亚裔美国观众和银幕形象
Today, cultural dichotomy means more than just differences in traditions or recipes. For the Asian American community who has experienced so much trauma in the past few years, being seen when tuning into media helps create a sense of connection and empowerment. The media industry has also pledged to do its part to invest in content that paints more accurate representations of diverse communities. This year’s Asian American Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Diverse Intelligence Series report explores if we have made any progress when it comes to Asian representation.
The good news is yes—there has been a significant increase in Asian representation on screen in 2021. Across the top 1,500 shows in broadcast, cable and streaming video on demand (SVOD) in the U.S., SVOD led the way with 11% Asian share of screen compared to broadcast (3.2%) and cable (2.7%). The presence of Asian talent in top-rated shows like FBI, Equalizer 和 Chicago Med, and the debut of Asian-led programs like FOX’s The Cleaning Lady indicate the industry is responding to growing calls for more Asian-inclusive content.
Overall, Asian representation across broadcast, cable and SVOD increased to 4.6% in 2021 (up from 3.5% in 2020). The report notes a significant improvement in representation in the top 10 most-watched shows on broadcast and cable. In 2021, half of the top 10 programs had some Asian talent representation, compared to 2020 when none of the top 10 most-watched shows did. Asian women were present in three of those shows (NCIS, Equalizer 和 Yellowstone) and Asian men were present in two (Chicago Med 和 FBI).
But just being present on screen isn’t enough. The stories that are told and the roles played by Asians are also critical to shaping people’s perceptions about the Asian American community. In 2020, the dominant themes in the stories when Asians were present were cerebral, thoughtful 和 good, which reinforced the model minority myth. In 2021, there was a greater diversity of thematic attributes such as friends, teamwork 和 creativity.
尽管取得了这些进步，但媒体内容仍然无法满足亚裔美国人观众的要求，他们希望得到更准确的描述。最近的一项研究结果发现，2/3 的亚裔美国人认为电视上对其身份群体的表现不够，而当他们出现在银幕上时，超过半数的亚裔美国受访者认为其形象不准确。
媒体行业对人们的信仰和偏见有着巨大的影响。现在是传媒业通过具有文化包容性的节目来突出银幕上的亚裔人物、故事和经历的重要时刻。银幕上的准确表现可以带来银幕下更多的理解、包容、参与与和平。
