Despite the successes of some contemporary films, Asian Americans remain underrepresented in the nation’s filmmaking. Their presence is growing, and they are becoming more prominent in television, but there are still numerous challenges that have to be overcome. Mainstream filmmaking, in particular, is showing a lack of Asian American directors, even though there are many independent creators and artists from this social group in the industry. In addition, documentaries tend to disregard many Asian regions for a variety of reasons. These issues necessitate a discussion of the history of Asian American filmmaking, its strengths and weaknesses, and its future directions.
Members of the community have expressed an interest in cinematography near the beginning of its existence. Hu and Pham mention that Asian American independent films date back to at least 1916 when the independent production The Curse of Quon Gwon was made. The tradition was continued throughout the 20th century, and the 2018 movie Crazy Rich Asians serves as an example of success. However, as Hu and Pham note, there is also a tendency to erase Asians from adaptations of works where they have historically been present. Overall, the history of the community’s filmmaking has prominent positives and negatives.
Each Asian American movie and documentary helps spread awareness of the social group and promote understanding of its situation by the public. However, as Tajima-Peña claims, only 15% of documentary directors at the prestigious Sundance festival are non-white, and the case is similar overall, with 18% being people of color. While each production made by these people may be significantly influential, especially if it succeeds and attracts large viewerships, its overall influence is limited. This trend is especially alarming when the stereotypes about Asians and their promotion by mass media are taken into consideration, counteracting the impact of Asian American films.
I believe that Asian Americans will participate more in filmmaking in the future, as will other minorities. As the values of diversity are embraced, and the social status of various groups is equalized regardless of race or ethnicity, the proportions of workers in most industries should move closer to the shares their distinct groups occupy. As a result, there will be more people of color in filmmaking and directors who can represent their communities. Consequently, the awareness of the Asian American community will improve, and the stereotypes will eventually dissipate and disappear through repeated encounters with reality.
Asian Americans have been filmmakers for more than a century, but they are still underrepresented in the nation’s film industry. This trend is the case for most minorities, as the industry tends to incur significant costs and is not accessible to disadvantaged groups. Therefore, the movies they produce may be individually notable, but combined, they are not enough to counteract the overall narrative and stereotypes about the community. However, the situation may change in the future due to the increasing emphasis on diversity and social justice, which may allow more Asian American directors to have their say.