Why does Dean ignore his Asian roots?
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Archived from the IMDb Discussion Forums — Dean Cain
bjorkpluto — 20 years ago(July 31, 2005 10:17 AM)
I have noticed in the American media they refer to Dean Cain as though he is just a white man but he's not he is an Asian American. Dean's biological father is a Japanese man and his real last name isn't Cain it's Tanaka. Perhaps a Hollywood agent told him to just say he is a white man? Because by looking at Dean I can clearly tell he is part Asian.
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OuijaBoard — 20 years ago(July 31, 2005 02:19 PM)
He's one-quarter Japanese. He's also Welsh, French-Canadian, and Irish. Does he march in St. Patrick's Day parades? In my opinion, the guy is white.
"AHAHAHA! That's Brother Blood? Come on, kid, you're like twelve."
"I'll be fourteen next month." -
cenderila — 20 years ago(July 31, 2005 06:22 PM)
I don't think he is ashamed of his roots, but I read somewhere that he took his adapotive father's last name and that since his biological dad abandoned them dean said the only father he knows is Christopher Cain.
Maybe I am wrong, but that's what I read somewhere. -
Shaliza — 15 years ago(July 07, 2010 10:23 PM)
In fact that is why Brandon Lee took the role in the Crow because he wasn't classified only with an Asain role.
Not sure where you heard that one, but it's not true. Brandon took the role because he had been a big fan of the graphic novel. -
jmtwin1 — 18 years ago(November 14, 2007 12:45 PM)
I agree, I read somewhere that his biological father abandoned them too! So that may be the reason his does not say too much about his asian roots. He does have a tatoo, which I believe is a japanese symbol of his name.
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eryn1322 — 16 years ago(September 30, 2009 12:43 PM)
Dean didn't even know his biological father. The man divorced and left Dean's mom before Dean was even born. His adoptive father, Christopher Cain stepped in and truly became his father and the boys (Dean and his older brother Roger) took his name.
And Dean does acknowledge his Asian roots. He's part of many Asian actor clubs and other Asian affliated organizations. So he doesn't play the part of an Asian man in his movies, big deal Brandon Lee (Bruce Lee's son - who yes had more Asian blood than Dean Cain - Dean's being only a 1/4th) would have loved to have that non-ethicity-based role when he was alive. In fact that is why Brandon Lee took the role in the Crow because he wasn't classified only with an Asain role.
With that said Roger Fan is another Asian actor, that just wants to be an actor and to get more mainstream parts without having to be a kung fu kicker or fish-out-of-water story. Roger has done quite well with roles in Anapolis and Corky Romano where his roles weren't specified as just being an Asian man.
I wish more actors just got parts because they fit the rolenot because they meet the qualifications of race. -
WackyKacky — 10 years ago(May 06, 2015 07:32 PM)
You're right. His father is 1/2 Japanese. He has a brother from that union and a sister fathered by his stepfather. Dean Cain has his name tatooed on him. He is not ashamed of his Asian roots. He just doesn't play them up to appeal to anybody. He did say his father abandoned them and he knows very little of that side of his family. He did say, once when people asked if he did something to remove hair on his chest during his shirtless Superman days, and he said in the interview that he didn't, that that was one of the traits of being part Japanese was he didn't have a hairy chest. Dean Cain did say that his stepfather, Christopher Cain, adopted him and his brother and raised them no differently than if they were his biological sons. He doesn't have to prove anything to anyone. It's HIS business and none of ours, really.
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libra_69 — 20 years ago(September 26, 2005 12:00 PM)
How about reading his biography on IMDB instead of going on a rant about why he uses his current last name and your opinions about it (which have no factual basis at all)? I've pasted a portion of it below so you can stop your tirade.
Biography for
Dean Cain
Birth name
Dean Tanaka
Nickname
Soup
Height
6' (1.83 m)
Mini biography
His mother, actress Sharon Thomas, married his adoptive father, director Christopher Cain; when Dean was three. -
Frumious_Bandersnatch_46 — 15 years ago(July 08, 2010 06:36 PM)
Now,
libra
.
We have to realize that
bjorkpluto
has made up his mind and doesn't want anyone clouding the issue with real facts.
Research before ranting? Pshaw! Where would be the fun in that?
One thing that
bjorkpluto
does remind us all:
We don't see things as they are; we see things as
we
are.
Anas Nin
and
Observations are relative to the observer.
Albert Einstein
"The time has come," the Walrus said, "To talk of many things,"
Of atoms, stars and nebul, of entropy and genes. -
Frumious_Bandersnatch_46 — 15 years ago(July 09, 2010 10:26 PM)
How do you
know
with such surety that he's ashamed of his Asian roots?
Granted, his natural father abandoned the family before he was born. (I can't imagine being able to work up much in the way of positive feelings toward someone like that.) However, he
does
have his father's name tattooed on his ankle in Japanese katakana characters.
We don't see things as they are; we see things as
we
are.
Anas Nin -
myyankees — 20 years ago(January 20, 2006 09:22 PM)
Just because they don't walk around town with a t-shirt that says "I'm Asian" doesn't mean he's ignoring his roots. What does Alan Rickman do that makes him stand out and make people say, "Hey, it's great that he's not ashamed of his Irish, Welsh roots." (Used that example because I knew his roots.) What do you want them to do? Can't they have a private portion of their life that they don't share with the rest of the world? I'm sure that the Iglesia family enjoys a good plate of pansit every now and then. Someone else mentioned that Dean has traveled to Asia a few times. And anyone else whose heritage you think they may be neglecting, I don't know that you should worry about it, it's their heritage. I completely neglect the French portion of mine. They can take it back if they want.
Are you going to dip it in yogourt? Cover it with chocolate buttons? -
borg_queen — 20 years ago(January 21, 2006 01:25 AM)
Well, if Dean had French blood and he's not acknowledging it then wouldn't you feel somewhat insulted? No, you won't because you said it yourself you don't care about your French ancestry. Personally, I'm rather offended that Enrique doesn't seem to acknowledge he's part Filipino (as a Filipino myself). Well, I guess you can blame his mom for that.
Well, I'm guilty of the same thing. I, too, somehow neglect my Spanish heritage. But that's because my ancestors came from Spain way back in the 1700's.So, how did you manage to hurt you back? By running away from good taste?
Frenchies are from Europe and are white. Japaneseies are from East Asia and are Asian.