The Latest Asian Representations in Hollywood

Written by Zhiyun ZhaoPhotography by Noah Laroia-NguyenIt's amazing to see that there were three movies--Crazy Rich Asians, Searching, and To All the Boys I've loved before--this summer that portray Asian American experience. Crazy Rich Asians is about Rachel Chu's first meeting with her boyfriend's "crazy rich" family in Singapore. Searching is about David Kim's searching for his daughter after her disappearance. And To All the Boys I've Loved Before is about Lara's life after her secret love letters are sent out. What I love about these three films is that they not only cast Asian actors in lead roles, but also tell stories that touch the audience of all backgrounds.Each of these three films have Asian American leads. Crazy Rich Asians has an all-Asian cast, and Searching is the first mainstream Hollywood thriller film that has a leading Asian American character. Not only are Asian Americans seen on screen, they also played major roles behind the screen. Both Crazy Rich Asians and Searching are directed by Asian American directors: Jon Chu and Aneesh Chaganty, respectively. Crazy Rich Asians is based on Singaporean American writer Kevin Kwan's novel of the same name, and To All the Boys I've loved is based on Korean American writer Jenny Han's novel. Both writers also insisted on having Asian American or Asian actors playing the lead roles of the movie adaptations of their novels. Therefore, these three films are extremely significant to the Asian American community, for they have offered more on and off-screen opportunities to Asian Americans to share their experiences with a wider audience.What makes me love these films even more is that they also tell engaging stories that have the power to make audiences of all backgrounds think about family and love. Searching asks the audience to rethink whether we really are more connected to our family in the digital age when connecting with people seems to have become easier . To All the Boys I've Loved Before tells a sweet story about teenage love, and Crazy Rich Asians shows how the protagonists balance their love for their families and their love for each other. These three films show us that Asian American experiences can be unique, universal, and sometimes even both.