By Kai Curry
NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY
“Fight me instead” was the challenge issued on March 31 by Manny Pacquiao to the perpetrators of racist hate crimes against women and the elderly. It is this same challenge that Chris Soriano, Filipino American filmmaker, brings to the screen in his movie, “Zeus,” scheduled to be available via streaming on Aug. 20, the day before Pacquiao’s next fight.
“With all these hate crimes that I started seeing…because they were attacking and still are attacking the elderly, I said, ‘What if they beat up a Navy Seal?’ Then I said, ‘What if they fought a boxer?’ Maybe I could do some justice by…making a movie—even if it doesn’t get anywhere, at least to the people that feel like there’s no hope, I can create a unifying message…with all races,” Soriano told the Weekly.
Soriano wrote, starred in, and directed “Zeus” himself, in 90 days, during the pandemic. With no film experience, except one incomplete film called “Dynasty Boys”—after which he named his film company—and a background as the owner of a nonprofit that presented talks for the military, he took it upon himself to simply reach out to people who might help.
“They’re all ordinary people that, at the end of the day, if they believe in your mission, will help you.”
Pacquiao was happy to come on board as executive producer, and Soriano also successfully recruited two more executive producers, JP Zarate and Stephanie Papagayo, after he saw their involvement in Seattle’s own locally- and Asian American-made film, “Paper Tigers.”
“I admired what they were creating…and they also did it by themselves, independent filmmakers…They were very loving and sweet, and they were Filipino, too. I said, ‘Hey, it’s a Filipino party here!’” Soriano appreciated Zarate and Papagayo’s passion for Asian and Asian American representation, and when they told him, “That’s great what you’re doing, but we believe in you.”
Papagayo and Zarate are both from Seattle and felt that getting behind Zeus was a great opportunity.
“We were seeing media reports of…violence against the elderly, against Asian women, and that really affected us,” Papagayo explained. “We wanted…to assert ourselves in this activism…In May, we were presented with the movie ‘Zeus’ and the message behind it, and…we jumped on it right away…Then there was the Manny aspect. We’re big Manny fans…so that was an easy in.”
“It’s our part to get Filipinos and Asians in the forefront, in leading roles,” Zarate added. “We have two daughters. Film and movies are such an influential the athletic field. What does the Asian community miss by not being able to participate in team sports, such as basketball, soccer, softball, lacrosse, baseball, and volleyball?
Wait, I take it back. The only Asian American participating in the Olympics team sport was Justine Wong-Orantes. She and her team won a gold medal for women’s volleyball. I was ecstatic watching her excellent returns in the final game beating Brazil. And Wong-Orantes is known to be one of the best in the country for her position. The point is, how can we have more than just one Wong-Orantes? How can we nurture more young Asian Americans to dream big in sports?
But the real question is, why aren’t more Asian American kids playing group sports? One obvious reason is the lack of role models. So far, I can name only one Asian American NBA star, Jeremy Lin. There are several prominent baseball players, but they are Asian nationals imported from Japan and Korea. Samoan American Tua Tagovailoa and Filipino American Doug Baldwin were successful NFL players. Currently in the NFL are Younghoe Koo, a placekicker for the Atlanta Falcons; Josh Jacobs (Filipino), a running back for the Las Vegas Raiders; and Taylor Rapp (Chinese), a safety for the Los Angeles Rams and former Husky. I watch sports programs only when they have Asian American players. Does that tell franchise owners that it is simply good business to expand their market by having an Asian American on their team?
The stereotypical view is, Asian Americans are not big or tall enough for these major American sports. But the underlying cause is racism. I bet if Asian American youth were given opportunities, inspiration, and training, they would be just as promising as other athletes.
In the last decade, I have observed the Sounders, Seahawks, and Mariners increase their Asian American fan base, as many have passed through Chinatown-International District to eat and shop before and after games. And several fans bring their kids along to see the games, although tickets are quite pricey. Don’t tell me none of those kids will aspire to play for these teams. And if the parents nudge them, kids would likely give more thought to those careers.
To some extent, the problem lies with Asian parents. They tend to influence their children to pursue good-paying careers, rather than pursuing their passions. If their kids dream about playing for the Mariners, I bet their mom would say, “Son, you will never make it.” And they would likely tell their daughters, “No girls succeed in baseball.” Wrong! Kim Ng became the first woman and the highest-ranking female baseball executive for the Miami Marlins last November. She broke the gender and race barrier. Her passion for baseball began when she played stickball in the streets, and her father was the coach, according to Wikipedia. She also played college softball for four years.
I have to confess that I was one of those typical Asian parents who would be less enthused about my sons’ involvement in sports when they were little. Like many Asian immigrant parents, I was old school. Subconsciously, I made my kids focus too much on academics. If I could do it over, sports would be an important aspect of their school life.
Don’t get me wrong. I don’t want children to play sports with the goal of being an Olympian. Not everyone can be Michelle Kwan or Apollo Ohno. I don’t applaud how the media play the medal game, pitting one country against another: Which country has the most gold medals? Nor do I like China’s or Japan’s emphasis on the gold medal. Those who received silver or bronze medals, got nothing back home—no prize money, publicity, commercial endorsements, or public celebrations. In Japan, the second and third place athletes had to apologize in public for making the country “lose face.” Such is the pressure and humiliation for athletes who don’t make it to the top. How unfair! And many of them have dedicated and sacrificed much of their youth in training for the games.
Countries who refuse to honor athletes without achieving medals are short-sighted. Just being in the Olympics is an honor because these athletes represent their country as goodwill ambassadors and showcase the nation’s best.
What we can teach our kids about sports participation is to be proud of their involvement, and de-emphasize winning and losing. Have fun first and make friends, results are secondary. Being in team sports develops character and skills. You learn to be part of a team through collaboration and cooperation. Studies have found that people who play sports can handle stress better and are happy. Getting along well with people is an asset. You build sportsmanship, strategy, and leadership skills simultaneously. Children can also build life-long friendships with their teammates. The benefits of team sports for children’s mental and physical development can’t be underestimated.
If you are one of those parents who discourage your kids from playing sports, think again. We need to change our perception towards the role of education and redefine great careers. Learning extends beyond books and grades. What books can’t teach, sports can. It teaches athletes to be confident, take risks, and not be afraid to make mistakes.
It’s too late for me to parent my kids. However, it’s never too late for the younger generation to rethink what’s best for their sons and daughters. Talk to them and expand both your and their horizons. And you will be surprised at what you both can discover. You never know—you might raise a future Jeremy Lin, Doug Baldwin, and even a future mayoral candidate Bruce Harrell, who was once a 1978 Rose Bowl champion when he played for the UW Huskies football team. ν
Assunta can be reached at assunta@nwasianweekly.com.
Related
"asian" - Google News
August 20, 2021 at 03:57AM
https://ift.tt/2W1ohNr
Zeus steps into the ring with anti-Asian hate - Northwest Asian Weekly
"asian" - Google News
https://ift.tt/2STmru2
Shoes Man Tutorial
Pos News Update
Meme Update
Korean Entertainment News
Japan News Update
No comments:
Post a Comment