Christina Yang is one of the central characters in the show until she leaves in Season 10 of the show. Throughout the show, we see her character defying Asian stereotypes. Most Asian characters in media in the past were very one-dimensional. They would be solely defined by those stereotypes, whether it be nerdy or being a kung-fu master. Although Christina may fall in the "Model Minority" stereotype because her character is aggressive, competitive, unsympathetic and brilliant, her overall character becomes well-rounded and definitely not one-dimensional. Her character grows from being initially somewhat cold to other characters to focus on her profession, to one of caring and warm who balances both her personal and professional lives. Her character doesn't focus solely on work, as she has multiple relationships and close friendships. She has several sexual relationships with other characters, such as Dr. Preston Burke and Dr. Owen Hunt throughout the show and establishes a very close friendship with Meredith Grey and other doctors. Christina Yang. who grows into a well-rounded character, gives a positive outlook of what an Asian character can be without being defined by stereotypes.
Christina Yang's departure from the show in the end of the 10th season will definitely leave a gap in Asian American representation in television, but her role has paved the road for future Asian roles. From her leaving the show up until now, more Asian characters leads have been in media, from Eddie Huang's family in Fresh Off the Boat to Daniel Wu's Sunny in Into the Badlands.
This is one of my favorite shows and I definitely recommend the show to anyone as it is a good balance of medical and drama. I was definitely addicted to this show over the summer as I would stay up very late to watch episodes. Although I am less interested than initially as Christina Yang is no longer in the show, I will continue to watch it because it is overall a very good show!
I've never really caught on with the Greys Anatomy bandwagon, but I've always seen commercials on tv or news on the internet about the show. After seeing the commercials as a child, I remembered the first thing I realized was an Asian lady on the show. Their wasn't many Asian characters on tv so after seeing commercials, I did get tempted to watch the show. I wanted to see what character the lady portrays. As an Asian American, I wanted to see how viewers saw how Christina Yang portrayed Asians or Asian Americans. After reading this post, I might start watching the series. Though the character Christina Yang left the show in season 10, it definitely made a mark in Asians in the media.
ReplyDeleteHi Fiona
DeleteYou should really give the show a try. At first I thought it was just an overly melodramatic soap opera about doctors, but I've really grown to like it a lot. There are actually a lot of genuine heartfelt moments, lots of them which involve Christina Yang.
Christina Yang has given the show a distinct flavor that is absent in many other similar shows. She is definitely not characteristic of typical Asian stereotypes. She also plays an important role in the development of the plot. Without her character, this series would not be the same. I would recommend this drama to anyone.
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