I am half-Swedish and half-Chinese. Recently I went to see Aloha, directed by Cameron Crowe. These are my reactions.
1. Emma Stone's character, Allison Ng, is first introduced as a badass fighter pilot. ![]()
... and you really want to congratulate Hollywood for major display of *girl power*.
2. Everything is going great, and even with this weird plotline (read: privatized space exploration), it's in Hawaii! How could anything go wrong?
3. And then... Allison Ng declares she is half-Swedish, one quarter-Hawaiian, and one quarter-Chinese.
And you're like, "Hey that's me!" And then, you're just like, "Wait, what?"
4. At first, you think it's a joke.
A Swedish/Irish/English woman (read: not Asian) playing a multiracial character? They can't be serious!
5. Then you realize no one else is laughing. Because she's serious.
7. This woman has practically the same genetic makeup as you... and she's blonde?
6. And then it sinks in...
The opportunity to represent a multiracial (and thus multicultural) strong, independent, and otherwise multi-faceted woman named Allison Ng, was given to a white woman?
8. And you feel (a little) betrayed.
Nevermind the genetic improbability of being blonde. Allison Ng, who is a hapa (half-asian/hawaiian, half-white), could have been your role model. She is perfect in every way, from her spunk to her incredible dedication to her culture. Well, every way except one... She looks nothing like you. Because she is white.
9. But then again, this isn't the first time a white actor has played an ethnic character. We've definitely seen this before.
White-washed casting portrays a world separate from the reality, and affects races and cultures across the United States in many different ways. In this case, it affects the multiracial minorities and Asian American/Hawaiian culture. Realistic Asian-American men and women are already underrepresented in film and the media. And this film decided to do nothing about it? Ooookayyy then.
10. Multi-racial character #fail? Thanks, but no thanks.
Better luck next time, Hollywood.
