ASIAN AMERICANS ON THE PUBLIC STAGE

Aaditi Narayanan

Doodles by Simi Singh

Asian-Americans have come into the limelight recently, most notably in Hollywood and politics. This representation is exciting for many of us who are in the generations of older Gen-Z and millennials, allowing those younger than us to see individuals of our heritage across various TV channels. Specifically, Indian-Americans are breaking barriers by taking further strides for us as a community than ever seen before. To break down this complex topic, I will take a look into some exemplary Asian-American role models, along with others who are proof of the phrase “not all representation is good representation.”

To better understand this intricate issue, a good place to start is in Hollywood by focusing on how Asian-Americans have been historically depicted in film. In the long time frame of Hollywood’s history, there has been an inherent lack of representation in the Academy for Asian-Americans. In a 2017 study, the University of Southern California’s Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism found that Asian-Americans only represented 1% of all leading roles in Hollywood. This is surprising when we consider the vast size of the Indian population, with the 2017 United States Census Bureau reporting that there are 18 million Americans of Asian descent, translating to roughly 6 percent of the population. Simply based on the size of our ethnic group, it is a widely held sentiment that when we do get representation it should not solely rely on racist stereotypes. In 2017, comedian Hari Kondabolu took the issue of representation head on with his TruTV documentary The Problem with Apu, taking a closer look at the way the character from The Simpsons has magnified problematic stereotypes of South Asian people. Not only are there several offensive characteristics present with this character, but the fact that he was not voiced by an Indian has further added to the mockery of our culture.

The Simpsons has done little to apologize, saying through the voice of Marge that “Something that started decades ago and was applauded and inoffensive is now politically incorrect. What can you do?” As the only prominent representation we had in the early 2000s, these racist stereotypes quickly turned to the societal view of Indians as dirty and stinky. The complete neglect of this history by the show’s executives is evident of the fact that much change still needs to be made in Hollywood.

On the other hand, a clear example of progressive representation can be seen in the show Mira, Royal Detective. Set in the magical Indian-inspired land of Jalpur, the series follows the brave and resourceful Mira, played by Leela Ladnier. Each episode features two 11-minute stories that celebrate the cultures and customs of India by incorporating authentic storytelling, music, food, fashion, language, art and dance. The cast is made solely of Indian actors and actresses as a collaboration to create Indian representation for younger audiences that the cast did not have themselves. Mira’s story inspiring young Indian children everywhere to embrace their culture and not suppress it as I did is the kind of representation that gives me hope for the future.

In addition, such inspirational representation has taken place in politics as of recent with Asian-Americans running for a historic amount of seats in 2020. Andrew Yang’s presidential run was an example of the importance of representation, and many Asian-Americans voted in the primary for the first time so that they could have a president that looks like them. Dr. Arati Kreibich also ran an historic campaign as a progressive leader who garnered national attention and endorsements for outperforming a sitting incumbent in her July 2020 primary. Further, Boston City Councilwoman Michelle Wu established her well-known name with her historic 2021 Boston city mayor race making her the first of AAPI heritage to do so. Most recently, VP Kamala Harris spoke Tamil, a south Indian language, at the Democratic National Convention as a tribute to her late mother. Her words were heartful to Indian-Americans who had grown up being shamed for their Indian heritage.

Cast of ‘Mira, Royal Detective’

All of these politicians and Hollywood actors mentioned above have made significant steps towards the direction of representation of Asian-Americans in the public eye. As someone who grew up enduring bullying for her Indian heritage, this means a lot to me. Growing up, the only person who looked remotely like me on the TV was Dora the Explorer, a stark contrast to the representation Mira the Royal Detective provides. Furthermore, as I pursue a career in politics, the politicians mentioned offer me hope of progress and change within the Asian community. I am hopeful that in the coming years, no Asian or Indian child of immigrants will have to search for representation in the coming years as I did, and the representation they see on TV will be reflective of a culture they love.

Michelle Wu

Kamala Harris