Taking Stock: Stereotypes from Asian America to the Ancient Mediterranean approaches the theme of stereotypes in ancient Greek and Roman culture from the perspective of Asian American studies. The contributors explore how contemporary Asians and Asian Americans experience stereotyping, how those modern stereotypes relate to ones circulating in the ancient Mediterranean, and how ancient and modern can illuminate one another. Common themes throughout the volume include the theory of racial triangulation, the “model minority” stereotype, connections between imperialism and racialization, encounters between Romans and their western neighbors, and how assumptions about competence and warmth can simultaneously privilege and harm. 

Contributors address modern subjects such as the practice of assigning classical names to enslaved laborers in the Dutch colonies; An-My Lê’s pairing of heteroerotic images of sexual fantasies from the Vietnam War and Pompeian erotic frescoes; contemporary representations of Iphigenia in Asian American/Canadian art; and contemporary Greek and Latin pedagogy for Chinese international students. Ancient topics include Roman comedy and satire, Catullus, Pindar, Justin Martyr, and Gallic identity. 

By bringing new modern frameworks to the study of the ancient Mediterranean, the volume offers a fresh look at how stereotypes, bias, and group generalizations have impacted social dynamics over time, place, and culture.

Katherine Lu Hsu is Associate Professor of Classics at the College of the Holy Cross.

Tori F. Lee is Assistant Professor of Classics at Davidson College.