The Misinterpretation and Lack of Asian Americans Being Represented in Hollywood and Broadway
Kalea Mon '24
For my Social Justice Project, I wanted to choose a topic that reflects the Asian community and my passions as a person who is highly influenced by art and the media industry. As a girl who grew up watching Lizzie McGuire, Spy Kids, and Austin and Ally as my childhood tv shows and movies, I became comfortable with all of the actors and characters on the screen. The main role would always be played by a white blue-eyed girl who looked nothing like me.
During my elementary and middle school career, I participated in the school musical. Other than my 7th and 8th grade year, the lead was always given to a white person. There would be no auditions held and the white students were immediately casted lead roles no matter if they could perform or not. I was upset and never fully understood why so many students of color were not given the opportunity to audition for a major role.
On television, when I was given the rare chance of watching a show with an Asian playing a role, they were typically the side characters. They were dressed up in the typical “nerd” outfit: large black glasses, pigtails, suspenders, and a math textbook in their hand. In many films, Asian people are also portrayed as outcasts in society. Some are also shown as “too smart” or a “nerd”. This topic of Asians being misrepresented is a social injustice because it reflects how Asians from all over the world, especially in the United States, view themselves. This also creates the problem of Asians not having equal opportunities in Hollywood and Broadway.
In other Asian countries like Japan, China, Philippines, and etc, there were several films that showcased Asians and things that are true to their culture. I chose the geographic focus of the United States because most of the racism and underrepresentation of Asians began in the 1850s.
An image from a scene from the well-known show Gilmore Girls.
This scene shows the female protagonist, Rory Gilmore (left) and her friend Lane Kim (right).
Mission of the project
My mission for this project is to bring more awareness to the community about the several challenges that Asian actors and actresses face in/on Hollywood and Broadway.