Introduction
Every May, communities from all over the world come together to recognize Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month. This month signifies a celebration of culture, resilience, and the often overlooked contributions of AAPI individuals throughout U.S. history. But how did this month of recognition start, and why does it matter so much today?
AAPI Heritage Month first started in 1978, when Congress passed a resolution to designate the first ten days of May as “Asian/Pacific American Heritage Week.” While the choice of May might seen as random, this month marks two significant events in AAPI history: the arrival of the first Japanese immigrants to the United States on May 7, 1843, and the completion of the transcontinental railroad on May 10, 1869, a project made possible by the tireless and often dangerous work of thousands of Chinese laborers. In 1992, this celebration was officially expanded to the entire month of May.
AAPI Heritage Month represents a time to uplift stories that have too often been erased or ignored. It’s a chance to celebrate the cultural richness of AAPI communities from food, fashion, and traditions to literature, innovation, and activism. It’s also a time to recognize the struggles and injustices that many AAPI individuals have faced and continue to face, from exclusionary laws and harmful stereotypes to recent surges in anti-Asian hate.
This month serves as both a celebration and a call to action: to learn more, speak up, and ensure that AAPI voices are heard, honored, and included. From groundbreaking scientists and trailblazing artists to athletes, educators, and leaders, the AAPI community continues to shape the story of America in more ways than one.
How Representation Can Foster a Movement
The importance of the representation of minority groups in media is preached about, but why is it so important? When it comes to ethnic groups that are frequently stereotyped or overlooked, media representations are often notoriously inaccurate or exaggerate false narratives. Shifting away from this habit and toward an accurate representation of all people, including those of AAPI descent, can be critical in altering how the public perceives minority groups.
Within the realm of pop culture, accurate representation of AAPI people can be accomplished in a multitude of ways: sharing culturally authentic stories, breaking away from harmful stereotypes, creating stories with the input of community members, representing a diverse community, and grounding stories in a basis of cultural truth. Inaccurate representation would be using an AAPI character purely for the “diversity card” without giving them any true depth, emphasizing stereotypes, or racist portrayals.
Authentically representing the complex and vast AAPI cultures is critical in achieving equality for these minority groups. When a group is so deeply misunderstood, including stories to reverse the narrative within mainstream media can be the key to un-internalizing inaccurate perceptions. In turn, non-AAPI people who lead their lives through a biased lens (consciously or not) can break free of that cycle. On top of that, AAPI people may be encouraged to be their authentic selves, leading to a deeper cultural appreciation.
Media that Represents AAPI
With the importance of accurate representation in mind, here are some shows, movies, and books that have been recognized for their accurate and complex portrayals of AAPI people:
- Never Have I Ever (show) – This comedy/drama series portrays the high school experience of a first-generation Indian-American student named Devi. The show is well respected for its decision to create a culturally specific main character who is not just “South Asian” but rather from a specific South Indian culture who comes from a Tamil-speaking family. Additionally, her Indian culture is infused in all aspects of her life, as opposed to just being acknowledged from time to time, seeping into her experiences with school, friends, and relationships. Devi’s mom is a complex immigrant mother who represents cultural and traditional tensions, a common theme in culturally centered pieces of media. The show also explores themes of mental health, which helps to break taboos, and includes not just one brown character but a range of them. It features an authentic and messy main character, making her unique and personalized. Never Have I Ever was created by a South Asian woman who infused her own cultural experiences into this relatable and entertaining show.
- Everything Everywhere All at Once (movie) – This action/sci-fi film investigates a unique perspective on the Asian-American experience by exploring multiverse scenarios. It includes themes of strained mother-daughter relationships, generational trauma in immigrant families, feeling caught between two cultures, and LGBTQ+ experiences as a Chinese American. Overall, this critically acclaimed movie uses its distinctive style to touch on the struggles and nuances of the Asian American experience. While its format is almost comical and won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, the filmmakers deserve respect for their willingness to try something different.
- Crazy Rich Asians (movie) – This movie features an all asian cast made up of actors from various asian backgrounds, including Chinese, Singaporean, Malaysian, and more. The film focuses on an incredibly wealthy group of individuals to represent Asian culture as rich, but not taking it so far as to make it seem overly exotic. This stance challenges negative stereotypes about Asian people by implementing storylines of success. Crazy Rich Asians had an impact on many people of AAPI backgrounds because of the sheer amount of Asian representation it implemented, making it incredibly powerful. While it has been critiqued for not showing the struggles of Asian culture, it still is a unique and entertaining form of representation.
- Moana (movie) – This heartwarming Disney movie represents a variety of Polynesian cultures, with Moana being the first main character in a Disney movie who is a Pacific Islander and the first Polynesian princess. The film portrays Moana as a strong, confident leader who is more than just a love interest and contains themes of ancient Polynesian culture through a blend of languages, chants, and other keystone characteristics. While the movie has been criticized for mixing multiple cultures together as opposed to highlighting one, this form of representation remains important because of its young audience. Teaching kids the various aspects of unique cultures at a young age can be critical in developing well-rounded and understanding future generations.
- On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous (book) – Notably one of the most authentic and important representations of AAPI people within the literature, this book portrays a first-generation Vietnamese American’s experience following his family’s migration as a result of the Vietnam War. This story represents the trauma the war caused for Vietnamese families who had to flee and utilizes the main character’s mother, who only speaks Vietnamese, as a way of portraying the emotional cost of displacement. The main character has to try to make sense of his mixed-culture upbringing, which is shown through his mixing of Vietnamese (with translations) and English within his writing. Topics of abuse, poverty, PTSD, assimilation, addiction, and struggles with queer identity represent the struggles that the narrator went through because of his upbringing. Furthermore, the author uses a nonlinear writing style to reflect the complex and tumultuous immigrant experience, resulting in an incredibly personal and culturally accurate story.
- Interior Chinatown (book) – Interior Chinatown approaches the AAPI experience through the lens of a TV script. In doing so, the book acts as a testament to how AAPI individuals are often stereotyped, given side roles, etc, within the film industry. Throughout the book, themes of assimilation, family dynamics in AAPI households, cultural expectations, and general trauma are explored. Additionally, the author calls out Hollywood to show how casting culture shapes Asian American lives both on and off the screen. This form of testimony is used to capture the frustration of Asian Americans and to call out racism and systemic barriers.
Still Work to Do
While there has clearly been progress in the extent and effectiveness of AAPI representation in media, there is still progress to be made. Like any type of representation, it’s hard to perfect; there will always be critics who feel their culture or heritage could be more accurately portrayed. At the end of the day, the fact that authors and screenwriters are taking steps toward being more inclusive and culturally aware says something about how society has grown to be more willing to embrace the beautiful and unique cultures that different parts of the world have to offer. Representation can be the catalyst to larger-scale movements. With that being said, in honor of AAPI month, you can investigate the various ways to appreciate AAPI cultures and check out some of the media recommendations we listed above.
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