Chloe Zhao, Best Picture and Best Directing for “Nomadland” (Photo courtesy of Quil Lemons for Vanity Fair).
On April 25, the 93rd Academy Awards (Oscars) made history as having the “most diverse acting slate ever” according to Variety. For the first time ever, several Asian artists were nominated and won awards, in the categories Best Actor, Best Supporting Actress, and Best Director.
The Oscars have long been criticized for being white male dominant and whitewashed. In 2015, only two movies by a Black, Indigenous, or person of color (BIPOC) filmmaker were nominated in major categories at the Oscars. The lack of diversity has sent a harmful message about which stories are worth being told. In the past year, discourse on diverse and accurate representation in the media has skyrocketed, since the pandemic’s circumstances caused the rise of race-based hate crimes. As a result, the Asian nominees this year were widely talked about – some celebrating the wins while others point out how it does not change how the Asian communities are being treated on the streets.
In the discussions regarding the Asian American experiences, individuals oftentimes reference how Hollywood’s depiction of ethnic minorities has had damaging effects on their social interactions. Being Asian in Hollywood oftentimes means being the “token nerd” or “martial artist.” Even more demeaning are the portrayals of ethnic minorities with accents, who are not proficient in English.
The Hollywood portrayal of ethnic minorities has long been criticized for not accurately representing the diverse range of stories that exist in the US. While television shows such as “Fresh Off the Boat” and “Bling Empire” have attempted to bring more Asian representation to the screen, they still rely heavily on stereotypes in their storytelling.
For this reason, “Minari” has received widespread praise for its depiction of a Korean American family who moved to an Arkansas farm in search of their American Dream. The immigrant story is based on “Minari” director Lee Isaac Chung’s own story. Last year’s Best Director Award recipient Bong Joon-Ho also praised the film. Bong said in an interview with Variety, “I think it takes a lot of courage to shoot a film about yourself or your family, since it’s autobiographical.”
While the film has been nominated for several categories, this year’s Best Supporting Actress Award was given to Youn Yuh-Jung for her role as Soonja, the grandmother, in “Minari.” At 73-years old, she is the first Asian woman to win an Oscar since 1957. This is also the first time for a Korean actor to win in the acting categories. While “Parasite” won Best Picture and Best Director last year, none of its actors were nominated for the acting categories.
The Oscars have made claims and promises of being more diverse by 2025 as part of its Academy Aperture 2025 initiative. Some critics say that their efforts towards including more AAPI faces and diversity is driven by American audiences looking for more diversity and the need to satisfy and draw in international investors. Regardless of the reason, there is a need and market for authentic stories that encompass a larger audience. However, there is still a long way to go before proper representation is achieved on the big screen.
The list of Asian nominees in major categories for the 2021 Oscars are the following:
Best Director Award – Chloe Zhao (Nomadland)
Chinese (Beijing-born)
Best Director Nominee – Lee Isaac Chung (Minari)
Korean American
Best Supporting Actress Award – Youn Yuh-Jung
South Korean
Best Actor Nominees –
Steven Yeun (Minari)
South Korean
Riz Ahmed (Sound of Metal)
British-Pakistani
Best International Feature Film Nominee – Derek Tsang (Better Days)
Hong Kong-born
Best Original Song Award – “Fight for You” (Judas and the Black Messiah)
Filipina-descent
Best Animated Feature Film Nominee – “Over the Moon”
