The Marginalization of Asian Actors
by
Megan Lee
The simple, irrevocable truth is that the oversimplified depiction of Asian identity on screen originates from a deep-rooted history of racism and prejudice.
All throughout history, Asian characters seem only to be defined in limited tropes, almost always characterised as incompetent foreigners, oversexualised femme fatales or overachieving model students. The common thread of Asian characters taking on marginalised roles within narratives is exemplified in films such as Madame Butterfly and Memoirs of a Geisha that epitomize the exoticization and subsequent objectification of Asian women, reducing them to fragile, subservient, and submissive tools. The racial characterization of Asian characters has stunted the growth of the roles offered to actors, leading to Asian actors in Hollywood being stuck in a vicious cycle of playing up to stereotypes and thus furthering the deep rooted racism in the film industry.
There are myriad repercussions in simplifying and distorting the experiences of the Asian community in films and different forms of media by normalizing such racist beliefs. Hollywood films, like all other forms of media, play an arguably integral part in shaping our perception of world by acting as a reflection of culture in our status quo. Thus, it is particularly harmful when ethnic minorities themselves internalize racist worldviews to fit Western standards by diminishing their intrinsic worth and reducing the identity of the communities they represent to a mere monolith.
The marginalization of Asian actors is still a prevalent problem and an incredibly insidious form of divisive racism that remains largely misunderstood due to how the Asian community is commonly stereotyped as a “model minority,” and has thus been excluded from conversations regarding racism and discrimination. Whilst in recent years there are more opportunities for Asian actors to take on lead roles in films such as Everything Everywhere All At Once, Crazy Rich Asians and Shang-Chi: The Legend of the Ten Rings, it will perhaps take time for the industry to truly acknowledge that a person’s ethnicity should never be a weakness when determining if they are worthy for a part.
Although we should celebrate the progress made in the last decade, we should continue these discussions on racial inequality and educate ourselves, as well as the people around us, on the adverse effects of such problems in our society. Though easier said than done, we need to increase our understanding of the subjugation of minority groups to truly mitigate its effects and empower our society to take action against any form of oppression, whether that be actively tackling and advocating against racially driven hate crimes, or simply by diversifying Asian characters on screen to allow for more faces to be recognised, more voices to be heard, and more stories to be told.
