and Down and Down...” The CAAAV Voice. Spring 1993, sec. Media Offenses. https://caaav.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Voice_Spring_1993.pdf. “History of CAAAV,” CAAAV: Organizing Asian Communities. 2021. https://caaav.org/about-us/history-of-caaav. Iverem, Esther. “‘Rising Sun’ Protest.” The Washington Post. July 29, 1993. https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1993/07/29/rising-sun-protest/a4b0837d-5978-40c3-9d50-80184232b556/. “Rising Sun! Raising Hate!” The CAAAV Voice. Fall 1993. https://caaav.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Voice_Fall_1993.pdf. “‘Sun’ Director Counters Protestors.” San Francisco Chronicle. August 2, 1993, sec. Daily Notebook. https://infoweb-newsbank-com.proxy.library.nyu.edu/apps/news/document-view?p=WORLDNEWS&docref=news/0EB4F53D7A2E366E. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1993 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Will Brown This post was completed as coursework for HIST-GA 3901 Community Archives, taught by Maggie Schreiner, in the Archives and Public History MA program at New York University. Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Copyright is held by CAAAV Organizing Asian Communities. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Photograph Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context CAAAV_1571 "Rising Sun" Anti-Asian Violence and Representations Demonstration https://archives.caaav.org/files/original/3e29e40bb6b0b8f113b956c5988c486a.jpg 6d2348134dfbef6fe4950ba4bb711768 Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Rising Sun protest in Times Square Description An account of the resource A man holds a sign with the words "Rising Sun is Stupid" and a woman holds a sign with the words "Don't Profit On Our Lives 20th Century" in the photo. CAAAV, along with dozens of other Asian American organizations across the country, organized demonstrations against the 1993 film Rising Sun for its xenophobic message and racist stereotypes. This protest was held in Times Square at the opening of Rising Sun. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource July 30, 1993 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Digitized by Frank Chiang and Van Anh Tran Uploaded by Cynthia Zhang Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Copyright is held by CAAAV Organizing Asian Communities. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Photograph Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context Photo061 "Rising Sun" Anti-Asian Violence and Representations Demonstration https://archives.caaav.org/files/original/39c76fd9c7b8e40aa3a3489884d5f49a.jpg 04287831ba1408e7630c7cd9d2074135 Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Rising Sun protest in Times Square Description An account of the resource Protesters hold signs with the words "Racist Profits", "Stop Pitting" and "Protocols of Zion's Anti-Asian Style" in the photo. CAAAV, along with dozens of other Asian American organizations across the country, organized demonstrations against the 1993 film Rising Sun for its xenophobic message and racist stereotypes. This protest was held in Times Square at the opening of Rising Sun. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource July 30, 1993 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Digitized by Frank Chiang and Van Anh Tran Uploaded by Cynthia Zhang Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Copyright is held by CAAAV Organizing Asian Communities. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Photograph Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context Photo076 "Rising Sun" Anti-Asian Violence and Representations Demonstration https://archives.caaav.org/files/original/e050edaea16c0a24113041b3b443c866.jpg be4cf3454048569084eb106d733e5c39 Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Rising Sun protest in Times Square Description An account of the resource CAAAV members standing in front of a sign that reads "Committee Against Anti-Asian Violence," protesting the film Rising Sun at its opening in Times Square. CAAAV, along with dozens of other Asian American organizations across the country, organized demonstrations against the 1993 film Rising Sun for its xenophobic message and racist stereotypes. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource July 30, 1993 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Cynthia Zhang Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Copyright is held by CAAAV Organizing Asian Communities. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Photograph Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context CAAAV_469 Anti-Asian Violence and Representations Demonstration Protest https://archives.caaav.org/files/original/545d74de65e2a361e5c4f9796652ad4d.jpg 4599e2bc924b57edd36fc86c5605d3d5 https://archives.caaav.org/files/original/cf1a13de732ed77551e6c2028f3a47e8.jpg 3a5950833abfd0bcbe6e7da31eb5c17d Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Rising Sun Protest in Times Square Description An account of the resource A large group of demonstrators protest the film debut of Rising Sun on July 30, 1993. A cameraman can be seen in both photographs, documenting the event. In photo 067, the theater is visible, and a partial promotion of the film can be seen. The film was widely scrutinized by CAAAV and other political organizations for its xenophobic and racist portrayal of Asians, namely the Japanese. Activist groups took to protesting in order to “educate moviegoers about the film’s insidious stereotyping and the potential for anti-Asian violence its xenophobic messaging promotes" [1]. 1. “Rising Sun! Raising Hate!”. CAAAV Voice, Vol 5, no. 2 (Fall 1993): Newsletter of the Committee Against Anti-Asian Violence. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource July 30, 1993 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Digitized by: Frank Chiang, Van Anh Tran Cataloged by: Sam Marsh Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Copyright is held by CAAAV Organizing Asian Communities. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Photograph Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context Photo064 Photo067 "Rising Sun" Anti-Asian Violence and Representations Demonstration Protest https://archives.caaav.org/files/original/fcbba660e2604eaa67851da712d52eae.jpg fd38b9b019409322a53dd1fde6bd88ce Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Rising Sun Protest in Times Square Description An account of the resource A group of protestors holding signs march at a demonstration in Times Square against the 1993 film Rising Sun for its anti-immigrant, xenophobic, and racist sentiments. A person in the forefront holds a sign that reads “Blacks vs. Japs, Divide and Conquer, 20th Century Fox”, highlighting interracial tensions and the way race is used to divide people of color throughout the film. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource July 30, 1993 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Digitized by: Frank Chiang and Van Anh Tran Catalogued by: Sam Marsh Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Copyright is held by CAAAV Organizing Asian Communities. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Photograph Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context Photo062 "Rising Sun" Anti-Asian Violence and Representations Demonstration https://archives.caaav.org/files/original/3bdff756b92cc3778eeb7e09f656d509.jpg f4c4ea3cdad1923291d194d9a4fb7a44 Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Rising Sun Protest signs Description An account of the resource Activists at the protest against the opening of the movie Rising Sun at Times Square's Criterion Theater. CAAAV protestors hold a banner reading: "Committee Against Anti-Asian Violence" and a sign shaped like a tombstone that partially reads: "Hung Truong 15 August 9, 1990." Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1993 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Will Brown Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Copyright is held by CAAAV Organizing Asian Communities. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Photograph Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context CAAAV_1526 "Rising Sun" Anti-Asian Violence and Representations Demonstration https://archives.caaav.org/files/original/102c055aa32b527620fa5c09e07b2df7.jpg 2b9e539d7f4e56438032db5b97e72979 Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Rising Sun Protest Speech Description An account of the resource Throughout CAAAV’s history, this organization has been highly involved in protesting against anti-Asian violence and unfair representations of Asian individuals. When exploring CAAAV’s newly archived photographs under the “Anti-Asian Violence and Representations” tag, it is important to note how many of the images are from the 1993 protests centered around the release of the controversial film, Rising Sun. One particularly evocative image can be seen above, in which a crowd of protestors demonstrate against the film in New York City’s Times Square, wielding posters and instruments to bring attention to their important cause.[1] Adapted into a film by director Philip Kaufman, Rising Sun became an extremely controversial piece of media due to its underlying xenophobic and racist attitudes towards Japanese people, who mainly function as the, “inscrutable, generalized, unknown other from abroad, whose yellow skin and strange manners announce their evil purposes as much of their unfair trade practices,”[2] within the film’s plot. Concerns over the anti-Asian sentiments the film would produce among the general American population, Asian advocacy groups, such as the Japanese-American Citizens League (JACL) and the Media Action Network for Asian Americans (MANAA), and individuals began to take action. Before the film’s official release, meetings between JACL and MANAA and the film’s director and production team yielded some changes, but multiple requests intended to relieve anti-Asian sentiments, such as placing a disclaimer at the start of the film, were denied.[3] Frustrated by the lack of respect for the Asian-American community and fears that the continual production and release of a film blatantly stereotyping Asian people would contribute to the continual increase in anti-Asian violence,[4] these groups decided to do more. A few days prior to the film’s release date of July 30, 1993, the Los Angeles Times reported that the JACL and MANAA were planning, “opening night ‘educational demonstrations’ in San Francisco, Chicago, New York, and Washington”[5] to bring political attention to their cause and protest the contents of the film. The Committee Against Anti-Asian Violence (CAAAV) was a major Asian advocacy group that joined in on these protests. Created to, “organize Asian communities to fight for institutional change”[6] and fiercely committed to combatting racial and other forms of injustice, CAAAV was primed to jump into motion and enter the demonstrations against Rising Sun. In the Fall 1993 edition of The CAAAV Voice, the newsletter notes that CAAAV participated in the protest movement happening across the country, working with other groups to “educate moviegoers about the film’s insidious stereotyping and the potential for anti-Asian violence its xenophobic message promotes”.[7] CAAAV was particularly active in their home base of New York City, where many actively demonstrated in front of Time Square’s Criterion Theater. Holding aloft large banners, giving speeches, playing instruments, and more, CAAAV made their presence and cause known as they marched down the busy city streets. Uniting in a broad pan-Asian movement, CAAAV and other advocacy groups not only lent their support to the Japanese-American community, but ensured that they would not stand and accept representations that had the potential to hurt Asian-Americans more broadly. In stepping out and standing up, CAAAV assisted in bringing this important issue forward into the forefront of the American national consciousness. Notes [1] “Rising Sun Protest,” CAAAV Organizing Asian Communities Digital Archive, accessed April 14, 2021, http://maggie.hosting.nyu.edu/caaav/admin/items/show/1238. [2] Vincent Canby, “Review/Film: Rising Sun; A Tale of Zen and Xenophobia in Los Angeles,” The Nork York Times, July 30, 1993, sec. Movies, https://www.nytimes.com/1993/07/30/movies/review-film-rising-sun-a-tale-of-zen-and-xenophobia-in-los-angeles.html, accessed March 21, 2021 [3] Steve Persall, “Saving Face,” Tampa Bay Times, August 1, 1993, https://www.tampabay.com/archive/1993/08/01/saving-face/, accessed March 21, 2021. [4] Ibid. [5] Elaine Dutka, “Asian-Americans: Rising Furor Over ‘Rising Sun’: Movies: Two Groups Will Stage ‘Educational Demonstrations’ in Four Cities. ‘The Movie Company Clearly Hasn’t Tried to Accommodate Our Concerns,’ Says the Director of UCLA’s Asian Studies Center,” Los Angeles Times, July 28, 1993, https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1993-07-28-ca-17863-story.html, accessed March 21, 2021. [6] “About Us | CAAAV.Org,” Accessed March 21, 2021, https://caaav.org/about-us. [7] “Rising Sun! Raising Hate!,” The CAAAV Voice 5 (Fall 1993): 3, Accessed March 21, 2021, https://caaav.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Voice_Fall_1993.pdf. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1993 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Hannah Berman This post was completed as coursework for HIST-GA 3901 Community Archives, taught by Maggie Schreiner, in the Archives and Public History MA program at New York University. Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Copyright is held by CAAAV Organizing Asian Communities. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Photograph Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context CAAAV_1546 "Rising Sun" Anti-Asian Violence and Representations Demonstration