‘Epidemic of invisibility’ for Asians, Pacific Islanders in films

Dwayne Johnson

Researchers at the University of Southern California's Annenberg Inclusion Initiative have released a report showcasing "an epidemic of invisibility" for Asians and Pacific Islanders (API) in movies released from 2007 to 2019. As per Reuters, the under-representation and stereotypical portrayals of the races have contributed to recent incidents of violence and harassment against Asians in the United States.

About 7.1 per cent of the US population identifies as Asian or Pacific Islander. Among the 1,300 top-grossing films released during the study period, 3.4 per cent of leads or co-leads were played by API actors, the researchers found. Of 44 films with API actors in leading roles, 14 starred Dwayne Johnson, the former wrestler known for the Fast & Furious franchise, and Jumanji. Johnson's mother is from the Pacific island of American Samoa.

Six movies featured a female API character in a lead role, the study said. The report adds to research that has found under-representation of women, people of colour and LGBTQ characters in movies and television.

As per reports, Hollywood studios have pledged to increase the diversity both, before and behind the camera. Notable recent films included 2018 romantic comedy Crazy Rich Asians, and 2020 action film Mulan.

Apart from highlighting that the number of API characters were negligible, researchers also frowned upon the manner in which they were portrayed. Sixty-seven per cent were shown as "the perpetual foreigner" with a non-American accent, they were hyper-sexualised, and subject to racial slurs.

The study was conducted by the Annenberg Inclusion Initiative with sociologist Nancy Wang Yuen. It was funded by Amazon Studios and the UTA Foundation.

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