There’s basically been one thing on the minds of all of Asian Twitter, and that’s “Crazy Rich Asians.”
Since the release of the film’s trailer on Monday, which preceded a few advanced screenings this week, Asian-Americans are using social media to express just how much the movie means to them.
After all, with a more than two-decade gap since the release of “The Joy Luck Club,” the last Hollywood film featuring an Asian-majority cast that isn’t a period piece, the hype is completely understandable.
Some pointed out how refreshing it is to see three-dimensional Asian characters on screen, while others noted the film’s characters depart from stereotypes. A few people even mentioned how the upcoming movie could inspire younger generations to embrace their heritage.
For Asian-Americans, securing proper representation in Hollywood has been a struggle. Research on diversity in Hollywood found that barely more than 3 percent of film roles in 2016 went to Asian actors. In contrast, more than 78 percent went to white actors.
It’s about time Hollywood released another movie with an Asian-majority cast because, as sociologist Nancy Wang Yuen points out, inclusive Asian-American representation in media skipped an entire generation.
“An entire generation in the United States missed out on seeing Asian-American families represented in film and television. This is significant since families are central to belonging and community,” Wang Yuen wrote in a blog for HuffPost. “The exclusion of Asian-American families from popular culture dehumanizes and marginalizes them as outsiders.”
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