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Minority Models Masochism, Masculinity, and the Machine in Asian American Cultural Politics Minority Models Masochism, Masculinity, and the Machine in Asian American Cultural Politics by Takeo Edward Ken Rivera A dissertation submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Performance Studies and the Designated Emphasis in Women, Gender and Sexuality in the Graduate Division of the University of California, Berkeley Committee in charge: Associate Professor Shannon Steen, co-chair Associate Professor Colleen Lye, co-chair Professor Juana María Rodriguez Associate Professor Abigail De Kosnik Associate Professor Melinda Y. Chen Spring 2017 © Takeo Edward Ken Rivera, 2017 Abstract Minority Models Masochism, Masculinity, and the Machine in Asian American Cultural Politics by Takeo Edward Ken Rivera Doctor of Philosophy in Performance Studies and Designated Emphasis in Women, Gender and Sexuality University of California, Berkeley Associate Professor Shannon Steen, Co-Chair Associate Professor Colleen Lye, Co-Chair As W.E.B. DuBois asked African Americans in The Souls of Black Folk, “How does it feel to be the problem?”, Vijay Prashad asked Asian Americans in The Karma of Brown Folk, “How does it feel to be the solution?” That is, what are the affective and ethical repercussions of being positioned as “model minority” in the U.S. racial system? In response, this dissertation aims to develop a queer theory of Asian American masochism, gesturing to a cultural politics intertwined with this racial position, negotiated through a masochistic attachment to the figure of the machine. My dissertation, Minority Models: Masochism, Masculinity, and the Machine in Asian American Cultural Politics, analyzes the masochistic performance of masculine Asian American cultural production in the co-constitution of Asianness and machineness in Asian American identity from 1982 to the present day. Through the study of Asian American literature and theater, the political histories of Asian American critique, as well as new media forms like video games and comics, I argue that masculine Asian American cultural production places Asian American masculinity and mechanization into a symbiotic relationship in its articulations of Asian American identity. My work asks: what are the affective and ethical repercussions of being positioned as “model minority” in the U.S. racial system? One answer, this text suggests, lies in masochistic pleasure, wherein reception of pain and penetrability become sources of both pleasure and moral legitimacy. Building upon prior scholarship that models Asian American subject formation within a rubric of melancholic lack—such as Anne Cheng’s Melancholy of Race and David Eng’s Racial Castration—I gesture towards revising such models in favor of the pleasures of masochism. I argue that Asian American cultural production generates affective and ethical meaning from masochism as a moral economy, source of pleasure, and avenue for imagining racial form beyond human boundaries. 1 To Grandpa and Uncle Ray, who watched as I first embarked on this, gone before I finished it, but reflected in these words i Table of Contents Acknowledgments iii Introduction 1 The Miracle Synthetic Chapter 1 21 Vincent Chin’s Wedding Techno-Orientalist Subjectification And Its Discontents Chapter 2 48 Screen Time Affective Flatness And The Techno-Orientalization Of The Self In Tao Lin’s Taipei And Tan Lin’s Insomnia And The Aunt Chapter 3 73 Green Ressentiment Greg Pak’s Hulk, Moral Masochism, And Asian American Ethics Chapter 4 90 An Asian Is Being Whipped The Afro-Asian Super-Ego In The Theater Of Philip Kan Gotanda Chapter 5 111 Gasp in the Shell Erotohistoriographic Masochism In Eidos Montreal’s Deus Ex: Human Revolution Bibliography 128 ii Acknowledgments Throughout this endeavor, friends and advisors have repeatedly teased me with jokes to the effect of, “well, of course you’re studying masochism—writing a dissertation is a masochistic process!” That may be true, but doing so has also been one of the most rewarding and enriching experiences of my entire life, and that is entirely thanks to the exceptional community of people who have supported me to make this possible. Both the faculty and my fellow graduate students at UC Berkeley have been a family to me. I’m beyond indebted to my co-chairs Shannon Steen and Colleen Lye. Shannon Steen has been nothing short of a paragon of both intellectual rigor and emotional generosity, pushing me when I’ve needed to be pushed while remaining unconditionally available for intellectual and moral support. Shannon has been equal parts brilliant interlocutor and friend, and a true model for mentorship. Colleen Lye is one of the most astonishing minds I have ever encountered, and not a day goes by that I don’t feel deeply honored that she has had faith in my ability to produce work that will exceed my own expectations. Colleen has been able to anticipate where my intellectual inquiries will land two or three years in advance, and has been responsible for elevating my scholarship far beyond what I would have done without her. But I am so lucky to have had mentorship not only from Shannon and Colleen, but from my entire luminous committee. I would never have even started this project if not for Abigail De Kosnik, our departmental Jedi master, whose wit and kindness are second to none. Gail has allowed me to embrace my inner geek and to deploy my theoretical imagination as widely and as inventively as possible. I’m so grateful to Juana María Rodriguez for maturing and deepening my theoretical and intellectual commitments, in addition to being a brilliant and generous human being. Not only has Juana profoundly strengthened my grasp of queer and feminist thought, she has helped build me up during my darkest moments of the PhD process; she has been there to insist that I belong in this academic world when I doubted it myself. Finally, I am thankful to Mel Y. Chen, whose magnificent intellect, generosity of spirit, and magnanimous presence will animate me for years to come. Simply put, I could not have asked for a more superlative committee than Shannon, Colleen, Gail, Juana, and Mel. Moreover, there are so many other faculty at UC Berkeley who have played a role in supporting me throughout my journey. SanSan Kwan has been so immensely supportive of my graduate career in a wide range of capacities; she has been a phenomenal mentor and interlocutor. Philip Kan Gotanda, besides being one of my favorite playwrights of all time, has been so generous with his time, feedback, and mentorship, and I’m so honored to have had his ongoing counsel. Brandi Wilkins Catanese has provided so much insight and morale throughout my graduate career, and truly elevates the entire department with her intellect and pedagogy alike. Truly, the UC Berkeley faculty members, both in Theater, Dance, and Performance Studies and beyond, have been nothing short of magnificent in helping me become the scholar I am today, including but not limited to Shannon Jackson, Catherine Cole, Julia Fawcett, Peter Glazer, Angela Marino, Joe Goode, Maura Tang, Lisa Wymore, Michael Omi, Zeus Leonardo, Lok Siu, Trinh Minh-ha, Paola Bacchetta, and Jeffrey Skoller. There have been a number of professors outside of Berkeley who have also been very supportive of me and my work, and have helped elevate it to ever-greater heights, including but not limited to Lisa Nakamura, Victor Bascara, Lori Kido Lopez, Vincent N. Pham, erin Khue Ninh, and Ju Yon Kim. Furthermore, I am indebted to the staff in TDPS, without whom I would never have been able to succeed at anything. Without a doubt, Robin Davidson is a big reason that I managed to iii get through this process; I can’t say enough for her patience and unconditional support as a graduate student services advisor. The entire staff, both past and present, have really helped shape the TDPS community that has been so crucial to providing the logistical and environmental support that allowed me to thrive: David Kim, Wil Leggett, Michael Mansfield, Marni Davis, Grace Leach, Megan Lowe, Melissa Mae Schultz, Eugene Palmer, Andie Atwood, Josh Hesslein, Kate Mattson, among others. Thanks also to Althea Grannum-Cummings for assistance in the department of Gender & Women’s Studies, as well as Cassandra Hill in the Graduate Degrees Office.. Of course, I never would have made it through this process without very, very good friends in graduate school. My first shout-out goes to my academic kuya, Christopher Fan, my unwavering guide through the morass of graduate school, who is still my primary fount of advice. Much love to my departmental brother and comrade-in-arms, Joshua Williams, and our innumerable collaborations, hang-outs, and commiserations. Hugs to Jerry Zee, whose genius has been overflowing since our undergraduate years together, and has helped me develop new directions and ideas throughout this project. I deeply appreciate my TDPS sister Miyoko Conley for our geek chats and her stalwart, supportive presence as a friend. Abrazos to Martha Herrera- Lasso Gonzalez for her astonishing maturity, conscientiousness, and leadership. A big high-five to my brilliant cohort-mate Paige Johnson, an ever-present beacon of fabulousness and sharp insight. I salute Kim Tran, the baddest motherfucker on the planet. A big bear hug to longtime friends and brief neighbors Trent Walker and Chenxing Han, who together possess staggering amounts of talent, generosity, and goodness. A fist dap to Jeff Yamashita, my fellow yonsei brother. Thumbs up to Caitlin Marshall, a constant source of reassurance and enthusiasm. Much admiration for Natalia Duong, longtime friend and bearer of astonishing intellectual and artistic gifts. There are many long-graduated graduate students who have been so influential to my development: the magnificent Margaret Rhee, the Renaissance man Hentyle Yapp, the revolutionary Omar Ricks, bearer of badassness Iván Ramos, the magnanimous Marc Bucai, the amazing April Sizemore-Barber, the righteous and rigorous Karin Shankar, master of the cool Long Le-Khac, the generously supportive Ashley Ferrow-Murray Spadola, the stalwart Scott Wallin, and lovely conference buddies Terry Park and Douglas Ishii.
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