By Kristy Puchko | Twitter | May 4, 2016 |
By Kristy Puchko | Twitter | May 4, 2016 |
In the wake of #OscarsSoWhite, audiences and the press are more vocally demanding greater diversity in front of and behind the movie camera. But as Ghost in the Shell and Doctor Strange have recently made clear, Asians are being grossly overlooked in the move to make Hollywood more inclusive.
Angie Han and Arthur Chu have written great think pieces on the issue. But it’s been a Facebook post from nerd icon/lord of the interwebs George Takei that went viral. From there, Twitter took on the topic with #whitewashedOUT, and the result was revealing, heartbreaking and powerful.
.@GeorgeTakei speaking on the @Marvel #DoctorStrange casting of Tilda Swinton as the Ancient One #whitewashedOUT pic.twitter.com/KJPzHn88wY
— Matthew A. Cherry (@MatthewACherry) May 3, 2016
Not a sidekick. Not a sidechick. #whitewashedOUT
— Margaret Cho (@margaretcho) May 3, 2016
Seeing @margaretcho in the 90s was the 1st time I saw an #Asian woman who wasn't meek, shy or nice #whitewashedOUT
— Grace Hwang Lynch (@HapaMamaGrace) May 3, 2016
When it's been 19 yrs& still the only fairy tale film i can think of where an asian plays a lead #whitewashedOUT pic.twitter.com/6zuTqpR2Gn
— clara mae (@ubeempress) May 3, 2016
#whitewashedOUT when you're so starved for representation that you're hyped for every glimpse of Jess Pava in SW:TFA pic.twitter.com/0MwipcJhIj
— Betty Felon ✨ (@bettyfelon) May 3, 2016
In high school when people asked who I wanted to play me in my life story, I only ever had 2 choices: Ming Na or Lucy Liu. #whitewashedOUT
— Jenny Han (@jennyhan) May 3, 2016
#whitewashedOUT meant it took years for me to realize writing Asian protags was possible. I cast myself as the sidekick in my own stories.
— Sarah Kuhn (@sarahkuhn) May 3, 2016
POC identify w white protagonists all the time R white people so devoid of humanity they can't identify with POC heroes? #whitewashedOUT
— David Mura (@MuraDavid) May 3, 2016
#whitewashedOUT @KimmySchmidt saying we should relax when Asian mockery is sweet&well-intentioned. ðŸ‘ðŸ¼thx for telling us how we should feel!!
— Constance Wu (@ConstanceWu) May 3, 2016
#whitewashedOUT means people think Asia is one giant mystical place where they can go to find themselves.
— Swapna Skywalker (@skrishna) May 3, 2016
When ppl defend white actors taking asian roles bc "a job is a job" & "they need to eat" and yet…#whitewashedOUT pic.twitter.com/uSDChOV7gm
— clara mae (@ubeempress) May 3, 2016
#whitewashedOUT when you cling desperately to a chara bc they're literally the only 1 who looks like you on the show pic.twitter.com/lf4Cqh3Zdw
— clara mae (@ubeempress) May 3, 2016
Was asked to teach white actors how to do "Asian" make-up for a show bc they didn't cast AAPI. I refused #whitewashedOUT
— Thien-Kim Lam (@thienkim) May 3, 2016
#whitewashedOUT means the continued stereotype of the unattractive Asian male, the submissive Asian woman, the tiger mom, etc.
— Ellen Oh (@ElloEllenOh) May 3, 2016
I didn't think seeing Indian Americans mattered to me until @mindykaling. Until I cried seeing @azizansari on Netflix. #whitewashedOUT
— Amitha Knight (@amithaknight) May 3, 2016
#whitewashedOUT isn't just about the movies. It's about how systemic racism extends out from erasure in movies to outright racism.
— Ellen Oh (@ElloEllenOh) May 3, 2016
#whitewashedOUT means I didn't see someone who looks like me on an American screen until I was 11.
— Preeti Chhibber (@runwithskizzers) May 3, 2016
Viola Davis says it best: you cannot win Emmys for roles that are not there. #whitewashedOUT https://t.co/boipEHNqfu
— Mathangi Subramanian (@Mathangisub) May 4, 2016
#whitewashedOUT when I actually struggle with: if I write myself, will I end my career? If I *don't* write myself, will I be a traitor?
— Marie Lu (@Marie_Lu) May 3, 2016
#whitewashedOUT Growing up Hollywood had me believing that Asians and other POC were a modern invention.
— Kristine Gerolaga (@kristeen_gee) May 4, 2016
you know you're being #whitewashedOUT when white people are trying to say that you, an actual POC, are not facing racism.
— alissa (@hyfralissa) May 4, 2016
To the countless white people who think they need to interject today, may I suggest you #whitewashedOUT pic.twitter.com/JZ1nLarUcH
— Heather Matarazzo (@HeatherMatarazz) May 3, 2016
Capitalism fuels Racism. Whites are cast over Minorities, not out of hatred, but because of the assumption of higher profit. #whitewashedOUT
— Hari Kondabolu (@harikondabolu) May 3, 2016
These films were notoriously whitewashed & were box offices flops #whitewashedOUT pic.twitter.com/oFSz9kS2fa
— lauren. (@wckdstiles24) May 3, 2016
#whitewashedOUT is knowing I should be mad, but being too tired to work up the anger. & then being even madder that the problem is that bad.
— Angie J. Han (@ajhan) May 3, 2016
#whitewashedOUT is letting artists I like slide on this shit because if I held a grudge every time I'd have no artists left to like.
— Angie J. Han (@ajhan) May 3, 2016
I still like Tilda. And Scarlett. Marvel. Emma Stone. Ridley Scott. Cameron Crowe. And it feels a bit like betraying myself. #whitewashedOUT
— Angie J. Han (@ajhan) May 3, 2016