"That Asian Thing" had the pleasure of interviewing current Survivor: Cook Island member - Jenny Guzon-Bae. If you're a Survivor fan, then you know that she was recently voted off by surprising circumstances. However, she was a member of the Puka Triba, a.k.a. the Asian-American tribe. This season, Survivor creator Mark Burnett decided to higher the ante when he divided all the participants by race. In the beginning, the Asian-American tribe came off very strong, but then in retrospect, the racial card didn't matter as they were merged into bigger groups. This broke the racial tribes but still showed a commentary of where people stood race-wise (loyalty to their race tribe or loyalty to the merged group). Continue to watch as there are still strong players from the Asian-American tribe competing.
Jenny was very welcoming and accommodating to this interview. As her claim to fame is particpating in Survivor, I focused on what made her stay strong throughout her excursion. If you view her biography and audition tape, you can see how much she loves her husband and son. So I decided to focus some of my questions on being an Asian-American mother and teaching her teenage son their filipino heritage.
Let me first concentrate on her role in Survivor. When she initially found out that she was part of an Asian-American team, she (and others) thought that it was a ratings scheme. And yes, they were right as the Neilson television ratings indicated the premiere episode to dominate that night. There was much hype and media coverage on the whole racial split. Jenny indicated to us that what it all really came down to was being the best she could be at winning this game. As Asian-Americans aren't the more physically biggest threat, they needed to utilize their mentality to overcome obstacle. And as comparison to ethnic differences within the tribe, Jenny explains that it runs parallel to how society is. Belive it or not folks, yes, there's still a small discriminating factor amongst the Asian-American community. Koreans, Filipinos, Vietnamese, etc. Objectively though, there's always been a discrimination amongst other ethnicities. Look at the Irish, the Italians, the Jews, etc. So even though the tribe had the Asian-American bond, there may have been more of a bond amongst the Koreans and the Filipinos. But Jenny explained that she still looked at who she could relate to better. She showed love for Cao Boi on his teachings and how his old school styles were carried on after he left. It was the wisdom of her experiences that brought her above the whole racial card.
Jenny dipped into her youth and spoke about growing up in a Caucasian dominant community. There were two worlds for her - her school and her home. And like most adolescents, she too felt that small embarressment of not being the same. However, she did realize along the way that her difference is what made her stick out and that was a good thing, not bad. As an Asian-American mother, she tries to teach her son as much as she knows. What was great to see on film was her thinking out loud and feeling a sense that it might not be enough. Who's fault is it? No one's really. Jenny said that let alone, trying to be the best mom is already difficult, but adding on the education of her heritage makes it even harder. I concur....
Overall, this interview rocked and I appreciate Jenny taking the time out to sit down with us. She was very insightful and gave good, honest answers. As a fellow Filipino, I have seen her face across many Filipino Community magazines and newspapers, so I do thank her for participating in "That Asian Thing."
BEHIND THE SCENES:
Interviews are coming to a close and post-production is picking up. Imagine if you will - watching the same tv show that you've seen over and over again to catch the best parts and write it down. That's what I'm doing now with all the footage I have. Therefore, please don't believe that we're no where to be found. "That Asian Thing" is still alive and hopefully everyone will be able to view something by early next year. Thanks! and HAPPY HOLIDAYS!
