by Wonhyoung Justin Kim

Generational Trauma in BEEF

Justin’s exhibit explores how the lack of generational communication perpetuates a vicious cycle of generational trauma, exacerbated by sociological factors such as Asian Americans being perpetual “trespassers” in the United States and the psychological impact on Asian Americans through being migrant workers. This digital exhibit uses the hit Netflix show Beef to display the pervasiveness of generational trauma. Justin goes into how the motivations of the main characters in Beef are shaped by generational factors, stemming in many sociological realities of Asian Americans.

Introduction

Asian Americans have a long and meaningful history in the United States, a history that is often overlooked and forgotten, even within the Asian American community. This underrepresentation is not only maintained by white supremacy, but by Asian Americans themselves. Asian Americans have internalized the struggles of past generations and are burdened with the vicious cycle of generational trauma. Generational trauma is defined as the transmission of psychological and emotional distress from one generation to another in a family or community [4]. Looking back through Asian American history, we can see how the seeds of generational trauma were planted in Asian migrant workers and their families, and how their struggles have been internalized over generations. The feeling of Asian Americans being perpetual “trespassers” are upheld by the vicious cycle of generational trauma. To explore and understand the nuance of the characters in Beef [12], we must understand these two significant sociological concepts: the culture of a migrant worker, and the sense of being a “trespasser”.

Thesis:

Generational trauma has significant impacts on the values, beliefs, and actions of Asian Americans. Generational trauma is a vicious cycle, with origins in Asian migrant laborers and a continual perception of Asian Americans as being “trespassers”, that unintentionally perpetuates an aversion to communication about mental health, culture, and identity which in turn exacerbates generational trauma.

Trailer to Beef [12]

This trailer shows the initial incident that ties Danny Cho and Amy Lau’s lives together and the chaos that ensues from then on. The surface premise of the show seems trivial as it seems to be random bursts of anger that motivate our characters, but in reality there are generational factors at play that can only be understood through a psychological theoretical framework with a foundation in two key sociological concepts that we will explore later on in the visual essay.

Plot Overview

Beef [12] is a comedy/drama Netflix show produced by A24 production company and directed by Korean director Lee Sung Jin. The show follows two main Asian American characters played by Steven Yeun and Ali Wong named Danny Cho and Amy Lau. Danny and Amy’s lives became intertwined in an instance of road rage that stretched out into an ongoing feud - or beef. After the incident, Danny became obsessed with getting revenge on Amy and once he took his revenge, Amy became obsessive over doing the same to Danny. Through the emotional spiraling of these two characters, the audience gets to see Danny as a struggling contractor and Amy as a successful business owner looking to sell her business. Despite the dramatic objective differences of these two characters’ lives, the creators of the show slowly show how both characters are in the same situation. They are both oblivious to their drowning in the internalized expectations and burdens put upon them by their family, society, and environment.

  • Amy Lau leads a luxurious lifestyle with her husband George Nakai, a talented artist in a family of accomplished artists, and their daughter. Despite this, both Amy and George are unfaithful to each other. Amy consistently speaks with her therapist and at times brings George. An underlying stresser for Amy throughout the show is selling her successful business so she can prioritize her family and to satisfy her mother in law, Fumi Nakai.

  • Danny Cho leads a more working class life. He is a struggling contractor who is responsible for the wellbeing of his unmotivated and misguided younger brother Paul Cho. Their parents live back in Korea. In order to please his parents, Danny works hard to provide for Paul and to create a successful business in order to build a home for his parents to move into. Danny finally makes enough money to build the home and flies his parents out to the states but upon arriving at the finished home, the property is entirely burnt down. This is later found to be Danny’s fault due to faulty wiring but he refuses to admit that and instead tries to frame Amy for his failure.

Where it all began.

This media object to the right gives a quick overview of Asian American history spanning from 1587 to 2016 [9]. It highlights the many injustices that Asian Americans have been subjected to over history, many of which most Americans are unaware of, and many of which are sources of generational trauma.


  • When considering the history of trauma in the Asian American community, it is important to reflect on migrant workers and their treatment. The nineteenth and twentieth centuries saw a large influx of primarily East but also some South Asian migrants [1]. The primary function of these migrant workers was to fuel the North American capitalist and imperial expansion with cheap and uncontested labor. The value of an Asian migrant worker was profit and not their humanity and thus the United States government reflected such classification in law. The year 1854 saw the California Supreme Court pass a ruling that classified the Chinese as “non-white” meaning they could not testify against any white person in law [1]. This meant that migrant workers had no protection against violence or mistreatment. While much of the capitalist expansion was supported by the labor of Asian migrant workers, there was a “yellow peril” that was going around in the white community due to fears of losing their jobs and property to the Asians [1]. It was not until after the 1940s when racial minorities began to be included in “U.S. national life” such as in 1952 when Asian immigrants were given property rights [9]. Despite the inclusion, most of the racial discourse was binary (black and white). This exclusion may seem unjust but many Asian Americans have preferred this over the alternative. “You see the way America fears Muslims, the way America fears the black community, and the way America goes into these communities and hunts individuals down, as a Taiwanese-Chinese-American, you say to yourself ‘maybe it’s better we’re not feared, maybe it’s better we’re forgotten, and maybe it's better we’re underestimated’” [9]. This is a sentiment that many have regarding being excluded from the racial discourse. The belief is that it is better to be forgotten than openly targeted. 

  • The idea of Asian Americans being “trespassers” is not a new one. It originated from the genuine perception of Asians as merely being migrant workers but then morphed into an internalized struggle that is self perpetuating [2]. Due to a history of exclusionary education, real estate, and employment policies, Asian Americans have struggled considering the United States home. Asian Americans have generational roots in the United States but since they have lived only in China, Korea, or Japan towns that have been historically subjected to violence and displacement, it is difficult to consider these places home. This has meant that despite the possible generations of parents and children that have lived in the U.S., most Asian Americans still consider themselves to be guests in this country - or trespassers [2]. History largely influences a demographic’s culture. The long history of Asian American exclusion in national life and the broader racial discourse has led to an internalization of that exclusion and what it represents. This unfortunately has made Asian Americans accustomed to not speaking about their culture, identity, and hardships, making Asian Americans one of the least likely demographics to seek professional mental health care [3]. This is why Amy Lau in Beef [12] seeking a therapist's help is a good step in normalizing the discussion of mental health.

Overview of Asian American history from 1587 to 2016 []

So what’s the Beef?

	Internalized emotional trauma is a significant issue within the Asian American community that stems all the way back to migrant labor in the nineteenth and twentieth century. Danny Cho and Amy Lau in Beef are given significantly different conditions in life but when it comes to their acknowledgement of personal emotional and generational trauma, they are the exact same. Danny is a struggling contractor and Amy is a successful business owner, but both feel the weight of the world on their shoulders and are unwilling to address the toll their self imposed expectations of themselves is having on their mental health. Kim Tran,  a race and social justice movements researcher, speaks to this reality in a PBS NewsHour interview by saying “There is a part of what we do as Asian Americans that is self appointed. There is this narrative that we are quiet and are not going to be politically activated or charged and not take up space or visibility. Another reality is that it is a manufactured narrative about Asian Americans” [14]. To be open and loud about Asian Americans struggles would be to go against this narrative so it is far too common to see Asian Americans being completely silent about their struggles. Danny and Amy are manifestations of this reality as they will lash out externally in anger and frustration rather than be open about their emotional burdens.

A PBS NewsHour interview with Kim Tran about the internalized erasure of Asian Americans in racial discourse [14].

This lack of open communication about struggles is in large part due to the high expectations that Asian parents have for their children which are then internalized and self imposed. This cultural fact comes from Eastern values but also more importantly through the history of Asian Americans. Migrant workers were expected to work and provide for their families and communities in incredibly difficult circumstances for decades. These difficult circumstances destroyed healthy family and community dynamics within the Asian community. Emotional struggles were secondary to economic ones. Happiness was not a value that migrant workers prioritized; they valued providing for their families. This morphed into the view that if one is successful and can provide for their family, then that is all they need to null any emotional turmoil [1]. This is still upheld within the Asian American community, displayed by the fact that “99% of Asian Americans have reported having been stereotyped as model minorities” [5]. The model minority myth shows that there is an expectation of Asian Americans to be successful, upheld by society, families, culture, which all are internalized and self imposed by Asian American children. Danny Cho is the perfect example of this as his main motivation is to provide for his younger brother Paul and to build his parents a home, expectations that have been placed on him by his parents. Danny does not resent his parents for this overwhelming expectation since Danny has internalized all of them and sets those expectations for himself. Those unbearably high expectations eventually lead to Danny attempting suicide.

Combatting Generational Trauma

	Intergenerational communication about culture, identity, and heritage is the best possible cure to address generational trauma. The lack of intergenerational communication will most likely ensure the perpetuation of this vicious cycle. When children are growing up, most of their personal perception will come from family, peers, and media. In Asian American households with parents that rarely speak about their Asian heritage and identity creates a gap of understanding in children, a gap that will be filled with outside influences such as media. The representation of Asian Americans in the media has not been ideal since the media has upheld the model minority myth, hypersexualized Asian women, emasculated Asian men, and portrayed Asian Americans as perpetual “trespassers” [6]. Thankfully, a show such as Beef portrays Asian Americans as unique and multifaceted individuals with a wide range of struggles, going against traditional Hollywood stereotypes. 

Amy Lau speaks with her therapist about her relationship with her husband and parents[13].

The stigma around seeking mental health treatment is incredibly pervasive in the Asian American community. It was found that amongst Asian Americans, those who identified with their American identity more than their Asian identity were more likely to seek mental health support, but still were significantly less likely to in comparison to their white counterparts [7]. A show such as Beef is fighting against that stigma but the show rightfully represents seeking mental health support as a complex action. Amy Lau consistently speaks to her therapist throughout the show, sometimes alongside her husband George. Despite these therapy sessions however, Amy is not entirely honest. She represents herself as a good person in these therapy sessions as if she is actively trying to convince herself. In the clip above, Amy Lau is shown speaking with her therapist in a genuine manner about the concerns she has regarding her relationship with George. Amy asks a powerful question, “Do you really think it’s possible to love someone unconditionally? There must be some point where we all fall outside the reach of love.”. Amy’s therapist then asks Amy if she believes that the love she experienced from her parents ever felt conditional. Amy avoids this question. Through this incredibly powerful scene, we see Amy resisting being fully transparent. Amy says that she knows that her parents love her and that they showed her through sacrifice. This is another example of internalized trauma as Amy feels indebted to her parents for their sacrifice and feels the need to pay them back through her own personal success, a love that feels conditional. Expressing emotional truths can be incredibly difficult, especially if one has grown up in a household that does not value it as Amy has. That difficulty can be exacerbated by cultural variations in emotional expression due to differences between the English language and Asian languages. It has been found that Asian Americans that are more dominant in a language other than English are less likely to seek mental health treatment because they do not feel comfortable expressing themselves [8]. This feeds into the vicious cycle of generational trauma and Asian Americans being seen as perpetual foreigners.

Conclusion.

Generational trauma and the lack of intergenerational communication within the Asian American community is possibly one of the biggest hurdles for Asian American solidarity. It stems as far back as the first Asian migrant workers in the nineteenth century and will likely continue for a couple generations to come as Asian Americans are still seen as perpetual foreigners or “trespassers”. The best cure for this is intergenerational communication about culture, identity, and heritage. Beef was a tragic but beautiful display of how pervasive generational trauma can be through the characters of Danny Cho and Amy Lau. I hope that through this exploration of generational trauma, readers will feel inclined to reflect on the struggles that they have internalized and consider speaking about them with family and friends.