45 The Representation of Asian American Actors in Hollywood

Were you aware that there are over 10 million immigrants in California? (Johnson et al, 2024). Californians born abroad make up 27%, twice as many as other nations in the US according to the 2022 American Community Survey. Also, the population of California has become more diverse. Californians are composed of 40% Latino, 35% White, 15% Asian American and Pacific Islander, 5% Black, 4% multiracial, and Native American of Alaska Natives are fewer than 1%. Despite being a region with such diverse races, especially with a larger Asian population than other continents, there are still barriers and prejudices against Asians in Hollywood. Based on statistics, Hollywood is distributed of lead actors 78.4% are White and 21.6% of people are minorities even in 2022 (Statista Research Department, 2023). In comparison to 2011, there has been little change over the past 10 years. In 2011, 89.5% of white actors took on the role of lead actor in Hollywood. However, stereotypes about casting and Asian roles stillexist. For example, Korean American actor Steven Yeun has been playing the role of Glenn on The Walking Dead for 7years. The character of Glenn is always kind and a person who always does a good thing whenever a miserable situation happens. But Yeun, the actor, felt like that kind of role existed because an Asian American was needed in the drama (CBS Sunday Morning, 2021). Not that they need character itself. Even though there is a barrier to Asians taking a lead role and content that Asian Americans are starring in, nowadays, many Asian directors are making films about Asian culture, starring Asian American actors and they have won huge awards and gained good attention from audiences and critics also. Minari, Beef, Everything Everywhere all at once, etc. It is important how to represent Asians in the media and continue this advancing progress. Despite many bad examples of Asian representation and concerns about the marketability of Asian films in Hollywood, there has been progress to include more Asian representation which can be seen by exploring film Minari, Korean American actor Steven Yeun, and drama Beef.

Asian American is a term used to describe Asian immigrants and their descendants in the US (Minority Rights Group, 2024). This term is derived from common discrimination and experiences of immigrants. Asian Americans arethe second fastest-growing group in the US. In the 1960s, there were 87 million people. Today, according to the 2010 census, there are almost 14.7 million people. In Korea, Koreans call people ‘Gyopo’ who are Korean but live overseas (Wiggin, 2010). From 1962 to 2020, 1.19 million domestic Koreans moved to the US, Canada, Australia, and NewZealand (Andrew, 2022). As for Gyopo, there are some complaints because they are Korean, but their behavior is not exactly like Korean. It is because they are influenced by their country of birth. Most notably, there are 24 millionAsians in the US, including about 2.3 million who suffer from indigence (Ruiz et al., 2024). According to 2023-24 research, many Asian Americans struggle with financial issues. Also, if Asian immigrants face the hardships of learningEnglish, they may likewise find it challenging to get a job in the US. Not only financially, but also setting the mind upas an Asian American is difficult. Almost all are struggling to get both their mother country and the country they live in.

Despite the positive movement of progressing diversity in Hollywood, there are still massive Asian stereotypes of roles existing. A representative example is the film Breakfast at Tiffany’s. Mr. Yunioshi is one of the bad representations of an Asian in Western movies. The actor Mickey Rooney who is portrayed as Yunioshi is white butmakes up his face as a ridiculous Asian man. He was set up as a comedic source and portrayed Asians as objects of ridicule and incompetence. According to American film critic Melissa Phruksachart, she mentioned Mr.Yunioshi’s oddity comes from incompetence (Yong, 2021). It is because he used a mocking tone to mimic a Japanese accent and even his walking was depicted as stumbling and foolish.

The movie ‘To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before‘ and the spinoff drama series ‘XO, Kitty‘ are some of the wrong representations of Asian Americans. To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before is a teen movie in which a revealing Asian American female lead character Lara Jean ex-crushes coincidentally and the story of finding her true love. Lara Jean has two sisters. Their mom was Korean American, and their father was white American. But in the movie actors who portray the characters’ first sister actor Janel Parrish (Margot) is American of Chinese descent, Lana Condor (Lara Jean) is an American who was born in Vietnam and the third younger sister Anna Cathcart (Kitty) is Canadian of Chinese descent. Also, in the drama ‘XO, Kitty‘ which centers on Kitty finding love in Korea, the character Kitty is supposed to be Korean American, but Kitty is not Korean American. Considering these representations, even if they belong to the same race, it is incorrect to describe someone from a different country as Korean. This is just because they share similar physical features to a role that specifically represents a certain country. While Hollywood is indeed focusing more on diversity, it should prioritize more accurate portrayals.

Like the significance of Korean heritage in the movie, To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, the film Crazy Rich Asians showcases Chinese culture. The story is about based on Chinese American Rachel Chu knew her boyfriend was tremendously rich, but his boyfriend’s family rejected their marriage because Rachel was not as rich as him. It wasoriginally a Chinese American story and in the case of casting, except for one actor, they are all American of Chinese descent, and the director, Jon.M. Chu, is Chinese American as well. In a scenario where a movie involves specific people and communities from a particular country, the portrayal must go beyond surface similarities to include authentic representation. However, unlike “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before”, Crazy Rich Asians strove to have authentic representation. Authentic representation is a portrayal without deception (PacificUniversity, 2020). “Crazy Rich Asians”, is a novel of Chinese heritage descent that depicts conflict between different Chinese ethnicities and highlights the networks among Cantonese people to include authentic representation. Instead of resembling them superficially, the actors should portray those characters with a deep understanding of their culture.

Efforts to eliminate these erroneous portrayals of Asians and to eradicate against Asians are necessary in Hollywood. For example, they should make content and employment and must be diversified (Yuen, 2019). Also, setting specific employment goals to increase the representation of racial minorities is also one of the most effective ways to increase workplace diversity. In many programs, diversity writers are typically let go after the program ends, which can lead people to overlook the importance of diversity. Otherwise, we run the risk of intentionally or unintentionally creating another character like Mr. Yunioshi from Breakfast at Tiffany’s. Therefore, it’s important to institutionalize diversity programs and improve the treatment of diversity personnel even after their employment periodends, so that the value of racial diversity can be understood beyond just the period of employment. Paramount Pictures should make efforts to have authentic representation in not only the cast but behind the camera too.

The Film Minari shows the reality of an Asian American family who immigrated to the US from Korea in the 1980s. It is about Korean immigrant families pursuing the American Dream in the cursed land of Arkansas (IMDb, n.d). Korean American director Lee Isaac Chung directed and wrote based on his real life. Almost all of the maincharacters are Asian American or Korean. Jacob (Steven Yeun) wants to expand his farming business. So, his family moved to Arkansas from Los Angeles.

Son David has heart disease which is a small hole in the heart. Therefore, he can’t run daily. But, after his grandmother, Soonja came to the US, Jacob’s heart got steadily better. He didn’t welcome Soonja at first and even said, “Grandma smells like Korea” and “Grandma doesn’t seem like a real grandma” (Lee Issac Chung, 2020) to her. He is a child with an American identity. Also, the language he speaks is only English. David learns Korean culture through Soonja and feels Soonja’s love and Jeong (the Korean term for connection). David feels the love of his grandmother and the hole in his heart shrinks as his Korean and American identity is established. Soonja brought Minari from Korea. She says “Minari grows well everywhere”. It is only hope at the end of the film after the burn. Like Soonja’s line, Minari represents it grows well anywhere like Jacob’s family’s move to Arkansas. Moreover, Minari symbolizes Jacob’s family overcoming the adversity faced by  immigrants.

Minari was nominated for 6 parts at the Oscars, won Best Foreign Language Film at the 2021 Golden Globe and Critics Choice Awards, U.S Dramatic Grand Jury Prize, and U.S Dramatic Audience Award at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival. Additionally, Youn Yuh-jung (Grandmother Soon-ja) won Best Supporting Actress at the Oscars and BAFTA, SAGs, and Alan S. Kim (Son David) won Best Young Actor at the Critics’ Choice Awards. However, the issue is that Minari is categorized as a foreign film in the awards. This is even though it is produced in the US, directed by an American director, and presented in the US. The Hollywood Foreign Press Association designated Minari as aforeign film because half of the dialogue is in Korean, not English (Ryu, 2021). However, the movie Inglorious Basterds directed by Quentin Tarantino was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture Drama in 2009. This is despite English not being the main language and reaching 50%. So, some people pointed out that this is racial discrimination. Despite various controversies, the film Minari portrays the realities of Korean immigrant family and depicts the blending of American and Korean identities in their children. Although it is an American film, it authentically reflects the experiences of Koreans.

The main lead of Minari Steven Yeun grew up in a Korean Immigrant family. He was born in Seoul and moved to Canada when he was four. After a year he settled in Michigan. When he was 26 right after he moved to Los Angeles,he failed several auditions. And he finally got the role of ‘Glenn’ from The Walking Dead. Glenn is an energetic charactereven though everyone turns to zombies in the gloomy and scary mood of the drama. He was a supporting actor, but he gained as much popularity as the lead actors. But he mentioned character Glenn is always a kind person and has a limitation of always doing the right thing. (CBS Sunday Morning, 2021). Also, he felt they don’t need the character itself; it seems like they need a nice character instead the show needs Asian American representation.

After the character of Glenn was killed off, he had no choice but to take on such a kind guy role. But he cried when he received the film Minari script and throughout the filming because it was so impressive (CBS Sunday Morning, 2021). He said he felt when he saw a similar life in the scenario. After he achieved fame and recognition, he constantly considered his Korean American identity. When he was a lead actor in an American film, he looked like worst because the staff did not know how to shine the light on Asian skin. Also, he is not fluent in Korean, and he can’t feel fully related to Koreans as well. Therefore, he felt he was on a lonely island. However, he depicted the Korean immigrant family’s ambitious fathers well and was nominated Best Actor Award by the Academy as the first Asian actor and as the first Korean. Moreover, he won the 2024 Best Actor Award at Golden Globe as the first of Korean descent for the Netflix drama ‘Beef’. Despite facing barriers as an Asian American actor in Hollywood, Steven Yeun has shown through his roles that he can transcend Asian stereotypes.

Beef is a Netflix black comedy drama featuring Korean American creator Lee Sung-jin, actors Steven Yeun and Ali Wong, etc (IMDb, 2023). This story starts with a small road rage incident. A small incident led to a fight betweenDanny (Steven Yeun) and Amy (Ali Wong). The story deals with beef, anger, jealousy, and conflict in humanrelationships. It shows various relationships like Amy and Danny, Amy and her Mother-in-law, Amy and her husband George, Danny and his brother Paul, and Danny and his cousin Isaac, etc. Each relationship has anger, but they are hiding because of their ego or invisible class in their household. At first, they pretend to be okay but as the story progresses, they express their real feelings to the opponent. Danny is jealous of Paul when he applies to many universities, Danny throws Paul’s admission application into the trash can and pretends it didn’t happen. And told thetruth in the last episode. But their brotherhood is too strong, and Danny cares for his brother just like his parents. So, Paul understands Danny’s behavior. Also, Amy’s mother-in-law dotes too much on his son even though he is a terrible artist. But, when Amy’s affair is revealed, her mother-in-law takes her side, and she says she knows he is a terrible artist and the reason why she takes Amy’s side is because he needs Amy.

Beef mainly deals with strong bonds in Asian communities living overseas even though they hate each other on the surface. Like these examples in the drama, they seem no good feelings for each other in the surface but after revealing their real emotions and thoughts, their relationship is surrounded by not just annoying feelings. And it becomes more bonded and close-knit. In Korea, it is called ‘Jeong’. Jeong is a feeling of connection between people. In addition, the word beef can be interpreted as ‘Han’ which is a Korean term. Han is feeling sorrow and unresolved resentment. This drama contains concepts of Han and Jeong, and it can be freshly felt in other countries. In Beef, mostly the main and main supporting characters are all Asian. So, they do not stand out as Asian and these characters are notAsian needed in drama. Creator Lee Sung-jin said this story is not about identity as a Korean American living in the US. It shows the job, life, and anger immigrants have gained attention from American mainstream society (Nam, 2024). Therefore, Beef was a massive hit, so it swept the awards. It won 8 awards and 13 nominations in Emmy Awards, 3 awards from Golden Globes, and 4 awards from Critics Choice, etc. Beef effectively captures the sentiments of resentment and grudges unique to Koreans, and by having various characters portrayed by Asians rather than conforming to typical Asians, it breaks down preconceived notions about Asian characters.

Ali Wong who starred in Beef, is an active Asian American artist based in America. Ali Wong is an American comedian, actor, and producer based in the US (IMDb, n.d.). Her mom is Vietnamese, and her father is Chinese American. She is well known because of the Netflix stand-up comedy show ‘Ali Wong: Baby Cobra’ where she is the only one who shows her comedy. Among her represented films are ‘Always Be My Maybe‘, ‘Human Resource‘, and ‘Ali Wong: Don Wong’. While performing stand-up comedy show streaming on Netflix, she defies the quiet and meek Asian stereotype, boldly seizing the stage with her sharp wit. Despite the rarity of Asian women hosting stand-up comedy shows, she humorously shares her pregnancy journey, stories about women, and tales about family.

Moreover, beyond just a humorous image, in “Beef”, the character Amy she portrays reveals the pain behind Asianwomen’s composed demeanor, while in the movie “Always Be My Maybe,” she portrays the cultural experiences of a Korean woman growing up in the United States.

In the opening scene of the movie Always Be My Maybe, viewers can see Korean culture through the character’s behavior. The character Sasha Wong was depicted, and Marcus the Korean American actor Randall Parkwas portrayed (IMDb, 2019). They took off their shoes before coming to the house, sharing Kimchi soup (Korean food). Marcus’ mom taught Sasha to make Korean food. The detail in the film illustrates how Asians, particularly Koreans, live and demonstrate their Asian culture. This is only possible because both the writers and director are Asian. This is a positive example of authentic representation behind the screen.

Still, inaccurate representations of Asian Americans in Hollywood are rampant. In the film Breakfast atTiffany’s, Mr. Yunioshi depicts Asians as incompetent and foolish. Like the movie To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before and Netflix drama series XO, Kitty, not only in movies and drama but also in Hollywood films set in Asian backgrounds where Asian Americans act, there’s often incorrect Asian American representation where actors of Asian descent play roles of different nationalities solely based on their Asian ethnicity. But, nowadays, Hollywood has become more diverse in casting and roles. It shows a tendency to move away from Asian stereotypes. Film Minari depicts Korean immigrant families and shows how their children blend American and Korean identities. Also, the drama Beef has various Asian characters breaking away from the typical Asian character. Moreover, there are concepts of the Korean terms ‘Han’ and ‘Jeong’. Even though the characters seem to hate each other, they feel a strong bond as Asian Americans. Additionally, while set in the US, it portrays Asian elements within the characters’ relationships. In Hollywood, it is critical to employ diversity managers and implement diversity programs in media projects. This is to prevent characters based on racial stereotypes. While Hollywood has been placing more importance on diversity than before, it will be important to express more accurate Asian representation in the future, allowingAsian actors to shine in Hollywood.

Ruiz, N. G., Tian, Z., & Greenwood, S. (2024, March 27). The hardships and dreams of Asian Americans living inpoverty. Pew Research Center. https://www.pewresearch.org/race-and- ethnicity/2024/03/27/the-hardships-and-dreams-of-asian-americans-living-in-poverty/

Ryu, J. (2021, February 11). Here’s why “Minari” is truly an American story, even if the golden globes disagree. USA Today. https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/movies/2021/02/11/minari-american-film-even- if-golden-globes-disagree/4340916001/

Statista Research Department. (2023, September 26). Distribution lead actors in films in the U.S. 2011-2022, by ethnicity. Statista. https://www.statista.com/statistics/696850/lead-actors-films- ethnicity/

Wiggin, T. (2010, February 14). South Korea’s complicated embrace of Gyopo. Los Angeles Times. https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2010-feb-14-la-fg-korea-return14-2010feb14- story.html

Yong, J. (2021, May 11). It’s time to talk about mr. Yunioshi in breakfast at Tiffany’s. Unpublished. https://www.unpublishedzine.com/film/its-time-to-talk-about-mr-yunioshi-in-breakfast-at- tiffanys

Yuen, N. W. (2019, June 4). How racial stereotypes in popular media affect people – and what Hollywood can do to become more inclusive. Scholars Strategy Network. https://scholars.org/contribution/how-racial-stereotypes-popular-media-affect-people-and-what- hollywood-can-do-become