Asian Americans Role Model

As an Asian American, I find that it’s hard to fit in. There are few role models to look up and relate to as most actresses or stars aren’t Asian American females, but predominantly white and/or male. In particular, United States’ entertainment industry has few Asian Americans on the big screen; however, when it does occur, they’re often given stereotypical roles. Arden Cho is one of the few that has managed to get on the big screen and represents the Asian American identity and the struggles faced. Growing up, Arden Cho faced difficulties of being an ethnic minority. Since she lived in Texas and Minnesota, which was predominantly white, she was the only non-white student in the classroom. She came home with scrapes, bruises, and was even hospitalized at the age of 11; she remembers: “I had …show more content…
and Asia. She commented: “I didn’t fit the standard of beauty in Asia. They wanted me to get a lot of work done...“Work” as in plastic surgery: Not just one or two things, I’m talking, like, 20… Nose, eyes, hairline, lips, cheeks, jawbone, neck, legs, everything.” (Low). Thus, Cho decided not to work in Asia. In the Hollywood, it was the complete opposite. Cho didn’t have to get plastic surgery done, but there were few roles for her being an Asian American female. Hollywood directors most of the time either “went with another race, or went all white” (Ng). There was stereotyping and “whitewashing of Asian actors in film and television”(Pak). Therefore, Cho decided to not accept those roles, but instead looked for more unique roles. She came upon such a role for Kira Yukimura in MTV’s Teen Wolf . Kira is an Asian female main character with distinct traits instead of stereotypical ones of being smart, knowing martial art, and carrying an accent. Through picking a more accurate interpretation of Asian Americans, Cho has taken a step in helping improve the identity of Asian Americans as a