Asian America and Hip-Hop

So I was reading the new Hyphen magazine and as I was going through articles I found one that really intrigued me which talked about Asian Americans and hip-hop. The event that they covered in the article was actually something I wanted to attend but due to money and scheduling I couldn't make it, but I do know quite a few people who were performing but unfortunately I couldn't make it. Like it was addressed in the article, the main reason why Asian Americans are seen in the hip-hop scene/culture is through MTV's America's Best Dance Crew (a show that I would always watch) and for someone who is really infused in hip-hop dancing and culture I think that Asian Americans were definitely exposed in the mainstream media after the first season. The winners for the first season were called the Jabbawockeez Crew and 90% of the crew was Asian Americans and for me to see that on screen as I was watching the auditions episode and as soon as they were finished with their routine I immediately stood up and I was applauding in front of the television. What they just did was not only send a message to the audience and viewers that they can dance, but because they were Asian Americans it made it even more sweeter for me. The reason why I was so proud is that they were breaking so many barriers and stereotypes regarding Asian Americans and how we are perceived as passive and quite people who just study and get good grades and not do anything else, but after the Jabbawockeez did their thing, people had to recognize and respect the fact that Asian Americans do have talent. Aside from the Jabbawockeez I was really impressed by Kaba Modern and how creative they were and the article mentioned the founder of Kaba Modern at UC Irvine and his incite for the future of Asian Americans in hip-hop dancing is quite true. He talks about how it's going to be harder for upcoming crews who are predominately Asian Americans to rise up to the mainstream media due to the fact that the standard is set really high so they would need to "go hard or go home". Although I do agree with that statement addressed I will still support the Asian American hip-hop dancing community and just respect all the different crews out there because it is not easy doing what they do so much love to all of them and hope they continue to be creative and work hard not only representing themselves but the Asian American community as a whole. Thank you for reading.

-Timmon Li (AA TEAM)