Watanabe. Takei. Salonga. Lee. Chan. Ansari. Wen. Basco. Hong. Wong. Oka. Yen. Wu. Kingsley. Kim. If you cannot match the number of famous last names I mentioned with other Asian-descent actors I should admire, congratulations - you are also facing a perpetual struggle that I and many other Asians face.
In high school, I never noticed the struggle of Asians in the Performing Arts until I furthered my passion for musical theater. In sophomore year, the drama club was presenting Hairspray as its spring show, which concerned race relations between Black and White Americans in the 1960s. Understandably, the show featured two different racial casts. However, I felt alone during the placement of the Asian and Spanish/Latino students. Albeit, placement by skin tone worked, but as a tan skinned man placed in both casts, I wondered why Broadway shows lack roles for people like me. In an industry I admire, I felt that I would only shine in Asian-related roles in shows such as The King and I, Miss Saigon, and Allegiance.
I felt that same feeling of isolation when I auditioned for NYU's Tisch School of the Arts. Upon entering the waiting room, I stood out because I was the only person of color in the room. This feeling of isolation made me feel as though as I was not welcome in the school or the industry itself. I thought to myself, "Why are there no other people who look like me?," "Do Asian parents really not support their children being in the arts?," and "Should I just anticipate that I will not going to be accepted?." Thinking of these questions at the age of 18 made me question if I will ever land a career in the arts, and that saddened me because it seemed as though my dreams will forever be subjected to racial codes and stereotypes.
If you are not familiar with Constance Wu, I ask you to read articles on her activism in this issue. Known for her role as Jessica Huang in the ABC sitcom, "Fresh Off the Boat," Wu is an outspoken critic of "whitewashing." This is evident in how she responded to the recent casting of Matt Damon in "The Great Wall."
I agree with Constance Wu on how microagressions must stop because the problems lie in both the film and theater industry. When casting choices "whitewash" Asian roles, it superimposes the idea that only a Caucasian person can be a hero to be admired instead of a person of color. By doing so, the industries downplay the significance and history of a certain people - things that cannot simply be ignored on account of making money based on the leads. "The Great Wall" is not the only movie in which criticism generated over racial problems in casting. Other recent films include "Aloha," in which Emma Stone played an Asian-American/Pacific Islander woman, and the upcoming Marvel superhero film, "Doctor Strange," in which Tilda Swinton is acting as a character of Tibetan descent.
The film industry has been subject to ridicule and scorn for its lack of representation of people of color for many years, and it was especially noticeable during the 2016 annual Academy Awards in which Caucasian actors were mostly nominated in acting categories. #Oscarssowhite was the trending hashtag on Twitter and other social media platforms, calling for more diversity in roles. To date, few Asian actors have won Tony, Emmy, and Academy Awards.
Awards aside, there needs to be a greater inclusion of races in the Performing Arts. Asian people are more than just nerds, doctors, scientists, engineers, and villains. We are also your friends, your teachers, your neighbors - people who endure everyday struggles that people of all different races face. This problem is not meant to be racist towards any race if solutions are meant to eliminate racism and microagressive views.
An Asian-American family as depicted on the hit CW series, "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend"
On stage: Please do not make stereotypical roles just for or about Asians; create roles that are open to any person of color.
In film: Do not let a big name take precedence over proper representation. If the work is honest, so too will the audience feedback be. Move forward, abhor racism.
One day, I hope people would be inspired by those who look like me, because if we propagate the idea that Asians are not great heroes and/or everyday people with rich history, then humanity is furthering the cliche that history is forever doomed to repeat itself.
For further reference on Asian-American actors and their responses to this issue, please read these articles from the New York Times and Playbill.com
