Friday, February 19, 2016

Asians Should Take Advice from Beyoncé's "Formation" Performance

Beyoncé, with the release of her "Formation" music video and performance at the Super Bowl, basically said, "Excuse me, white stage director, outfit my dancers with Black leather tops and shorts, black platform boots, black fishnet stockings, and black berets. They will be keeping their hair natural. Oh, and one other thing - replace the white dancers with Black dancers."



Beyoncé made sure that her music video got released the day after Trayvon Martin's birthday and a day before Sandra Bland's birthday, on February 6, 2016. Beyoncé commemorated the 50th anniversary of the origin of the Black Panther Party. In Black History Month. During this significant election year. In concurrence with the momentous #BlackLivesMatter movement. And on the most populous day for white folks to be glued to their TV screens, Beyoncé showcased her Black anthem during Super Bowl's halftime show.

Beyoncé unapologetically, single-handedly slapped Blackness, Black Pride, and #BlackLivesMatter in the faces of every mainstream media outlet known to humankind. Beyoncé proclaims her endearment for her negro-Creole mixed heritage, Blue Ivy's natural coily hair, and "Jackson Five nostrils". Beyoncé inspires Black people to love everything about their Blackness, so much so that she made me love my boo's Blackness even more than I thought possible.

While Beyoncé brought Black people up, I cannot help but wonder, "Where are the Asians bringing other Asians up?"

Where are the Asians encouraging other Asians to love our distinct almond-shaped eyes, compact noses, and darker-than-pale skin tone? Where are the Asians showing that an appreciation for their own heritage and culture is a wonderful and cherished sentiment? Where are the Asians assuring other Asians that dating another Asian does not remove you as an outcast? Where are the Asians inspiring other Asians to pridefully love their Asian-ness? 


More often than not, I see us Asians sitting quietly on the sidelines, merely wishing and hoping that our days of unabashed pride would come. Unfortunately, not taking actions ourselves equates to us raising white flags of surrender to our current predicament of empty self-love. Instead of wishing upon a wishing star, we should follow in 
Beyoncé's footsteps and lift one another up. 

2 comments:

  1. The world is just now truly recognising that Asian does not only mean Chinese. On a different scale I think people like, G-Dragon, CL and of course Rain are taking strides to introduce the wirkd to Korean culture, idols like these are yhe teason I began to educate myself on the Korean culture, language and of course food. Even if it's one person at a time, it's happening.

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    1. I see the trend happening, although the effects are quite gradual. In the states, I see self-bashing and ass-kissing all the time. Unfortunately, I don't think it has any intention of subsiding.

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