Small Steps

by Lori:

So often in online community discussion groups we hear complaints about how the western media have marginalized Asians, largely relegating them to stereotypical roles and casting Caucasian actors even in movies based on Asian heroes. We're hungry to see art truly reflect life, and we know that a wealth of Asian talent exists out there which is being overlooked, if not outright snubbed. However, positive portrayals of Asians have lately been sneaking in through one of media's unlikely back doors...reality shows.

While I'm not generally a fan of reality TV, it's certainly heartening to see Asian contestants making a good showing in, and often winning, a diverse array of competitions on reality shows. Some of these include Peter Wong of HGTV's All American Handyman; John Jung and Carolyn Bee from Ford Focus Rally America, which received coverage on Current TV; and multiple members of various dance groups on shows like America's Best Dance Crew. And of course we can't forget the original Asian reality star, Yul Kwon from Survivor. The great thing about these programs is that they're showing Asians in non-stereotypical circumstances, acting just like anybody else, and letting mainstream audiences see people who resemble their next-door neighbors, once you look past their ethnicity.

So while we're still waiting for a true blockbuster Asian superstar in the western media, these humble folks on reality shows deserve some serious kudos for quietly representing Asians in a positive light, through an outlet that reaches millions of "average Joe" viewers. It may well be that these small steps end up going further toward creating a more color blind society, than would one big star who could easily be dismissed as an exceptional talent. If nothing else, it gives us one really great reason to tolerate reality TV!