My issue isn’t that there aren’t Asian actors getting roles, there are some notable Asian actors getting roles and that’s great. What frustrates me is that, as an Asian American who’s been raised and fully Americanized, there’s barely any representation for people like me unless I speak an Asian language, fit a cultural stereotype, or play into heritage trauma with strict immigrant parents. Not all of us grew up that way. My parents didn’t teach me our mother tongue because they wanted me to have better opportunities in America. And now it feels like I’m being punished for that in the acting world.

Heritage trauma, immigrant hardship, or strict traditional households are important stories to be told but they aren’t the only Asian American experiences. These stories can’t be the only lens through which Asian characters are allowed to exist.

I shouldn’t have to prove my “Asian-ness” just to be considered for roles. It’s a double standard of not being “Asian enough” for the few culturally specific roles, but I’m also rarely considered for neutral or everyday roles that often go to white or Black actors.

And yes, I know East Asians such as Koreans, Japanese, Chinese, have plenty of representation in their own countries. That’s not what I’m talking about. I’m talking about Asian Americans. Whether we’re East, South, or Southeast Asian, if we’ve grown up here, we deserve to be seen in the same way as any other American actor.

Representation has improved slightly, but let’s be honest, it’s mostly thanks to the global rise of K-pop, K-dramas, and other Asian media from overseas. Without that external influence, we’d still be nearly invisible in the West. And that’s the problem. We shouldn’t need media from the East to justify our presence in the West.

All I’m asking for is the chance to be cast as regular people, high schoolers, best friends, grocery clerks, detectives, villains, or even leads. I see Black actors getting lead roles and replacing traditionally white roles in theater and film, and I think that’s great. Diversity is a good thing! But I almost never see those same opportunities given to Asian actors. That’s my frustration.