Growing up as someone of Asian descent, I regarded it as a rarity to see someone of a similar ethnic background as me on television. In fact, if I took the Disney movie “Mulan” and the character London Tipton from “Zack and Cody” out of the equation, I didn’t really see anything (unless you counted my Lola’s Filipino soap operas starring a very very pretty Coco Martin, but that’s besides the point). The reality was, essentially nothing existed in mainstream media—and to an extent, options are still limited today. Delightedly, however, this year was a huge leap in Asian American/Pacific Islander (AAPI) representation in the entertainment industry.
One huge example of this can be found in this year’s Academy Award recipients, where there were four Oscar nominees who were of Asian descent. Now, at first glance, that may not seem like much, but when various factors come into play, this outcome is quite shocking. For starters, we must take into account that of the over 13,000 nominees for this prestigious award since 1929, only six percent have been from underrepresented demographics. This means that—not for every one person of Asian descent, but for every one person of any minority population—there have been seventeen white individuals who have also been nominated for an Oscar. This harrowing statistic highlights just how diminished Asian American representation in mainstream media has been, and helps call attention to just how rare it is that AAPI individuals dominated this year’s award ceremony, particularly in the film “Everything, Everywhere, All at Once.”
Three of the four actors nominated were in this film: Michelle Yeoh (best actress), Ke Huy Quan (best supporting actor), and Stephanie Hsu (best supporting actress). In addition to these three, actress Hong Chou was also nominated for best supporting actress for the film “The Whale.” Yeoh and Quan ultimately ended up winning, and so did Daniel Kwan, who shared two Oscars with Daniel Scheinert for Best Director and Best Original Screenplay for “Everything, Everywhere, All at Once.” This result is, to say the least, happily shocking.
Not only is the recognition of high achievement remarkable for AAPI individuals in terms of simple acknowledgement, but sweeping the Oscars this year brings to light another issue that has—while slowly improving—still very much prevalent within mainstream media, and that is the issue of the way in which AAPI individuals have been portrayed. Asian women in popular culture are portrayed as exotic and hypersexual, and men are seen as passive, weak and unable to adjust, with white actors even playing Asian characters to further harm the stereotype (think Charlie Chan). Even today, when someone says ‘American,’ it is very likely that someone of Asian descent will not appear in one’s mind, even to AAPI individuals themselves. However, the gap of equity for this demographic has been narrowed by more fair and accurate representation in media, people speaking out on how toxic mainstream expectations have damaged them and belittled their culture and opportunities, and many more things pertaining to how they are viewed by the general public.
Sweeping the Oscars is only the beginning for proper representation for AAPI individuals this past year: Anetra and Sasha Colby becoming finalists in “RuPaul’s Drag Race;” Simu Liu’s upcoming role in the “Barbie” film, and many other examples exist to further the positive narrative in regard to equitable opportunities in all areas of popular media.
Not only is seeing more major representation in the entertainment industry an example of how AU students can see AAPI culture, but several school events that happened locally within the past few weeks highlighted various aspects of its diversity as well. KASA Banquet, SASA Culture Night, and the International Food Fair all added unique perspectives that contributed to the recognition of the many aspects of AAPI life, and how that in turn helps shape the campus dynamic at Andrews University.
This upcoming month is AAPI Heritage month. It is a breath of fresh air to go into this May knowing that things have improved—and, although there is still a long way to go, I know both the five-year-old me and present me are absolutely thrilled.
The Student Movement is the official student newspaper of Andrews University. Opinions expressed in the Student Movement are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors, Andrews University or the Seventh-day Adventist church.