Why Are All Korean Actors Ninjas?
CF stalwart Jeon Ji Hyun has been reborn as film actor Jeon Ji Hyun with the release of “Blood”. Not only is her foreign debut, as vampire hunter “Saya”, she has English lines in the script as well as various action sequences. But already, the nationalist sections of the Korean public has been moaning about how she is being perceived as Japanese.
So what’s their problem? There’s been a recent wave of Korean actors being casted into foreign film projects: Rain’s doing “Ninja Assassin” in November, Lee Byung Hyun is in “G.I. JOE” in August and even Jang Dong Gun will be in “Laundry Warrior”.
What do they all have in common? They’re strong, silent character, eyes like daggers, they are Eastern warriors wielding gleaming blades. Koreans are being told by the film PR companies that they are “Asian Warrior” or “Oriental Fighter” but as we all know, they’re enacting the part of the Japanese ninja. Damn it, one of the movies is called “NINJA Assassin”.
Then again, “Eastern Warrior” isn’t entirely false. I guess Japan is part of the East. I guess the samurai and ninja are the most instantly recognisable fighters from the region. So even though nationalism is strong in Korea, our actors who want to make it in Hollywood find the need to just put their heads down and get on with it.
But now let’s ponder for a bit. Why are they all ninja? The reason is simple if somewhat brutal. Those parts were the only ones accessible for the actors branching out to the West.
In “Queen Seon Deok” we have a character called Hwarang. He trains young, talented fighters to achieve glory for the Shilla Kingdom. He is a strong and charismatic individual and yet clearly, a character like Hwoarang is unknown abroad except the dedicated K-Drama fans.
According to Tim Kang, from American series “The Mentalist”, Korean actors “face a huge hurdle when crossing over into Hollywood. It’s definitely not racism, there just are not enough opportunities for Koreans. It’s like back at home; there aren’t many roles for Americans in Korean films either.”
In other words, in the foreign market, there are obviously no roles that are exclusive to Koreans. In a place where there are no Korean roles (unless it’s David Park in Fast and Furious), asking Korean actors to be “patriotic” and choose Korean roles is pretty stupid. Like asking someone to swim in an empty pool. Now, nationalist Koreans, think straight for a while; instead of moaning about how our nationality is being obscured, help fill up that pool by supporting whatever they’re managing to snag for now.
Maybe then Shilla’s Hwoarang will become more iconic than the Japanese ninja in the movies. We’ve seen K-Dramas and K-Pop overtaking their Japanese counterparts and for films and actors to do the same, they’re going to need a LOT of support from the Korean public. I consider myself a patriot so I think fellow patriots should wise up and help them out, not be damned xenophobic about it.
there aren’t many roles for Americans in Korean films either
That is completely not even the same thing at all. Sure you can say that there aren’t many Americans in Korean media, and that they’re relegated only to illustrate the “foreigner,” but the amount of American presence in all aspects of Korean media is not in the same way at all replicated with Korean presence in American media.
i think that the issue is one a lot larger and more critical than that of korean nationalism. asian ethnics in general are constantly expected to be and therefore depicted as the eternal “foreigner” in western film– take historically racist stereotypes in american film such as the image of the dragon lady, lotus blossom, yellow peril, etc. there’s a dominant image of the asian ethnic–especially the asian women– as quiet and submissive yet able to turning into a sword wielding, nunchuck-swinging ninja on cue. it’s sad that korean actors so recognized and respected in korean films must be deflated to nothing more than just another “asian” actor acting out “asian things” in american movies. hopefully we’ll see this change soon….
i agree with anonymous.
“eyes like daggers” is it because our eyes are small and acute :(
when I saw hwarang I thought of tekken….. anywho Hopefully koreans or any other asians won’t have play ninja roles because hollywood producers think that all asians are ninja or samuris, when they can be more than that.
rain’s body looks gross
Well..I do respect Korean actors trying to branch out and all, but it unforunate that the majority of them are playing some sort of variation of a ninja. If there was some variation of a Tae Kwon do fighter, I am sure many people would have less of an issue about it. But i will see Ninja Assassin the day it comes out…because of RAIN. Plus, there are rarely any Japanese actors playing Ninja’s in the US either…
I think the thing around Jeon Ji Hyun is ridiculous. Blood is based on a Japanese manga/anime/novel where the original character was japanese girl so of course she’s perceived as Japanese. The Japanese should be the one moaning. A Chinese girl played Sayuri in Memoirs of a Geisha, now a bunch of Koreans are playing Japanese characters.
I don’t know about Lee Byung Hyun and Jeon Ji Hyun’s english skills, but what kind of role can we expect English for beginners Rain to take? Lets all be grateful that it looks like it’ll be a badass role and not a wussy character.
yeah a chinese girl in Memoirs of a Geisha is a Malaysian, she is Michelle Yeoh. We proud to her!
Jeon Ji Hyun is supposed to be portraying a japanese character in Blood: The Last Vampire. So why it came to a big surprise that she was playing a “japanese” beats me.
BUT anyways
I see your point. A lot of koreans have been playing japanese roles. Why? I don’t know why, but I will tell you this. I am american and that Aaron Yoo is hot and he has been in an awful lot of POPLUAR movies lately, and I don’t know if the casting discription said “looking for an asian male” to play those parts.
HE IS REALLY GOOD AT PLAYING A TEENAGE WHEN HE’S REALLY LIKE 30
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I’m not trying to be mean, but the casting agents, director and producers, probably couldn’t point out S.Korea on map to save their lives. As for stereo cast, that’s a staple of American entertainment. The blacks get drug dealing and gangster roles, the Italians get the mobster roles, the Irish are usually the drunks, the Spanish are dancing lovers, and the Asians are ninja. But I think we’re failing to get the bigger picture, which is that for most of the 300 million American’s in the U.S Asia pretty consist of China.
so in other words i can dictate all white folks as a one whole(Americans, Europeans(Italians, English Folk, Swiss) Canadians are the same?) that’s what you’re practically saying… Asians aren’t just one… duh who doesn’t know that but the way you said it… and besides this is more on the East Asian topic(no offense intended in the next part* but if you consider Asians as one then why not have Mongolian ninjas, Indian terracotta warriors, Filipino emperors and so on). Japanese are Japanese, Koreans Koreans… not the same thing! and well i do get that most roles identify Japanese characters, and that roles are more rare for other Asian peoples. I don’t mind at all that other Asians play Japanese roles, i do have an issue with people just calling us one in the same.
No one ever said anything when Russell Crowe, an Australian, played a Spainish man who became a General to the Roman Empire in Gladiator. No one complained when Leonardo DiCaprio, an American, played a Rhodesian drug trafficker in the Blood Diamond. No one complained when Adrien Brody, an American, depicted a Jew in The Pianist.
So why does the Asian community get up in arms when a Chinese actress (in this case, Zhang Ziyi) plays a Japanese Geisha in Memoirs of a Geisha.
Why does the Asian community get riled up when Koreans play Japanese ninja assassins. I understand the sensitivity of the events of World War II and the Japanese war crimes against Koreans, Chinese, and other Asian elasticities in the past…
But in a German American can play a Jewish man in Schindler’s List without raising an eyebrow, it’s time for the Asian community to accept the movie industry for what it is.
To be honest, no one is going to complain when it’s white people playing other white people as long as the “important” white roles are given to, well, “important” white people. FYI, Adrien Brody IS of partially Jewish descent(heard of the term Jewish-American?), so it does makes sense that no one really complained when he played a Jew in The Pianist.
The reason why the Asian community gets riled up is not so much about national histories as much as it is about the misrepresentation of Asian Americans in film AND the HIGHLY limited character roles given to Asian American actors and actresses. It might be true that everybody’s gotta start somewhere, but just because America is more “comfortable” now with seeing Japanese people on screen than Korean or Chinese people doesn’t mean that there isn’t room for criticism and change.
and we must not forget that they all play Japanese characters i wonder how Japanese people feel about that
I guess Korean culture hasn’t been as influenctial towards Americans as Japanese and Chinese have.
Hence why they always have Japanese/ Chinese characters in movies. Americans are more aware of Sushi over Kimbab, Aikido over Hapkido, Karate over Tae Kwon Do… then Chinese people have their Kung Fu , plus a few Chinese actors that my American friends actually know like Zhang Ziyi, Gongli, Jackie Chan, Jet Li….
The whole Chinese/Japanese/Korean tension is sad. But it’s still very much around. German Americans can play a Jewish man…I wondered why… then I heard German president knelt in front of the Jews in apology. Jews have closure- they can bring up this topic and get resounding sympathy. A Chinese/ Korean bringing up WWII or comfort women gets very little sincerity from the Japanese. Holocaust deniers go to prison. Comfort women picket outside the whitehouse…
Anyways, I don’t really care if asians play other asians as such, it’s slow progress but it’s still progess…
I remember watching John Cho play a Chinese in Pavilion of Women. I thought he was Chinese for ages, even in American Pie I thought he was Chinese o_0
Wasn’t there a Korean guy playing a Japanese guy in Memoirs of a Geisha? the Dr Crab guy? Apparantly he tried for all the Japanese male roles so he could get a part- Now that’s called dedication.
obviously this writer hasn’t taken any East Asian studies’ courses. The issue is much bigger than the trivial arguments you made in the article
I hate it when American director take a korean/ chinese actor to act as a japanese. Just because the eyes is the same it doesn’t mean WE can’t differentiate it. And why they are ninja? because it’s the myth. And why they use korean or chinese actress? Because they are the one who try to cross over to US.
Everyone have their charms. Japanese have this quite and calm aura, chinese have their cheerful, and korea have their romances.
Like The girls in Memoirs of Geisha (I forget her name, sorry), I love her in Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon but she don;t have that discipline nor the aura that the japanese girl have.
^I agree, Zhang Ziyi isn’t a bad actress as such, but Japanese women were brought up in a society that gives them their quirks mannerisms which no amount of acting class can obtain and vice versa. Watching Memoirs of a Geisha was weird for me because I’m half chinese and the actresses kept giving off Chinese vibes, plus they had heavy Chinese accents in their English.
It’s funny that people keep saying Japanese are more favoured actresses/actors. Wasn’t memoirs of a Geisha proof that they seem to be prefering Chinese actors? How many Japanese actors are actually well known-ish in the States and has acted in multiple films? I can only name Ken Watanabe.
I don’t mind asian actors acting different nationalities as long as they do a good job of fooling me like John Cho did in “the Pavilion of women.” Apart from that, I’ve never been fooled.
I dont care.
John Cho in Pavilion of women? I watched that too. It wasn’t a good film, but I remember he did the whole film with a Chinglish accent. Don’t understand why they made him speak bad English when he speaks perfectly good English. :(
Interesting fact: the thing is that samurai’s as fighters and etc were all invented during the 18th and 1900s for propaganda for Japanese gov. so technically no such think as that true eastern warrior the samurai (Many people think most of the time when they think of the word “eastern warrior”) because samurai’s were more like business men back in the day.
Frankly these actors are actors they are the ones who say yes to these roles therefore if they get stereotyped as being such and such its honestly up to them to dispell it. Basically you get what you choose, though its pretty sad we don’t see more diverse roles specifically for asians.I remember reading an interview with a popular Asian actor i think it was Takeshi Kaneshiro who was asked why he hadn’t tried to break through to the U.S. he boldly stated that all he got was Asian warrior roles offered to him and frankly did not want to be placed in that stereotypical role of being another asian fighting actor or asian action star. He wanted a role that showcased his ability to act. I really respect that, i truly believed if more asian actors did not always want to say yes to these types of roles we would see less but yet again nothing wrong with these roles but for me i just want to see more diversity!
The bigger problem isn’t that we have Koreans and Chinese playing Japanese. The problem is that the only Asian roles in Hollywood are martial artists.
People would be surprised to know how many British actors play Americans on US tv shows like House, Band of Brothers, the Wire, Life, Battlestar Galactica, True Blood, etc. Mexican-Americans play characters from Spain, Chile, Venezuela, etc. Most African roles are played by Black Americans or Black Britons.
The difference it that these actors aren’t just playing one role. For example, British actors play genius American doctors of House, zen LAPD officers on Life, American WWII heroes in Band of Brothers and space pilot on Battlestar Galactica and Louisiana vampires in True Blood. Same goes for African Americans playing African roles and Mexican Americans playing South American roles.
But for Koreans, there isn’t that variety of roles available.
“Interesting fact: the thing is that samurai’s as fighters and etc were all invented during the 18th and 1900s for propaganda for Japanese gov. so technically no such think as that true eastern warrior the samurai”
absolutely, also I read that NINJA didn’t exist either.
don’t forget, besides playing the parts of ninjas, koreans also get to play the esteemed parts of Gangster livin in K-town!!!
Well-said Oniontaker..you know what, I’m impressed..This is the second post where I could applaud you for a logical write-up..
“The reason is simple if somewhat brutal. Those parts were the only ones accessible for the actors branching out to the West.”
Spot-on..
As an actor you don’t have time to be picky or complain about poliical correctness of the part you play.
It is a really tough business and you take the parts you get if you want to get enough money to live on. All that matters to a casting director is what you look like.
@ Jay Yoon
“But in a German American can play a Jewish man in Schindler’s List without raising an eyebrow, it’s time for the Asian community to accept the movie industry for what it is.”
Asian community or Asian American community? If it’s Asian American community you are talking about, we don’t have to accept the American movie industry for what it is. We pay to be entertained. We want to be reflected in the arts too. Life imitates art and vice versa. Why do we need to remain silent and invisible? I think it’s good for us to be vocal, so the movie industry starts listening and realizes that they need to cater to us too.
“According to Tim Kang, from American series “The Mentalist”, Korean actors ‘face a huge hurdle when crossing over into Hollywood. It’s definitely not racism, there just are not enough opportunities for Koreans. It’s like back at home; there aren’t many roles for Americans in Korean films either.’”
I thought Tim Kang was a Korean American actor. If there aren’t enough opportunities for Korean Americans, then that is definitely racism. Don’t you think? Subtle and institutional racism.
@ Pat: LOL
yeesh, i agree with elsie and think tim kang is playing it safe. of course he can’t be the bearer of bad news, as a representative of asian-am working in hollywood, and tell koreans “yah yah the system is racist, sexist, ageist, only see the color green”. don’t bite the hand that feed, haha.
it just forces AA/asian actors to be twice as good. actually didn’t yoo and john cho get cast in roles that don’t specify their race? gotta be good enough so your look is just part of who you are, not the reason you fit the job. it’s the same for women in engineering, top management, or some other less-tread paths.
also the ninja thing is something asian film industries perpetuated – can’t blame the whitie LOL. hiroyuki sanada’s first role in hong kong was Ninja in Dragon’s Den! by then ninjas were too lame for japanese movies, so he was exported out to hong kong just rising with jackie chan and all that asskicking. he’s come a long way too…
here is the point. it is called acting so it dont matter if you play something you are not. it is acting therefore it should not matter.
p.s. michael bay was much more helpful promoting transformers 2 in korea recently. about megan fox’s role function, he said in hollywood women are meant to be sexy things.
ROFL! tell it like it is, Ze Bay.
I remember watching CSI a few weaks ago and the team goes to the apartment of a Korean family.
The girl calls her father (The girl goes “Appa!” (says father in Korean.) but obviously I doubt she knows Korean since it had so much accent with this big American accent… but thats not the point.)and so the father comes out and made him the Asian father not liking the white guy and yelling at him.
So one of the small chances I see a Korean family on tv, and (like usual) he gets portrayed as the Asian guy with a huge accent all fiery and not liking the American dude *rolls eyes*.
About Koreans and such as martial artists…..
I’m sure even China is rolling their eyes at the America saying “Were not all about Kung Fu -_- We also have OTHER things in our country.”
Or Japan is saying “Err… were not all about Naruto or ninjas… ya know. Like. Seriously.”
And it DID NOT help with that movie… um… D-WARS!?
Geez. The dude could have made a GREAT movie that involved Korean actors/actresses to be shown in American theaters but nyooooooooooooo the movie was so bad and they’re probably like “whats this Korean legend….? um…………………………”
I watched it at the theaters and I just sank in my seat. Great. Just great.
@Kaayla:
“I see your point. A lot of koreans have been playing japanese roles. Why? I don’t know why, but I will tell you this”
Meh. IT’s because that’s the only roles available for them. So there’s this audition for a role, but role for the character is an “asian” and they want an “asian” for this role, but apparently the “asian” just happens to be Japanese/Chinese.
Sadly, this is the only thing thats pretty much available for them.
I mean seriously, in all our movies here in America today… we don’t really have a lead thats actually Asian…
I guess all we have to do is wait for a time when all things will change.
Just as Robert C. Gallagher said,
“Change is inevitable – except from a vending machine.”
But this is America. Come on. If you don’t live in some really Asian or really diverse community, you get exposed to A LOT of stereotypes. And since not everyone actually lives in a culturally diverse community, Hollywood has to make it work with those stereotypes to actually sell.
But the problem is that all the Koreans, Chinese, and Japanese are just portrayed as “Asians” (There’s more than 40 countries in Asia alone….) and are only given martial art/ninja/Japanese related roles. They never really get the more melodrama roles they normally do. But action is what America wants and action is what sells….so if they’re fine with being perceived merely as being Asian to be slightly known in America, then oh well.
because they know Asians can kick butt :)
LOL. Cash rules everything around me. It’s not about whether or not a Korean has to play the role of a Japanese or Chinese or alien. You think someone like John Cho is going to turn down the role of Sulu(Japanese) in Star Trek because the character isn’t Korean? Haha. Green is the name of the game in showbiz. And the quicker you realize this reality, the quicker you won’t give a shart about kimbap or sushi or eggrolls. Time to grow up kiddies.
maybe thats cos there are no suitable japanese actors for those roles and majority of the japanese have too much pride to prostrate themselves before americans.
because ninjas dont need to speak perfect english.
robert downey jr played a black man for gods sake. who cares what nationality they play. well okay he played an australian guy who was playing a black man but still.
i dont understand why koreans go over to the states when they cant speak coherent english. then they complain about not being given oppurtunities. there’s a reason why yunjin kim can score a decent role and the others cant.
These roles can be harmful and manifest themselves through people. I can’t tell you how many friends think all Asians are Japanese or Chinese or are raised doing Kung-Fu or Karate as kids. Many assume they don’tknow how to ue forks, knifes, spoons and that they live exactly the way portrayed in movies because Art immatates Life, right? Wrong. Often times I find it an exaggeration of what something really is. Just like how many roles for Blacks and Latinos are limited and usually “thugs”. People believe this, then use every day life (whether a vocal minority or an assumption) and apply it to real people. That’s dangerous.
What more Asians should do is go for all the roles, not just romantic. In Broadway plays, go for the lead romantic role. In films go for the funny ringleader or whatever sterotype breaking role that is out there. Same for other races or groups that are portrayed unfairly. It seems that many succesful Asian, Latino, Native-American and Black Actors have osme sort of right of passage. it’s as if they need to play all the sterotypical roles before being handed over a legit one. If more poeple bombarded roles that didn’t fit sterotypes, the producers, who are seraching for talent, wouldn’t have any other choice but to eventually choose someone who may not sterotypically fit that role.
People whore their race, gender, and sexuality out…apparently anything can have a price-tage on it if it’s high enough.
This topic reminds me of:
1.) Hollywood Shuffle 9I think): ABout Blacks being forced into taking sterotypical roles such as slaves, gangsters, or the funny comedy who dresses up as a woman becuase of Hollywoods bias. It’s pretty funny. Done in the 80’s I think.
2.) Blue Eyes: About a woman who pretends to discimnate aginst a group of people based on eye color. As she tells them that “so-and-so group of people act like this” they begin to actually act out and copy the begitive sterotypes. Someone told me about it, have yet to see it. Instead, I’ll probably go and check out Sweet Sixteen from Block Buster.
hey…
i think i’ve read this article a few weeks ago…no?
“there aren’t many roles for Americans in Korean films either”
That’s true but America is made up of many differnt races, that’s what makes it America. Korea is mostly consumed with Koreans and other Asians so it doesn’t really need American actors at all.
I think America needs to show the reality of other people in America, not just the straight up white or black people. Because that’s what everyone else in the world sees us as.
But, I have been seeing a little more Asians on American TV.. in commercials mostly. It’s improving..
It still bothers me though when I see like one Asian and 10 white guys..
And for us Asian Americans here. I think our society will change and Asians will become more common. There are so many of us here now.. Born and raised so think about the future… who knows? There might be a show with an Asian American family.. Muaaha. (Like, real Asian..unlike Jon from Jon&Kate)
You have to be a damn good actor to get a decent noticible role in American films. So if anyone, (Asians/Asian Americans, African Americans, Spanish, whites, Italians, Native Americans, Irish) ANYONE wants a good character in a movie they have to prove why they should have that role.
It’s on their shoulders to prove why they shouldn’t be the generic ninja assassin or drug dealing gangster or the drunk, wife beating Irish man or the gun weilding Mexican revolutionary (replace with Columbian druglord depending on movie plot), the oh so original New Jersey mafia boss, or the kid from the Resevation. (New Moon, anyone?)
Listen, as long as there are movies in need of sword swinging Samurais (or any other stereotypical character for that matter) then there is ALWAYS going to be a need for someone to fill that role and there is ALWAYS going to be someone who wouldn’t think twice about accepting that role. The truth is, people are entirely too desperate to break out as that NEXT BIG STAR. They’ll get their 15 minutes of fame anyway they can. Even if it means a Korean woman playing a Geisha or a Japanese man playing a Chinese ass kicking Kung-Fu bad ass.
Don’t want to be typecasted? Don’t take the roll. Don’t think your race/nationality is being protrayed the best it could be? Don’t take the roll. It’s up to the person, not the film industry. Write your own damn script. People know what they’re getting into. They’re not dumb.
P.S. want to throw in that Lucy Lui (Chinese American) was casted as Alex in Charlie’s Angels. Originally played by a WHITE female in the 1970’s show. Your acting career is what you want it to be.
very interesting dialogue going on here.
the reality of hollywood is that it is an industry based on serving the demands of the market. unless a movie seems relevant and appealing to a wide audience, no one is going to invest millions of dollars into making it a success. by the time a movie makes it to the casting phase, it is on a set timeline and a fairly definite vision is in place and so it is even more difficult to break into unconventional roles because a certain image of who the character is already exists. it would be great to see asian film makers, script writers and actors pool together to create films that display how relatable they are to audiences of varied races, but it takes a while to get there. When african-americans first made films, they did not have conventional hollywood support. they worked collaboratively and created quality films that were first successfull in african-american communities and eventually proved appealing to other audiences. but they did not receive big production company support until they were able to show that a market existed to be exploited.
as far as stereotyping all asians as looking chinese or japanese, clearly it’s insulting, but it’s not an issue solely attributed to asian actors. the fact of the matter is that most people can’t tell the differece between a hispanic person from the caribbean as opposed to one from central or south america. similarly, very few people are able to spot the difference between individuals of african descent from south america, the caribbean, africa or north america. as much as i love eddie murphy and arsenio hall in coming to america, there was very little that came across as authentically “african” in that film, but it didn’t matter because to a wider audience black was just black and it did not have distinction based on nationality. and as much as i love asian dramas, i have to approach characters cast as foreigners with a very tongue in cheek manner in order to swallow things like white people with clearly european accents playing the roles of americans.
as a “black” woman (a title i find to be ridiculous since i was raised by my completely indian mother) i admit to being initially appalled by the manner in which blacks are often portrayed in dramas. my first encounter was in hana yori dango when domyoji went to america and got into a brawl with some thugs that were attacking tsukushi. they were big, black and swore profusely and that wasn’t the appalling part for me; what appaled me was their truly horrifying acting which indicated to me that any intimidating black person would do. there was a similar encounter in golden bride to explain jun woo’s ptsd after an encounter with some thugs in jail. even as recently as when i started watching brilliant legacy this year there was a passing comment made by the character sung mi to hwan (lee seung ki’s character) after his return from america regarding staying away from blacks because they can be aggressive/menacing.
as mentioned previously my mother is 100% ethnically indian (her parents emigrated to jamaica as children and so her nationality like mine is jamaican). i sometimes get irritated by the portrayal of south east asians/middle eastern people which is equally stereotypical. most people just see a south east asian and think indian or arab and as such you will find indians cast as middle eastern terrorists and arabs cast as indian gurus. it’s the same exact thing as a korean being cast as a japanese and vice versa.
stereotypes happen everywhere and it will only change in media when audiences begin to show a demand for racially/ethnically diverse casts in roles that do not conform to traditional stereotypes. markets change when demand changes.
It is interesting to hear bitter arguments over hollywood’s casting or miscasting asian stars. They have done that with almost every ethnic group not only koreans.Hollywood is meant for entertainment and propaganda. A money making machine,and not the true teachers of history, nothing else. What I found even weirder is the claim that Samurais and Ninjas never existed and were invented for propaganda purposes. I wonder what would that make of Korean history then,with the extreme revisionism and absurd claims going on? Is time to grow up and leave that bs xenophobia,nationalism,racism crap.This is the 21st century not the middle ages.Grow up.