No Chinese in Star Trek

[S'kai]

It was pointed out in David Gerrold's 1973 book The World of Star Trek that there were no Chinese crew on the Enterprise. This seems to be something that has carried through five series and a bunch of movies now. Can anybody recall a Chinese character? Several Japanese and Harry Kim, presumably Korean.

Why? Did Gene Roddenberry or Bob Justman or somebody else have something against the Chinese?

 

[EnsignRicky]

Oh come on. No offense but this is getting out of hand. In one thread you have people complaining about the lack of a Pakistani captain, in another you have people demanding a gay character; What's going to be next, the outcrying for a Hawaiian doctor? This is fast becoming a textbook example of give an inch and demand country. Star Trek has always been exemplified for it's diversity, now suddenly the new trend seems to be vilifying it for excluding any races creeds or walks of life. I'm Italian, am I misguided for not tearing my hair out? should I be up in arms? I don't think so, because I can simply appreciate what Star Trek is trying to do, instead of denouncing them for what they don't. Besides, if they were to represent every walk of life on this planet among thier crew, they would need about thirty more series to even hope to cover all the bases. Also one last point twords the senselessness of this particular thread, Garrett Wang IS Chinese; And since, to my knowledge, they've never identified Harry Kim as being otherwise, I don't see a problem here. And if I am mistaken, Asians at the very least have been well represented; And just once, for the love of God, can that not be good enough?

 

[Vonstadt]

Hehe It's funny for some reason i just sorta assumed Harry Kim was Chinese. To be honest the nationalities never really was any kind of major factor to me.

Essentially aren't they all just Federation citizens anyways? I think for the format they were given Star Trek in all of its incarnations showed a pretty fair diversisity given the nature of the shows and movies involved.

Just my two cents

 

[M'Sharak]

Can anybody recall a Chinese character?

Remembering something about a mechanical rice-picker, here...

Also a few Changs, only one of whom is a Klingon. And Donald Cory, who no doubt could tell an interesting story about how he came to be named "Donald Cory".

 

[Timo]

...Probably much the same way Captain Paul Rice got his name.

Timo Saloniemi

 

[captcalhoun]

they all got their asses nuked in WWIII, so they're too busy trying to rebuild...

 

[trash80]

Ensign T'Su in TNG's Arsenal of Freedom and the unnamed maintenance guy O'Brian and Bashir ran into on the Enterprise-A spring to mind, i'm sure there are others.

 

[Timo]

they all got their asses nuked in WWIII, so they're too busy trying to rebuild...

Or they won that round, and are now sending the lesser races to do their dirty work in outer space.

Kirk's bosses were all from "minorities", save perhaps for Barstow/Fitzgerald and Fitzpatrick, weren't they? (Or do these count as an Irish minority?)

Timo Saloniemi

 

[HRHTheKING]

Did Gene Roddenberry or Bob Justman or somebody else have something against the Chinese?

Yes, you've got it!

They have a grudge against every nationality and segment of society that has not appeared as a crewmember on Star Trek.

 

[TheMasterOfOrion]

Nation states disappeared in StarTrek's fictional timeline, China and everyone else to be replaced by a one-world government. I assume they were on the Eastern side during WW-3, Harry Kim was said to be of Chinese, perhaps Cantonese ancestry, others speculate a stronger connection to Korean heritage. But whatever China, Korea he came from no longer exists in the Star Trek universe.

If you want a bit more Chinese in your scifi try watching the series Firefly

http://aufrecht.org/blog/one-entry?entry_id=25346

 

[Skywalker]

So...France, England, Scotland, Russia, the USA, and Japan still exist after World War III, but China and Korea don't?

 

[Hoser]

Did Gene Roddenberry or Bob Justman or somebody else have something against the Chinese?

Yes, you've got it!

They have a grudge against every nationality and segment of society that has not appeared as a crewmember on Star Trek.

WHY DO THEY HATE CANADA?

 

[Aaron McGuire]

WHY DO THEY HATE CANADA?

Why wouldn't they hate Canada?

Aaron McGuire

 

[Roshi]

Oh Noooes! I want a French Capt... oh wait...

*Backs down

 

[Forbin]

Let's see, we've had a Chinese guy playing Korean, we've had a Korean woman playing Japanese, a couple of Japanese playing Japanese (Sulu, nurse Ogawa...), a Mexican playing someone from India, a Canadian playing a Scotsman...

I think this is why it's called "ACTing."

 

[S'kai]

Oh come on. No offense but this is getting out of hand.

Wow. I was just curious. I am making no accusations, only observations, precipitated by a documented reference by someone involved in the early creation of Trek.

I am just curious. Although I am not one to find racism behind every bush (consult my wife for that department), The absence of Chinese characters does seem to be a pattern. Given what Gerrold has written, it seems there should be an explanation, not necessarily racist. For all I could guess, somebody in Gene's family was tortured by the Chinese during the Korean war.

 

[Anwar]

It had more to do with lack of those ethnicities in the acting pool at the time.

 

[JoeZhang]

Oh come on. No offense but this is getting out of hand.

Wow. I was just curious. I am making no accusations, only observations, precipitated by a documented reference by someone involved in the early creation of Trek.

I am just curious. Although I am not one to find racism behind every bush (consult my wife for that department), The absence of Chinese characters does seem to be a pattern. Given what Gerrold has written, it seems there should be an explanation, not necessarily racist. For all I could guess, somebody in Gene's family was tortured by the Chinese during the Korean war.

or maybe just maybe... it means nothing at all!

 

[Triskelion]

Well I think Star Trek is a thinly-veiled attempt to promote the latex industry.

 

[Forbin]

Sometimes an Occidental is just an Occidental.