NEWS: Asian Pacific American Heritage Month – Actors’ Experiences in Hollywood1 min read
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“There’s a quote that, ‘You cannot be what you cannot see,’ and we think there’s a lot of truth in that,” says Peter Ash Lee, the New York-based editor behind the Asian-American arts and culture magazine Burdock. “Growing up, we didn’t see many reflections of ourselves in media, and when we did, they were often portrayals lacking any depth.”
The feelings of being “unseen” and a desire for multi-dimensional Asian-American experiences were what inspired Lee and his sister, Hannah, to create Burdock, which launched in April at New York’s Apex for Youth Gala (an event where Gemma Chan and Olivia Munn were recognized, among others, for their contributions to underserved Asian and immigrant youth in the city).
“We’ve often been painted with a monolithic brush, but the Asian community contains so many multitudes and no two stories are identical — there are thousands of unique experiences and stories to tell,” Lee says.
May is Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, a celebration first introduced in 1977 before the observance was officially passed into law by congress in 1992. To mark the occasion, we spoke to nine Asian actors about their experiences in Hollywood, the continued struggle for representation, and the Asian-driven books, shows and films that have inspired them along the way.
Photo Credit: Variety
