On screen, Asian-Americans rarely get into Christmas spirit

We need to just stop the token placement of certain characters. George Takei, a Japanese-American actor broke the stereotype mold for his race not only in STAR TREK but in everything he did. He would not ever take a role that was stereotypical or offensive to his race. None of that 'whines at an A- at school, dry-cleaning man with an 'ancient Chinese secret', none of that 'Long Duk Dong' crap, none of that. And Jack Soo of the 70s police comedy 'Barney Miller' was the same way.  

Diversity is good but we shouldn't have a token just to have one. After all, 'The Jeffersons', 'Good Times' and 'The Cosby Show' had nearly or even totally Black casts (sometimes a White guest) and those shows had broad appeal, cross-racial audiences and they were good.

We need diversity to reflect our demographics but we don't need to 'plant' token actors to achieve it.

The writers need to write better work!!!!

@Reese

Egotistical? In what way exactly?

I'd venture to say... although I usually disagree with Burning Bush about most things and his delivery above is crude ...

Fortunately over the last few decades Christmas is celebrated also by the secular as a broader seasonal holiday so these ideas are slowly changing.

That being said I'm glad to see these issues being brought up and hopefully we'll see a more accurate representation of what America looks and feels like. Cheers.

What an egotistical pile of garbage. Only thing I can agree with is the "Cheers" part at the end......lol

Article written by a Chinese-American (or perhaps as many are wont to do: American Born Chinese). Let's do the numbers here:

Asian-Americans represent approximately 5.6% of Americans. Of that, 40% are Christian.

That makes is approximately 2.2%....so about 1 in 50. Which would be the equivalent of a 'rare Asian face'.

The author of this story has a twitter feed, check it out:

https://twitter.com/ttangAP?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor

My feeling is that the author didn't do too much research before being triggered by the phrase 'diversity' that didn't include Asian-Americans (or more importantly American Born Chinese). Nothing gets Chinese-Americans more triggered and angered than the phrase 'diversity' or 'affirmative action' that does not include Chinese-Americans.

Oh, one other thing, whenever there's a Christmas movie, it's usually snowing. And that would exclude California....and if you exclude California, the percentage of Asian-Americans in the states that have snow is even lower:

Wisconsin= 2.6% Asian-American;

Minnesota=4.5% Asian-American;

Michigan= 2.6% Asian-American;

North Dakota= 2.7% Asian-American;

South Dakota= 0.9% Asian-American;

Iowa= 2.3% Asian-American;

Montana=0.6% Asian-American;

Illinois=5.6% Asian-American

So, now we're talking about even less...approximately 1% of snowy-state, Christmas celebrating Asian-Americans.

Looks like one more dumb movie with grown ups playing teens.

Asians in movies as comic relief?

Jackie Chan.

Except for Universal Pictures’ “Last Christmas” with “Crazy Rich Asians” stars Henry Golding and Michelle Yeoh, Asian American

Golding and Yeoh are not Asian American.

Jesus ever be portrayed in a Hollywood movie as a Jewish

So far he's portrayed as Buddhist or what ? Or you mean the Dude nobody's f with ?

Grow up Hollywood.

I don't think Hollywood really cares. They do what the hell they want, and they know what people want. I was watching Memoirs of a Geisha with my missus the other week. It's a few years old now, but of the three geisha actresses, two were Chinese and the other was Malaysian. You couldn't find a better way to insult Japan if you tried. My missus loved it and the film made smegloads of money.

Christians account for over 50% of the US population.

Yet image the uproar if a Christian group demanded that Christians be "proportionally" represented in TV and movies.

Yes, because they are probably represented at nearly 100% rather than 50%.

Actually I think you underestimate the Christian percentage of the USA. I think it is nearer 90% - the USA has remarkably high levels of theism for a developed country.

I think this discussion about Christmas movies is a bit irrelevant, but on the whole, Asians are rarely portrayed in leading roles, and then usually as Kung Fu experts.

Well, about diversity, will Jesus ever be portrayed in a Hollywood movie as a Jewish, non-white, non-English speaker?

Mel Gibson's Passion movie what shot in Aramaic, not English.

Yeh, because the number of white and black people in India rivals that of asians and blacks in America. Nice job comparing apples to oranges.

Actually, the number of black people in India well-exceeds that in America. And they are not well represented in Bollywood.

I don't see the point of forcing Asians into roles just because they are Asian. That said, it would be nice if Hollywood stopped stereotyping Asians. I remember an Academy Awards show just a couple years back where they made a big deal of black inclusiveness. In the same show, Chris Rock made fun of Asian kids as accountants.

@Burning Bush

Christians account for over 50% of the US population.

Yet image the uproar if a Christian group demanded that Christians be "proportionally" represented in TV and movies.

Exactly.

I don't think religious or any other group of people should demand inclusion in movies, but it would be great if Hollywood voluntarily included such people.

But Hollywood's boasting of being inclusive and diverse is rubbish. They will never voluntarily include such people and if they do include Christians those characters are usually negatively portrayed.

Asians in movies as comic relief? Last time I saw that was in 1984 with Sixteen Candles (Long Duk Dong). Think blacks and whites are still used as comic relief in Asian countries.

"American entertainment"? No thank you. Not relevant to this country.

Articles like this just confirm I was right to try to CUT tv as much as possible from my life(here in Japan), sounds like its getting craZier each year back  in NAmerica as well, seems like the idiot box is living up to its name LOL!!

Forced diversity, no.

I don’t watch movies and leave disappointed that there was no gay Asian female character in a Christmas movie.

All for diversity everywhere - but it should not be forced.

Out of interest, are there many actors of Asian background in the US? If so, great, if not, why not?

I’d go so far to say that perhaps there are certain fields that not many people of Asian background go into?

Lol

they have every right to expect representation in American entertainment

You had it until you wrote this. There are no “rights” related to racial makeup in entertainment. Expectations, surely. But rights? No.

Looks like several people above clearly don't get it.

Comparing what happens in Japan or India is irrelevant, because those two countries don't have a long history of immigration and multiculturalism like America has.

Asians have been in American since the 1700's, they have every right to expect representation in American entertainment. This has nothing to do with quotas. It's accurately representing what America looks like, and when you compare percentages of Asian faces seen on American television and movies to their actual percentage in America, there is a huge discrepancy, and it's been this way for decades.

Then in the name of it we should ask to Indian Bollywood to put caucasians or black people in their movies or ask to Pakistans to use blond people with blue eyes in their movies.

Yeh, because the number of white and black people in India rivals that of asians and blacks in America. Nice job comparing apples to oranges.

Really fed up to see quotas, especially in Starwars...so fake.

I don't mind to see good actors whatever color. I am sure it is true for the vast majority of us.

My favorite actor is Morgan Freeman and he bears well his name.

Well argued Burning Bush

I find it absurd this desperate necessity for this “forced” diversity from Hollywood.

Then in the name of it we should ask to Indian Bollywood to put caucasians or black people in their movies or ask to Pakistans to use blond people with blue eyes in their movies.

Or even better each movie or tv drama must have a homosexual or lesbian.

I am all for diversities which is the strength of this world but force it like this way without genuine intentions it’s hypocrite and antagonizing.

@NCIS Reruns

I'd be interested in knowing the reasons for this. Reading between the lines, it suggests more Asian-Americans prefer to stay at home at night or on weekends rather than go out. So they may actually be consuming less overall.

That's easily explained through economic disparity, Asian-Americans are generally wealthier than other Americans of different racial backgrounds.

Asian Americans love to go out as much as any other Americans.

I'd venture to say... although I usually disagree with Burning Bush about most things and his delivery above is crude ... I wouldn't say their exclusion is necessarily for nefarious reasons. A lot of people would (rightly or wrongly) associate people of East Asian descent as buddhist, shinto, etc. (yes I know Korea has a large Christian population). Your stereotypical hallmark-style Christmas movie is largely built around protestant, anglophone Christmas traditions (though they were adopted from pagan celtic traditions but regardless). Fortunately over the last few decades Christmas is celebrated also by the secular as a broader seasonal holiday so these ideas are slowly changing.

That being said I'm glad to see these issues being brought up and hopefully we'll see a more accurate representation of what America looks and feels like. Cheers.

 It also found that 81% of all Asian-American households subscribe to at least one subscription video on demand platform — 19% higher than the total population.

I'd be interested in knowing the reasons for this. Reading between the lines, it suggests more Asian-Americans prefer to stay at home at night or on weekends rather than go out. So they may actually be consuming less overall.