spotlight on asian culture Media representation popularizes Asian culture NATALIE VU ONLINE NEWS EDITOR
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t one point in time, the scariest place for an Asian American student was the cafeteria. As their lunches were met with confused stares and offhand comments, Asian Americans became conditioned to feel embarrassed of their culture. Other Asian-associated interests, from K-pop to anime, have faced their fair share of ridicule. But as Asian culture has taken center-stage in various Western countries, Asian American students are finally able to share aspects of their identity after years of hiding them. “I feel like there’s definitely been more Asian culture appreciation in Western culture, which has been really big for me,” said senior Songhan Pang, president of the Asian American Association (AAA). “Growing up I didn’t really see that much representation of Asian culture.” Last year, after continual association with the COVID-19 virus, Asians faced a wave of racism and hate crimes. “For someone who has really
strong ties with her Chinese American heritage, it’s really disheartening to see,” Pang said. “I really hope that people grow to notice that the coronavirus is not race-based—it’s a public health concern for everybody.” Recently, as a result of increased representation in the media, Asian culture is finally being celebrated and appreciated. The release of the hit series Squid Game, BTS shattering records, Asian-dominated casts in Hollywood movies, popular anime releases and Eastern films making their way into the U.S. are just a few examples of how Asian culture has grown. “I feel like there was a sudden rise [in appreciation] with ‘Gangnam Style,’ then it kind of went down until BTS and Squid Game came along,” junior Kevin Lim said. “I feel extremely proud personally because mostly we see Asian culture, and it’s Korean right now, so it makes a Korean very proud.” Representation for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) had been lacking in Hollywood until 1993 when The Joy Luck Club, the first all-Asian
mainstream film, was released, but this generation didn’t see that kind of representation until 2018’s Crazy Rich Asians. “I have noticed a recent uptick of inquiries asking me about Asian American society in general and of requests wanting me to share insights of contemporary Asian culture, [especially] after Crazy Rich Asians debuted in 2018,” said Chinese language teacher Wendy Pearson, the AAA sponsor. In 2020, the South Korean Film Parasite won an Oscar for best picture, making it the first non-English language film to win the award. Since then, the film industry has become noticeably more inclusive, especially with the 2021 release of Marvel’s Shang Chi, an Eastern-based film with an Asian-dominated cast. With all this content being produced, trends have started to revolve around them, including the use of Eastern beauty products, making dalgona candy from Squid Game and learning K-pop dances. “While it may not be a surprise for the younger generation who have grown up with social media, knowing that Asian culture has become a ‘trend’ among them is quite a surprise for me,” Pearson said. Representation has grown in all aspects of Asian culture, especially in the music industry. BTS, a well-known K-pop band, has gained massive popularity in the U.S. over the years. “In eighth grade, I had just gotten into K-pop, but I wasn’t really sharing
School sQUID GAME — Natalie Ng and
Rosa Kwon try to cut out a shape in dalgona candy during the Asian American Association’s version of Squid Game after school on Nov. 10. The show exposed viewers to aspects of Korean culture.
30 | A&E | DECEMBER 2021
Photo by Natalie Vu | Page design by Vanessa Popescu & Natalie Vu
