Fantasies of Hong Kong Disneyland - by Jenny Banh (Paperback)

About the Book

Jenny Banh examines the attempt to transplant Disney's "happiest place on earth" to Hong Kong, delving into the three-way dynamics of American culture-corporation intentions; Hong Kong, China government investment; and Hong Kong and Chinese audiences. The situation poses special challenges for Disney's efforts to manage space, labor, and consumption to achieve local adaptation and business success.

Book Synopsis

Fantasies of Hong Kong Disneyland: Attempted Indigenizations of Space, Labor, and Consumption examines the attempt to transplant Disney's "happiest place on Earth" ethos to Hong Kong--with unhappy results. Focusing on the attempted localization/indigenization of this idea in a globalized transnational park, the book delves into the three-way dynamics of an American culture-corporation's intentions, Hong Kong, China's government investment and Hong Konger audience, and the Hong Kong Chinese locale. The triple actors introduce an especially complex case as two of the world's most powerful entities, the nominally Communist state of China and corporate behemoth Disney, come together for a project in the third space of Hong Kong. The situation poses special challenges for Disney's efforts to manage space, labor, and consumption to achieve local adaptation and business success.

Review Quotes

"Fantasies of Hong Kong Disneyland shows how the Walt Disney Company claimed to be sensitive to the local culture when designing and operating Hong Kong Disneyland but made some serious missteps, providing a case study in cultural imperialism. Jenny Banh offers perceptive insights into not only how Hong Kong Disney falls short but also what Western and Asian cultures value in an engaging, accessible style."--Kathy Merlock Jackson "coeditor of Disneyland and Culture"

"Jenny Banh's Fantasies of Hong Kong Disneyland is a fascinating account of this multinational corporation's failure to adapt to the local context of Hong Kong. With detailed anthropological observation and ethnic insider perspective, it will dispel one's illusions about the happiest place on earth."--Russell Jeung "professor of Asian American studies at San Francisco State University"

About the Author

JENNY BANH is an associate professor of Asian American studies and anthropology at California State University, Fresno. She is the coeditor of Anthropology of Los Angeles: Place and Agency in an Urban Setting and American Chinese Restaurants: Society, Culture, and Consumption.