"The Alien, the Brain, the Brute, the Guru, the Kamikaze, the Lotus Blossom, the Manipulator and the Temptress"

"'The images were largely negative,' says exhibition curator Jeff Yang. 'This reflected the time frame—a period when the view of Asians was shaped by racist, xenophobic wartime propaganda' and fears related to immigration and economic and global rivalries.
"He adds that the pieces on display, some of which may 'disturb and disquiet,' illustrate how 'tenacious stereotypes' plus the nature of the medium ('an art of broad strokes and bright colors') helped create stock villains, vixens and sages."


Karen Wada in the Los Angeles Times discusses "Marvels & Monsters: Unmasking Asian Images in U.S. Comics, 1942-1986," a current exhibit at the Japanese American National Museum.