Honestly, there are none. When watching big picture films or television shows on Netflix, Hulu, or any other streaming site, there are very few American shows that have Asian or Asian-American actors and actresses. Having a couple of Asians in shows or movies or having a few majority Asian cast film does not solve this issue of representation and diversity in American films. While some people may think that diversity has been increasing in American films, the representation of Asians and Asian-Americans is still very faint and almost invisible.
Whenever I browse through which movie or which show I should watch next, I never come across a movie or show that is mainly Asian casted or has an Asian as the main character. I only come across shows that have one Asian in a large group of other races. Many film and entertainment industries say that they strive to become more diverse and inclusive of minorities, however, it always seems to be in small, minimal steps that aren’t really making a huge contribution to the diverse push that the film industry seems to be talking about.
As an Asian-American who was born and grew up in the States, and grew up watching American television shows and movies, I have never seen an Asian centered film or any huge stride to bring in more diversity, to the film industry. For years, I have only been hearing that these film studios are making steps towards diversity and casting more diverse casts, stepping away from the all-white cast. However, I still see many all-white cast shows and movies that include very few minority races.
Recently, there has been news about a film called Crazy Rich Asians that is based on the book written in 2013. The film industry has decided to make this book into a film and casted a majority Asian cast. Although this may seem like a huge step to diversity and inclusiveness of minorities in American film industry, it will not make as big an impact as we think. Just because one film with an Asian majority cast has gotten much attention in Hollywood does not mean that it will break down the racial barriers that have barricaded the American film industry. This is a huge step towards changing the public perception of Asians in American film and the stereotypes of the Asian character as seen on shows.
This then speaks upon how most of the Asian actors casted in top American films all fill the stereotypical images that the society places on Asians. What the American film industry needs to do is step away from the stereotypes placed on Asians and dive more towards the skills as an actor/actress that an Asian can bring when playing a character. The American film industry is so bogged down and blinded by how the society portrays Asians that it limits and restricts Asian American representation in films and shows. Although the industry is making steps, such as making movies with an Asian majority cast and beginning to cast more Asians into American shows, the American film industry still has a long way to go and it needs to realize that it is nowhere near a fully diverse system if the industry is still tied down by stereotypes.
