Asian Visibility

Marketing stunt or genuine sign of progression? The intentions behind the Academy Awards nomination of two Asian actors for Best Male Lead, and an Asian woman for Best Director for the first time ever are honestly irrelevant. After decades of whitewashing and snubbing women, the Academy Awards have been slowly fading into insignificance. What is relevant, is that in a time when racism and racially fueled violence towards Asians is at an all time high in the US, we are finally putting Asian faces on our screens and celebrating their work.

Steven Yeun and Riz Ahmed were nominated for Minari and Sound of Metal respectively. Steven has been a familiar face since playing Glenn in the hugely successful The Walking Dead, and impressed us again with his bilingual character "K" in Okja. The 36 year old has otherwise been keeping busy voice acting for many familiar TV Shows such as Final Space. Riz Ahmed is probably most recognisably Bodhi Rook from Rogue One, but the London born Pakistani descendant is also a successful rapper in the Swet Shop Boys. The pair are the first two men of Asian descent to be nominated for Best Lead Actor in the Academy's 93 year history. Which says something about both the Academy Awards and the lack of lead roles being given to Asian actors.

Chloé Zhao already became the first Asian woman to win Best Director at the Golden Globes, and could be taking that same title at the Academy Awards for Nomadland. Trusted with the hugely anticipated upcoming Marvel film The Eternals, Zhao is a trailblazer for women and for Asian creatives.

These achievements seem trivial, but they are made meaningful in the wake of what some consider to be the worst year in anti-Asian hate crimes. Stop AAPI Hate, which was created in 2020 to track anti-Asian incidents in the US, recorded over 2,800 cases, including physical violence, verbal abuse, and coughing and spitting on victims. Many individuals with East Asian features, regardless of their ethnic background, have found themselves victim to COVID-19 inspired racist attacks.

Data collected by the California State University found a 150% rise in hate crimes towards Asians in the US in 2020. The killing of the 84-year-old Vietnamese man Vicha Ratanapakdeem, who was shoved to the ground by a teenager, indicates the severity of the situation. While many may be aware of the casual racism towards Asians that still permeates Western culture, such as imitating Asian eyes or accents, and making assumptions about individuals based on stereotypes, few may be aware of the hate-fueled violence.

The illogical nature of blaming Asian individuals, Chinese or otherwise, for the spread of COVID-19 suggests that the anti-Asian sentiment was always underlying Western society. Now, in the wake of the pandemic, some just feel justified in expressing their hate.

Award season isn't exactly a battleground for violent racism, but it's an important platform. Humanising and celebrating Asians in this climate is effective. Put more Asians on our screens. Not caricatures, but complex and relatable characters. No more IT nerd, or quirky purple-haired bestie, or katana-wielding hot girl, or wisened old mentor.

Yeun, Ahmed and Zhao have become familiar names, they may even become famous names. Their faces, Asian features and all, will be watched by countless in a context of talent and class. In a period of anti-Asian sentiment, the Academy Awards said no to shunning our Asian creatives, and that means something.