A recent study from The University of Southern California Annenberg School for Communication found that between 2017 and 2019, there were only six Asian women leads in the top 1,300 box office films, and that 39% failed to show even one Asian American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander (AANHPI) character.
"When we think about things like media representation…if you don't look like the standards of beauty that are portrayed on the screens, then it might cause you to have some body image issues or have some low self-esteem regarding some of your features," Dr. Kevin Nadal, Distinguished Professor at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice at the City University of New York, told "Connect the Dots".
In celebration of Asian American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander Heritage Month, listen to hear why AANHPI representation matters, and how negative stereotypes in the media can contribute to mental health issues.
We hear from Dr. Nadal, who is also author of "Filipino American Psychology" and "That's So Gay! Micro-aggressions and the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Community," and Valerie Soe, a Chinese American experimental filmmaker and Asian American Studies professor at San Francisco State University, who has produced experimental films in an effort to dismantle racist stereotypes.
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