Asian American Content Takes Center Stage

Asian Americans are one of the fastest growing demographic groups in the United States They are socially and commercially vibrant with a remarkable 73 of all adult Asian Americans having been born outside the United States which is almost double the number for Hispanicsamp160 As this segment grows in size their influence on mainstream culture is even more profoundMindshare39s 2018amp160Culture Vulture Trends Reportamp160asserts that the Asian demographic is growing in its cultural impact and relevance to mainstream mediaamp160amp160amp8220While Asian Americans have long established a foothold in digital media there has a been a growing demand to see more and better representations in traditional mass media like movies and TVamp8221 says Jodie Huang Manager Insights Mindshare North Americaamp8221amp160 Indeed 2018 has been a year of milestones for the Asian community amp160Sandra Oh has become the first actress of Asian descent to be nominated for an Emmy as Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for her role in BBC Americaamp8217s Killing Eve amp160ABCamp8217s comedy Fresh Off the Boat will anchor the networkamp8217s upcoming TGIF Friday night lineup and will be the first network show with an allAsian cast to enter syndication when it premieres on UPtv this SeptemberAn increase in the number of Asian cast members in mainstream shows is notable but it is content that has a uniquely Asian voice that is moving the cultural dial amp160Authentic representation is a crucial component of effectively speaking to this groupCrazy Rich Asians breaks out of traditional romantic comedy tropes by upending the mythology of who deserves to be a romantic leadamp160 The movie immerses the viewer in the highclass society of Singapore and what it lacks class analysis it more than makes up for in cultural perspective amp160The world presented is uniquely Asian in the use of visual iconography reliance on family traditions and perhaps of most importance language amp160The characters speak in their native language at pivotal scenes in the movie and the soundtrack is stacked with Chinese versions of Englishlanguage favorites amp160Coldplayamp8217s hit song Yellow is even used in the film to emotionally and symbolically reclaim an ugly racial slur amp160Reframing specific cultural touchpoints is a vital part of reinvigorating a film genre that has struggled to remain relevant in recent yearsThe Netflix original movie To All the Boys I Loved Before finds new footing in the romantic teencentered dramas first made popular by John Hughes in the amp821680s amp160The film is so selfaware of its common ground with its genre predecessors that it accurately trolls the infamous racist depiction of Long Duk Dong found in Hughesamp8217 Sixteen Candles amp160To All the Boys pivots from the racist representations of the past and emphasizes a far more inclusive high school reality where LGBTQ students and other minorities are woven into the story amp160The current digital reality of text communication and viral videos are center stage and drive the narrativeFar from the glamour and style of Crazy Rich Asians is the Canadian Broadcast ChannelNetflix series Kimamp8217s Convenience amp160Set in a diverse middleclass neighborhood of Toronto this series follows the daily life of the Kim family working and living in their corner store amp160Their multigenerational family is comedic in ways that challenge tired Asian stereotypes amp160The parents39 accents are not a joke but rather an authentic expression of immigrant life amp160The brothersister pair of Jung Simu Liu and Janet Andrea Bang are not amp8220model minoritiesamp8221 but rather typical young adults struggling to find their place in the world while navigating family traditions amp160The Kimamp8217s convenience store that is the primary setting of each episode is home to a rotating cast of characters that are equally diverse and representative of Torontoamp8217s status as a global cityThe various shades and accents are all part of what makes Kimamp8217s Convenience a standout for a growing audience amp160Korean food familial titles the Mother and Father are referred to in their Korean equivalent as Umma and Appa and religion are front and center in a way that makes their display radical amp160Simply put we have never witnessed these lived experiences that are not mined for cheap jokes or painstakingly explained to the audience amp160The viewer is dropped into a welldeveloped world that is culturally unique and at the same time humanly familiarAs stories featuring Asian Americans become more frequent it will be increasingly important to ensure they authentically represent a complex global culture amp160What makes these stories succeed is their commitment to immersive worldbuilding over shallow representationHowever it shouldn39t be implied that all this success has come without criticism amp160Critiques of the politics and optics of both Crazy Rich Asians and To All the Boys came from within the Asian American community amp160The exclusion of amp8220darkeramp8221 Asians in favor of centering East Asian visuals is an important conversation that begins to interrogate both intergroup politics and class amp160Having achievements that are still notable for being amp8220firstamp8221 within mainstream media adds pressure to creators to craft stories that account for everyoneamp8217s perspective amp160The heavy burden of expectations will likely fuel more conversations as projects focused on the Asian American experience are brought to marketCritiques of failed inclusion can be in part satisfied by broadening the scope of projects that are approved amp160Commercial success has proven yet again that audiences are hungry to see themselves and their values reflected in their media choicesamp8220As more content featuring Asian Americans comes out it will begin to help normalize their presence as equals in the USquot says Mindshare39s Huangamp160 quotThe growth of content will also help create new role models and influencers opening up avenues to new ideas and platforms unique to this communityamp8221Click the social buttons above or below to share this content with your friends and colleaguesThe opinions and points of view expressed in this content are exclusively the views of the author andor subjects and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillagecomMyersBizNet Inc management or associated writers

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Asian American Content Takes Center Stage

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Philip McKenzie

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Asian American Content Takes Center Stage

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Philip McKenzie

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