The Rey Chow Reader

Rey Chow is arguably one of the most prominent intellectuals working in the humanities today. Characteristically confronting both entrenched and emergent issues in the interlocking fields of literature, film and visual studies, sexuality and gender, postcolonialism, ethnicity, and cross-cultural politics, her works produce surprising connections among divergent topics at the same time as they compel us to think through the ethical and political ramifications of our academic, epistemic, and cultural practices. This anthology - the first to collect key moments in Chow's engaging thought - provides readers with an ideal introduction to some of her most forceful theoretical explorations. Organized into two sections, each of which begins with a brief statement designed to establish linkages among various discursive fields through Chow's writings, the anthology also contains an extensive Editor's Introduction, which situates Chow's work in the context of contemporary critical debates. For all those pursuing transnational cultural theory and cultural studies, this book is an essential resource.**Praise for Rey Chow**"[Rey Chow is] methodologically situated in the contentious spaces between critical theory and cultural studies, and always attending to the implications of ethnicity."—__Social Semiotics__"Rich and powerful work that provides both a dazzling synthesis of contemporary cultural theory and at the same time an exemplary critique of Chinese cinema."—China Information"Should be read by all who are concerned with the future of human rights, liberalism, multiculturalism, identity politics, and feminism."—Dorothy Ko"Wide-ranging, theoretically rich, and provocative... completely restructures the problem of ethnicity."—Fredric Jameson

Rey Chow is arguably one of the most prominent intellectuals working in the humanities today. Characteristically confronting both entrenched and emergent issues in the interlocking fields of literature, film and visual studies, sexuality and gender, postcolonialism, ethnicity, and cross-cultural politics, her works produce surprising connections among divergent topics at the same time as they compel us to think through the ethical and political ramifications of our academic, epistemic, and cultural practices. This anthology - the first to collect key moments in Chow's engaging thought - provides readers with an ideal introduction to some of her most forceful theoretical explorations. Organized into two sections, each of which begins with a brief statement designed to establish linkages among various discursive fields through Chow's writings, the anthology also contains an extensive Editor's Introduction, which situates Chow's work in the context of contemporary critical debates. For all those pursuing transnational cultural theory and cultural studies, this book is an essential resource.

Praise for Rey Chow

"[Rey Chow is] methodologically situated in the contentious spaces between critical theory and cultural studies, and always attending to the implications of ethnicity."— Social Semiotics

"Rich and powerful work that provides both a dazzling synthesis of contemporary cultural theory and at the same time an exemplary critique of Chinese cinema."—China Information

"Should be read by all who are concerned with the future of human rights, liberalism, multiculturalism, identity politics, and feminism."—Dorothy Ko

"Wide-ranging, theoretically rich, and provocative... completely restructures the problem of ethnicity."—Fredric Jameson

Columbia University Press

Rey Chow is arguably one of the most prominent intellectuals working in the humanities today. Characteristically confronting both entrenched & emergent issues in the interlocking fields of literature, film & visual studies, sexuality & gender, postcolonialism, ethnicity, & cross-cultural politics, her works produce surprising connections among divergent topics at the same time as they compel us to think through the ethical & political ramifications of our academic, epistemic, & cultural practices. This anthology - the first to collect key moments in Chow's engaging thought - provides readers with an ideal introduction to some of her most forceful theoretical explorations. Organized into two sections, each of which begins with a brief statement designed to establish linkages among various discursive fields through Chow's writings, the anthology also contains an extensive Editor's Introduction, which situates Chow's work in the context of contemporary critical debates. For all those pursuing transnational cultural theory and cultural studies, this book is an essential resource.Praise for Rey Chow"[Rey Chow is] methodologically situated in the contentious spaces between critical theory & cultural studies, & always attending to the implications of ethnicity." — Social Semiotics"Rich & powerful work that provides both a dazzling synthesis of contemporary cultural theory & at the same time an exemplary critique of Chinese cinema." — China Information"Should be read by all who are concerned with the future of human rights, liberalism, multiculturalism, identity politics, & feminism." — Dorothy Ko"Wide-ranging, theoretically rich, & provocative... completely restructures the problem of ethnicity." — Fredric Jameson CONTENTS 6 Editor's Introduction ix 10 Acknowledgments xxv 26 PART 1. Modernity and Postcolonial Ethnicity 29 1. The Age of the World Target: Atomic Bombs, Alterity, Area Studies 2 31 2. The Postcolonial Difference: Lessons in Cultural Legitimation 20 49 3. From Writing Diaspora: Introduction: Leading Questions 30 59 4. Brushes with the-Other-as-Face Stereotyping and Cross-Ethnic Representation 48 77 5. The Politics of Admittance Female Sexual Agency, Miscegenation, and the Formationof Community in Frantz Fanon 56 85 6. When Whiteness Feminizes . . . Some Consequences of a Supplementary Logic 76 105 PART2. Filmic Visuality and Transcultural Politics 82 111 7. Film and Cultural Identity 84 113 8. Seeing Modern China: Toward a Theory of Ethnic Spectatorship 92 121 9. The Dream of a Butterfly 124 153 10. Film as Ethnography; or, Translation Between Culturesin the Postcolonial World 148 177 11. A Filmic Staging of Postwar Geotemporal Politics: On Akira Kurosawa’s No Regrets for Our Youth, Sixty Years Later 172 201 12. From Sentimental Fabulations, Contemporary Chinese Films Attachment in the Age of Global Visibility 180 209 13. The Political Economy of Vision in Happy Times and Not One Less; or, a Different Type of Migration 196 225 Notes 215 244 Index 269 298 Modernity and postcolonial ethnicity. The age of the world target: atomic bombs, alterity, area studies The postcolonial difference: lessons in cultural legitimation From Writing diaspora. Introduction: leading questions Brushes with the-other-as-face: stereotyping and cross-ethnic representation The politics of admittance: female sexual agency, miscegenation, and the formation of community in Frantz Fanon When whiteness feminizes : some consequences of a supplementary logic is "woman" a woman, a man, or what? the unstable status of woman in contemporary cultural criticism Filmic visuality and transcultural politics. Film and cultural identity Seeing modern China : toward a theory of ethnic spectatorship The dream of a butterfly Film as ethnography, or, translation between cultures in the postcolonial world the primacy of to-be-looked-at-ness A filmic staging of postwar geotemporal politics: on Akira Kurosawa's No regrets for our youth, sixty years later From sentimental fabulations, contemporary Chinese films: attachment in the age of global visibility The political economy of vision in happy times and not one less, or, a different type of migration.