A silent wave of Asians in Hollywood movies

What's changed in the past 10 years?

By Yuchen Hong

Despite "Everything Everywhere All at Once" sweeping last year's Oscars, the excitement for Asian American representation in Hollywood has given way to an uneasy silence.

As New York Times critic Matt Stevens notes, "Actors and scholars agree that it will take a lot more than a few years of improved Asian American storytelling to erase a century of poor portrayals." The industry's landscape remains frustratingly familiar, with progress seemingly stalled. The promised wave of change seems to have receded, leaving behind a shore still marked by tired tropes and missed opportunities.

This raises a crucial question: How far have we really come in Asian American representation, and how much further do we have to go?

For Asian Americans, who make up seven percent of the U.S. population, seeing themselves accurately portrayed in movies and shows isn't just about entertainment — it's about feeling seen and understood in their own country. Stereotypical representations can fuel real-world prejudices, affecting everything from job opportunities to personal safety.

It's not just about who gets cast in the next blockbuster; it's about whose stories get told and how those stories shape our shared culture.

I set my sights on the top ten grossing movies from 2014-23, excluding the two that topped the list two years in a row, for a total of 98 titles.

Let's explore how Asian faces and characters are portrayed in these stories.

68 movies that have Asians in their cast.

Of these, 18 have stories that take place not in the U.S, but in Asian countries or virtual cities drawn from Asian culture. This portrayal of Asians as foreigners happened more often in 2014-15 and has become less and less common in the last two years.

The high number of Asians in films from Walt Disney Studios is notable compared to other distributors. That may be because they're aimed to do be shown in Asian markets as well as the U.S.

There are 209 Asian characters in total, 13 of them appears in multiple movies in a series.
Among them, 89 are background roles which are defined as no interaction with main characters and no spoken lines.

72 are support roles, which are defined as appearing occasionally and contributing to specific scenes or aspects of the plot without being essential to the story's resolution.

Asians are here, but they are not important.
In comparison, 32.8% more male characters were created. More male background characters were created.
It's not just the number of roles that's concerning, it's the type of roles. The history of Asian Americans in Hollywood is marked by a long struggle against stereotypes. From the early days of cinema, Asian characters were often portrayed by White actors in yellowface, perpetuating harmful caricatures and denying opportunities to Asian performers.

"Hollywood is something that repeats what has worked before," notes sociologist Nancy Wang Yuenin her book "Reel Inequality: Hollywood Actors and Racism."

"The early representation of Asians were just East Asians, and the stereotypes were the accent, the exotic, the villain. All those tropes have not changed for 100 years."

The model minority



The model minority myth in Hollywood persistently portrays Asian characters as the intelligent but socially awkward sidekicks, typically appearing as doctors, scientists, or tech experts who exist mainly to support White protagonists. While seemingly positive, this stereotype creates a harmful narrative that Asian success only comes through academic achievement and technical skills.

These characters are often reduced to predictable traits - wearing glasses, dressed unfashionably, and lacking social prowess - which reinforces damaging stereotypes while denying Asian actors the chance to portray complex, multidimensional characters. This limited representation continues to shape problematic perceptions of Asian Americans in real life.

There are 50 roles that still follow this portrayal in these 98 movies.

Everybody was kung fu fighting



If they're not geeks, Asian characters are often portrayed as fighters. While Bruce Lee's impact on Hollywood was groundbreaking, it also led to a proliferation of martial arts roles that became a restrictive stereotype for many Asian actors.

Even when Asian characters are given prominent roles, they're often expected to demonstrate martial arts prowess regardless of their character's background or profession - as if being Asian automatically means being a kung fu expert. This stereotype has become so ingrained that many Asian actors report feeling pressured to learn martial arts just to remain competitive for roles, even for characters where fighting skills aren't relevant to the story.

Many Hollywood productions still fall back on martial arts as a shortcut for Asian representation, reducing complex characters to their physical capabilities rather than their personal stories and emotional depth.

There are 39 roles that still follow this portrayal in these 98 movies.
Half of Asian characters have at least one stereotypes.

Positive representation can have profound effects on viewers' self-perception and aspirations. Dr. Yuen explains, "When you see yourself represented in the media, it validates your existence and your place in society. It tells you that your stories matter.”

The lack of diverse Asian characters can reinforce stereotypes and limit understanding of Asian cultures and experiences among non-Asian audiences.

While recent years have seen some progress in Asian American representation in Hollywood, significant challenges remain. The road ahead requires continued effort from all sectors of the industry to ensure that Asian American stories are told authentically and that opportunities are available both in front of and behind the camera.

Produced by candidates for the MS degree in the Media Innovation & Data Communication program at the Northeastern University School of Journalism. © 2024