written by Anti-Racist Parent contributor Renee; originally posted at Womanist Musings
I am constantly looking for images of girls defying the gender binary to teach my boys about equality. I have recently started to talk to them about Emily Yeung. In the above segment she is learning how to snowboard. In many of the episodes she is learning all about the world and never do they focus on what she is able to do or what she should like based on gender. Though these are just small spots shown in between cartoons, they send a powerful message.
The video I wanted to post is about her learning to play soccer but unfortunately it is not up on youtube. She clearly states in the video that “sporting equipment should be made for boys or girls because girls can do the same things as boys can”. Hearing her say that just made me want to cheer..
The Emily Yeung spots are a clear example of the ways in which the media can disturb social constructions, if the images are created by a progressive voice. There are not enough examples of this, and instead our sons and daughters are over ridden with terrible female role models like the bratz dolls. Even finding a cartoon or a youth geared program in which a girl is not obsessed with boys, make up, or looking pretty, is a rare phenomenon.
I am further impressed with the fact that Emily is a bi racial child. Race has never been a subject that the mini episodes have focused on, thereby allowing her visibility to speak for itself. She is presented as a beautiful, precocious child who is interested in the world around her. The high visibility of a bi racial child is also very uncommon in media where images are mostly reflective of the white supremacist state in which we live.
As Emily learns about snowboarding, farming and science etc., the audience learns right along side her. What makes these small spots so beautiful is everything that is not said. In an equal world, the profile of a young child like Emily Yeung would not be a special that is aired to teach diversity; it would simply stand for a young girl learning about the world.
Speaking of biracial children in the media, have you seen the relatively new PBS series, “Sid the Science Kid”? While it’s an animated show, Sid is obviously biracial, as evidenced by his Black mom and White dad. And, like Emily Yeung, race is never an issue of the episodes. When I first saw the show, I cheered — Sid’s parents look just like my kid’s parents!
Love Emily Yeung. Great post!
K.
I really love Emily Yeung as well.
Daniel Cook did the show before her and he was good as well, but we loved the fact that Emily comes from a multi-cultural family.
My husband always jokes that he is grooming our son to be Emily’s replacement in a few years (they are produced in Toronto where we live).
Nicole
We love Emily Yeung. I haven’t seem those shorts in forever. In fact, I didn’t think they were airing any more. As the mother of an Asian daughter, I think she makes am excellent role model.
Question: My white/Asian son doesn’t seem to notice or care about hapa-ness of other kids, whether they be on tv like Emily Yeung, or in real life. Do you think he notices and is keeping quiet, or really doesn’t notice? Do your kids notice things like that? When did they start to notice?
@Chookooloonks. I also cheered that Sid was biracial. But I have to say that I thought they could have made the asian character, May, a little less stereotypical. She seems to be the smart kid, the only one wearing glasses, etc. Positive stereotypes, I know, but still seems a little stereotypical to me. But overall, I like the show and my 4 yr old loves it.
As for Emily Yeung, I haven’t seen this series before. But I am always happy to see something that does not follow the gender stereotypes that kids are inundated with at such a young age in our culture. Kuddos to the Disney Channel for showing this series.
We don’t watch much TV – but I’d love to see these. What channel, show etc are they on?
@Lori
In Canada they air very regularly on tree house. If you can find them on your network youtube has a bunch of episodes that you can check out.
She is very cute and adorable.