The first link was sent from an Asian American Journalist/Professor that has examined racial stereotypes in media. It led me to consider the definition, ethnic affiliation, and cultural history of America. One can see multiple issues with the video content, but in regards to our class the most pressing questions for me are "Who decides what is and is not American? How over time and in what ways do these ideas get connected to specific races?" I personally have not made up my mind on the video and do not really consider myself culturally Asian, but it made me question her usage of what are distinctly American Manners? Though I can see how stereotypes form and don't particularly like loud people in libraries, I have met many people like this young lady that have asked me if I knew how to speak English as well as "I don't know how you do it your country, but in America we...." (In particular, I remember hearing this when my mother, who has lived in the States for 40 years and has relatively no accent, asked a clerk about a wrongly charged item.) What makes an "Asian" verses an "Asian American" verses just "American"? What is an American girl?

I don't think these questions are particularly unique or profound, but they do address the need to redefine "American History" in our contemporary culture.

http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_17635093

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zulEMWj3sVA