AAPI Month: Celebrating Asian American Representation in Film

May is AAPI Heritage month, which means we will see a surge of Asian American and Pacific Islander movies, TV shows and books being promoted.Growing up, I remember not seeing many Asians on TV or in the movies. When one does show up, I was so happy! It was always exciting to see some representation in the media and to see someone that looks like me.Back in the 70s and 80s, Asians were not even cast in lead roles in movies and TV. When they were casted, they had secondary roles as the "smart best friend", the nerd, or the waiter. So fast forward to today, now there are so many opportunities for Asians in the media. Asians are gaining more lead roles and even their own series/movies. We are seeing many more books, toys, and social media platforms that are created by Asian Americans.

Although I am glad to see that we have a voice in Hollywood now, I think we still have a long ways to go. Whenever May comes around, all things Asian American suddenly pops up in the media, with books, articles, social media and streaming media. It has become the "trend" of the month and the rest of the year it goes back to normal. Although I am glad to see there is a month to acknowledge us, I'm hoping to see more Asian American Pacific Islander content that's more intentional and not just a trend.

This month reinforces for me why we need to continue to celebrate and support community leaders like the ones that formed Make Us Visible, who helped lead efforts to pass legislation that requires the inclusion of AAPI history in K-12 schools in several states, including New Jersey, where my family and I are lucky to live. It is also a reminder that this legislation is only the beginning of the work happening at the school district level in creating and implementing the curriculum. There is also the work I and other parents are doing to hold our school boards accountable, so our kids no longer need to wonder, Where are the heroes that look like me in history books?

Increasing AAPI representation is not just about adding more Asians and Pacific Islanders to writer’s rooms and casts—it’s also about changing the kinds of stories that are told. In honor of AAPI Heritage Month, several networks have created programming focused on the AAPI community.