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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Water Cooler: A celebration of Asian Americans in Hollywood

It’s hardly a new conversation to discuss the underrepresentation of Asian Americans in Hollywood, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t tons of talented, working Asian American and Pacific Islander actors already out there. This is actually one of the central tenets behind controversy in Hollywood this year.

Awards shows have long been called out for not recognizing the Asian American community, but the Golden Globes this year faces scrutiny specifically for categorizing “Minari,” a film directed by Korean American director Lee Isaac Chung, about a Korean American family, as a foreign-language film. This effectively prevents it from competing in the Best Picture category.

Last year’s “The Farewell,” directed by Asian American director Lulu Wang and starring Asian American actress Awkwafina, had the same fate. According to the filmmaking and film industry website Indiewire, this is due to Golden Globe eligibility rules which specify that films with 50% or more English dialogue are eligible for the Best Motion Picture categories. Flip that on its head, and that means any film with 50% or more non-English dialogue is effectively categorized as Foreign Language.

Another pattern that has been critiqued in Hollywood is the tendency for Asian and Asian American actors to be snubbed for awards, while the films they starred in receive all the accolades for narrative and technical merits. “Slumdog Millionaire” won eight Oscars, but not one member of its cast was nominated for an Academy Award. “Life of Pi,” was nominated for seven Oscars, and won four, none of which were for acting. “Memoirs of a Geisha,” won three Oscars, “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,’’ won four, and “Parasite,” won four, including a historic best picture. With each award season it was the same story. Neither film received a single nomination in regards to acting.

Just in the films listed so far, there is already so much Asian American talent to celebrate. In the spirit of Asian American and Pacific Islander heritage month, here is a small list of the many talented actors to look out for and appreciate.

Lucy Liu – Perhaps most popularly known for her portrayal of anti-heroine O-Ren Ishii (codename Cottonmouth) in Quentin Tarantino’s “Kill Bill’’ films, Liu has been in the film industry since the early ’90s. She also starred in the 2000 “Charlie’s Angels,” as Alex and recently played the voice of the iconic Viper in the “Kung Fu Panda” series.

James Hong – This legend of the Hollywood industry has had iconic roles in films like “Big Trouble in Little China” and “Blade Runner” and played the voice of well-known animated characters like Mr. Ping in the “Kung Fu Panda,” series and as Chi Fu in the 1998 “Mulan.” He has been working in film and television since the early ’50s, so he’s been in just about everything.

Tzi Ma – With a career that goes back to the late ’70s, Tzi Ma has played a ton of roles in television series, as well as an early role in the movie “Rush Hour.” His career has only been growing in recent years after he was cast in films like “Arrival,” “The Farewell” and “Mulan.”

Steven Yeun – Most recently starring in “Minari,” Yeun has been on the up and up after becoming a crowd favorite on “The Walking Dead,” as well as getting cast in Bong Joon Ho’s “Okja,” and Boots Riley’s “Sorry to Bother You.”

Awkwafina – After gaining popularity on YouTube for her rap music, Awkwafina has gone on to make her presence known in Hollywood, becoming the first woman of Asian descent to win a Golden Globe lead actress award. She has recently starred in “Crazy Rich Asians,” “The Farewell” and “Jumanji: The Next Level,” and as the voice of Sisu in “Raya and the Last Dragon.”