Activists Call For Asian Stereotypes To Stop In Film, TV
HOLLYWOOD (CBSLA) - Film and television are in the crosshairs of criticism following the mass shooting in Atlanta.
For Americans of Asian descent, the deadly rampage is a reminder of being the target of violence and punchlines. For example, the often parodied scene of a prostitute in the movie Full Metal Jacket. Critics say images like this dehumanize women of Asian descent.
"It is normalized for us to not speak English grammatically," said Rebecca Sun, senior editor of The Hollywood Reporter. "It is normalized for us to especially exist as objects to deliver sexual pleasure."
Between March 2020 and the end of February 2021, the organization "Stop A-A-P-I Hate" received nearly 3,800 reports of incidents involving hate.
Women were disproportionately victimized at about 68 percent compared to men at 29 percent.
Actor Daniel Dae Kim spoke to lawmakers in Washington D.C. Thursday about the rise in violence against Asian Americans, even as Hollywood reacted in horror to shootings at three Atlanta-area spas that killed eight people, including six Asian women.
Actresses Lana Condor and Gemma Chan both urged their fans to pay attention to the rise in violence and to check on their friends and loved ones of Asian descent.
"Wake up… your Asian friends and family are deeply scared, horrified, sick to their stomachs and wildly angry," Condor tweeted.
