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Asian American Misrepresentation Essay

900 Words4 Pages

Michael Coolican
Mrs. Delbagno
Sociology CC
1 March 2023 Why Inadequate Representation of Asian Americans in Film Must Change

Asian Americans have been a part of the United States since the 1800s. Despite this, their representation in film and other forms of media has been, at best, minimal. While Hollywood has produced a handful of films featuring Asian American Actors, the majority of these roles are stereotypical, one-dimensional characters that do not accurately represent the diversity within the Asian American community. This paper will explore various topics, including the history of Asian Americans, current misrepresentations, impact of the Asian American community, and efforts being made to combat misrepresentation. Asian’s first …show more content…

One of the most common misrepresentations is the portrayal of Asian Americans as the “perpetual foreigner.” This stereotype assumes that Asian Americans are not fully American and are instead tied to their ethnic heritage. This has the result of Asian American characters often being portrayed as speaking broken English, or being overly attached to their cultural traditions. Another common misrepresentation is the “model minority” stereotype. This stereotype is based on the assumption that Asian Americans are inherently successful, which has the result of not having to face the same discrimination and challenges as other minority groups. While this may seem like a positive stereotype, it is not at all. This portrayal erases any diversity within the Asian American community and ignores the struggles faced by many, such as poverty and homelessness. An example of this stereotype in film is how many roles such as a doctor, lawyer, or other high status job is played by an Asian. Additionally, Asian Americans are often relegated to minor or supporting roles in film, and when they do have major roles, it is often limited to a specific set of genres, such as martial arts and rom-com. In the Library of Congress website, their article “Celebrating Asian American Representation in Film”, many of the films listed are in this rom-com or action genre, with a good …show more content…

When Asian Americans are portrayed as the perpetual foreigner, it reinforces the idea that they are not fully American and are not entitled to the same rights and privileges as others. This leads to discrimination in all aspects of daily life, including the workplace. Similarly, the model minority stereotype erases the struggles faced by many Asian Americans, and can lead to a lack of support for those facing challenges such as

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