Joy, Luck and Males

With the release of “The Joy Luck Club,” I am overjoyed to see Asian-American actors, directors, writers and other behind-the-scenes personnel get the chance to display our talents (“Joy, Luck and Hollywood,” by Amy Tan, Sept. 5).

But the success of this mainstream movie with an ethnic slant begs the questions: Wherefore the Asian man? And what of his role in American entertainment?

We are everywhere, living full lives of wants and desires, lusts and disappointments. You see us in politics, sports, education, medicine, the performing arts--being regular people, living American lives.

No Asian-American lawyers on “L.A. Law”? Get real and look at the makeup of Los Angeles. In “Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story,” Jason Scott Lee “got the girl.” This is rarer than hen’s teeth in entertainment. Rarer than a pairing of black and white.

The world of film, television and theater is not so liberal when it comes to racial politics, and way off the planet when it avoids the reality of the continuing contributions and everyday presence of the Asian male.

I see where Jonathan Pryce of the “Miss Saigon” controversy is now hawking cars on television. Fine, he should make lots of dough. Just being himself.

Just being himself without the eye prosthetics I saw him don on the London stage. And that’s all we want: to just be ourselves.

To be real, real human, really real. Gee, what an impossible request to the ones who manufacture the dreams.

DARRELL KUNITOMILos Angeles

*

As non-manipulative, forgiving Jewish mothers, we strongly resent actress Tsai Chin’s sweeping generality that “a Jewish mother . . . is manipulative and sometimes unforgiving” (“Stories From the Heart,” by Blaise Simpson, Sept. 5).

Ms. Chin, don’t lump us all in one mold. Don’t stereotype us. Don’t label us. Jewish mothers are not unlike Chinese mothers: We all want only the best for our children.

ESTELLE BALOPOLE

HELEN KLEIN

Santa Monica