Special Report: The Current State Of Asian American Representation On Screen
Witthaya Prasongsin
There has been a notable push in recent years to make what we see on screen more reflective of the US population as it continues to grow more diverse. Just as continuous studies are being done to show how both equitable inclusion and authentic portrayals in media resonate with audiences and hold influence over public sentiment for marginalized communities, the television industry in particular has attempted do its part and take steps to increase diverse representation. In May, a Nielsen report was released that specifically examined both the audience and on-screen data of the Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) communities in the U.S, a group whose hate crime statistics experienced a 77% increase between 2019 and 2020, to see what progress, if any, has been made to integrate AANPHI culture into its programming and connect with viewers.
The report, titled “Confronting Myth and Marginalization: Asian American Audiences and On-Screen Representation” from Nielsen’s Diverse Intelligence Series revealed that there has been an overall improvement in Asian American casting since 2020 when looking at the top ten most viewed broadcast and cable shows. Of those shows, half of them (which equates to two-thirds of all viewing) had Asian cast members in 2021 compared to zero of the top ten shows in 2020, with Asian women accounting for a majority of those roles. When looking at the top 1500 programs, the most notable increase in Asian representation comes from streaming video on demand (SVOD), which went from 6.1% to 11% from 2020 to 2021. Both cable and broadcast only saw increases of less than 1% each, raising them to just 2.7% and 3.2% respectively. The report also showed that SVOD represents more Asian groups in general.
AANHPI share of screen
Additionally, the Nielsen data emphasizes a thematic shift in Asian storytelling over the last two years, rightfully pointing out that “the stories that are told and the roles played by Asians are also critical to shaping people’s perceptions about the Asian American community.” It states that Asian presence coincided with “cerebral” and “good” themes, which aligns with the report’s earlier mentioning that Asian representation, particularly female, in popular shows, was most prevalent in police/crime procedurals such as NCIS, The Equalizer, and FBI, but that 2021 saw more diverse themes such as “friends” and “creative” in content featuring Asian Americans. Still, research shows that all Asian groups are more likely to be seen in science fiction than romance so while the increase in representation is positive, the genre of programming must also become more diverse so as not to inadvertently perpetuate certain stereotypes, but rather portray members of the AANPHI community as the complex yet relatable individuals that they are.
Though there has been quantifiable progress, television has a lot of work to do to properly integrate the AANPHI community into the industry as the majority of Asians still feel they are inaccurately portrayed and underrepresented. Part of the reason cited here is that content tends to completely overlook the AANPHI population in rural areas, as if Asian Americans only exist in large urban cities like New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago. According to the data collected, Asian American viewers are looking specifically for entertainment that not only resonates with them personally and culturally, but also across multiple generations. Nielsen’s Streaming Content Ratings showed that younger Asian American viewers were much more likely to watch Netflix and Disney+ with household members that are over 65 than audiences overall, therefore creating family-friendly content that authentically portrays Asian traditions as well as the relationships between the generations, like the wildly popular Disney+ animated film Turning Red did, is almost guaranteed to satisfy a larger AANPHI audience. In doing this exact thing, Turning Red not only drew an exceedingly huge multigenerational Asian audience, but its portrayal of main character Meilin and her family and friends forged a relatable connection between Asian women and women of all ethnicities.
The report also shines a light on issues with representation when it comes to advertising. This study found that the top 25% of advertisers are investing almost ten times more in programs with Asian American representation than the bottom 25%. It was also discovered that the majority of Asian Americans are more likely to watch content with AANPHI representation and buy from those brands that advertise during said content. It stands to reason then that any brand that wants to increase sales within the AANPHI community should be investing more in those programs with AANPHI inclusivity. Nielsen breaks down the top spending categories of advertising dollars on content that includes Asian Americans - travel, fashion, media and entertainment, and pet care - which also happen to be the categories where Asian Americans spend more of their money.
Percent of ad budgets invested in programs where AANHPI talent is present
This report overwhelmingly illustrates that increases in accurate AANPHI representation, whether in entertainment or advertising, can only be good for television, businesses, and the communities they hope to serve. And as these communities expand, so must their integration into the media industry. It is essential to make sure that television content reflects the evolution of AANPHI in the United States, so that they can embrace what’s presented to them, but more importantly so the rest of the population can embrace them and not the overwrought myths and stereotypes that have inadvertently and unequally separated us when we should be flourishing together.