Smashing stereotypes is vital for the future of movies and television. Prime Video gathered together a group of Asian American artists to talk about the harmful stereotypes that have been perpetuated throughout the industry and in the process, engage in a little bit of destruction therapy.
The video, created to celebrate Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, features Emily Ghoul, Tim Chantarangsu, Eyedress, Wolftyla, Satica, Dumbfoundead, Abdullah Saeed, and Shawn Wasabi. The artists get real about some common stereotypes found when it comes to being Asian American and seeing Asian characters portrayed on screen.
From “wow, your English is really good,” and “where are you from?”, to addressing Asians as a monolith and being biracial or mixed race, the artists bring up some of the most prevalent stereotypes in media, some that still permeates the industry landscape today. As Shawn Wasabi puts it, “I feel like a lot of the stereotypes, it’s like a microaggression. It’s like a thousand cuts that slice you very small, but you don’t notice it until after the fact that it tears down your self-esteem.”
Check out the smashing stereotypes video below from Prime Video and make sure to check out the AAPI content on Prime Video.
English