17 Movie Characters That Made Asian And Pacific Islanders Feel Seen
Hollywood has a long tradition of poorly representing other cultures. Whether it’s due to lack of interest, poor research, or attempts not to confront the audience’s prejudice they have of some cultures, it is unknown.
But it is infuriating. The main purpose of movies, TV shows, and media, in general, should be to help people from different backgrounds, territories, and cultures to get to know each other better.
They shouldn’t simply go with the flow and confirm their audience’s wrong impression about some groups. Fortunately, this tide is shifting and more and more movie makers are trying really hard to properly present different groups and honor them.
And it is amazing to see. People who come from Asian or Pacific Islander groups were asked to share movie and TV show characters that made them feel seen.
Many people have shared their opinions, and we have selected some of the most interesting ones. We hope they will inspire you to watch these movies and get to know different cultures a bit better.
And if you’ve already seen these movies, watching them again won’t hurt, right? Here are some of the best characters they felt represented by:
1. Priya Mangal from Turning Red
"She 100% embodies the emo Indian girl side of me. I also share her love for boy bands."
Disney2. Nani and Lilo Pelekai from Lilo & Stitch
"I loved seeing Nani all shapely with her rounded features and wide nose like mine. I loved hearing the songs and the pidgin. It made my Pu'uwai (heart) so happy to see some representation that wasn't just a character wearing a grass skirt and coconut bra while dancing bad hula.""Although I’m not Hawaiian, Lilo from Lilo & Stitch personally made a big impact on me. Growing up as a Filipina, it was really rare to have any type of representation, so it was so nice and comforting to see a Disney movie centered around a brown little girl who was unapologetically herself. Not to mention the values of Ohana within the movie — my family is big and not your conventional nuclear stereotype, but we’re still perfect in our own imperfect way. That movie always brings me comfort and its AAPI successors (Moana, Raya and the Last Dragon, Turning Red, etc.) make my heart full."
Disney3. Joy Wang and Evelyn Quan Wang from Everything Everywhere All at Once
"The interactions she had with her mother were so so real — like, my mom and I have had their exact conversations. Joy and I are also both part of the LGBTQIA+ community, and we've both had a hard time trying to get our moms to understand and accept us for it. I know that my mom will always love me no matter what, so the movie also let me see from my mom's perspective too. It made me cry so much because of how much I felt seen in it, and I can't wait to watch it again.""I feel like at one point I was Joy, with a mother who didn't get me. But recently, I've been morphing into Evelyn, mid-40s and feeling overwhelmed and lost in life."
A244. Shang-Chi from Schang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
"As a Chinese-American, it’s not often you see someone who looks like you, American culture and all. He has such good character development — he goes from hiding a part of himself to truly embracing who he is. He was a valet who, even with the nastiest treatment from guests, would bow his head down just to make it in the US. The fight on the bus forced a side of him to come out and, from then on, it was just progress. Beautiful development, really."
Marvel5. Devi Vishwakuma and her family from Never Have I Ever
"There were so many things I could relate to, but the funniest was probably when Devi's grandmother made her help her with a bunch of chores, including making yogurt by stirring and watching the milk on the stove until it boils. Devi gets really bored and leaves and the milk boils over, much to the chagrin of her grandmother. Having done this a few times to my own grandmother or listened to her use a few choice words in Hindi as she herself accidentally let the milk boil over, this scene really reminded me of my childhood and made me smile."
Netflix / Courtesy Everett Collection6. Moana from Moana
"As a Samoan woman, Moana meant everything to me. She was Disney’s first Polynesian princess, and the movie highlighted parts of the culture that many Pacific Island nations have in common. From her love for family to her courage to her dedication to her community, Moana embodies many aspects of what it means to be a Polynesian woman. Having a Polynesian princess on the big screen gave Pacific Islanders a new level of visibility and filled me with pride and joy."
Disney7. Richard "Data" Wang from The Goonies
"He was goofy, smart, brave…I wanted to be all those things. The Goonies defined my childhood and Data’s character defined the kind of kid I wanted to be. At that time, it was important to see another Asian on the screen, even if we weren’t the same ethnicity."
Warner Bros.
8. Grace Choi from Black Lightning
"While it is extremely gratifying to see Asian-American representation, as a lesbian, it is even more heartwarming (and rare) to find queer Asian representation. On top of that, I am also Korean, so seeing myself truly represented on television was an extremely special moment. I have never felt so seen and represented."
The CW
9. Mulan from Mulan (1998)
"As a Chinese woman, she’s my go-to character!"
Disney
10. Harold Lee from the Harold & Kumar movies
"He did everything his parents expected from him and still felt lost and not in control of his own life. He wanted to date the girl that excited him, but felt resigned to marrying the girl he thought his parents would like best."
New Line Cinema / Courtesy Everett Collection
11. Janet Kim from Kim's Convenience
"As a Korean-Canadian who grew up in Toronto, it was refreshing to see someone like me going to university, figuring out relationships with parents, friends, and crushes, and just growing up and 'finding herself.' She struggled with church and identifying with her parents and the more conservative older generation, and I can totally relate to that."
CBC
12. Raya from Raya and the Last Dragon
"As a Chinese-Tahitian who grew up in the Philippines, Raya made me tear up for sure. I absolutely loved how carefully and lovingly the writers and animators portrayed the cultures, not to mention the characters were strong women I could admire. I really hope I can bring that to my own writing too."
Disney
13. Manny Santos from Degrassi: The Next Generation
"It wasn't just the fact that she was Pinay, but the way she was also able to challenge her conservative upbringing and defy stereotypes. She gave me strength as a Filipino teen navigating middle school and high school."
CTV
14. Tori Santamaria from Degrassi: The Next Generation
"I adore Manny as much as anyone, but I hardly ever see Tori talked about. Although I felt the writers didn't give her nearly enough screentime, it was amazing to see another half-Filipina girl who looked just like me navigating her way through the ups and downs of high school. She had so, so much potential. Plus, she's Cassie Steele's (Manny's) real-life sister!"
TeenNick
15. Ned Leeds and his Lola from Spider-Man: No Way Home
"I absolutely teared up in the theater seeing this. I lost my grandpa a few months before the movie came out, and this scene reminded me so much of cooking lumpia in the kitchen with him as a kid and hearing him speak Tagalog. It's the most represented I've ever felt by a big superhero movie."
Marvel
Watch the scene:
16. Emily Fields from Pretty Little Liars
"Growing up, it was extremely rare for me to see any Filipino representation at all. Having queer Southeast Asian representation on a big show like Pretty Little Liars was everything to me. I loved Emily's strength and kind heart — and of course, I love Shay Mitchell as well!"
Freeform
17. Every character from Crazy Rich Asians
"Certain parts of it were filmed in my hometown. Since it was the first all-Asian-cast Hollywood movie I had ever watched, I think it was also the first time that I truly understood the importance of feeling seen. I know some people don’t see the movie as relatable due to it being focused on the Rich, but I 100% related to the culture, food, and mothers/grandmothers disapproving of certain choices in my past love life."
Warner Bros.
The people of the Pacific Islands are known as Pacific Islanders, Pacificers, Pasifika, or Pasefika. It is used as an ethnic/racial word to denote the indigenous peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of Oceania's three primary subregions (Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia).
It is an area with amazing history and customs. It deserves to be represented properly. We hope the trend will continue.
