On August 15, 2018, Hollywood went crazy as the highly anticipated movie, Crazy Rich Asians, hit box office. Crazy Rich Asians was a huge step in asian representation in American films as it had an all asian cast. The cast included actors and actresses such as Henry Golding, Constance Wu, Awkwafina, and Michelle Yeoh. On the other hand, the plot follows a purely Cinderella story as a Asian american, who grew up from a single mother, goes to Singapore to discover that her boyfriend is the heir of the wealthiest family in Asia…and has some crazy relatives.

Although Crazy Rich Asians was a huge step in Hollywood, 2018 proved to be the year of growing asian influence. Awkwafina, before her movie Crazy Rich Asians, was casted on a different movie called Ocean 8. Not to mention, Constance Wu’s break out role on the show, Fresh off the Boat. As well as the hit Netflix series, To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, which followed the crushes of Lara Jean as Lana Condor. More recently, John Cho starred in a film called Searching. People were amazed by how well each actor and actresses performed throughout the film.

For years, Asian Americans were disappointed by the lack of representation of asians in Hollywood films. It seemed that time and time again major blockbusters promised diversity but only showcased beautiful caucasian, hispanic, and african american actors and actresses. In fact, some movies even “white washed” asian culture by including caucasian leads rather then asian leads in movies like Dragonball Evolution. Dragonball Evolution was a movie adaptation of a Japanese anime; however, to many fans surprise, Justin Chatwin was casted as the main lead rather than an asian american.

Not only in movies, but asian culture in various areas of the media are being globalized. For one, Youtube is a major platform for Asian Americans to reach out and gain a fandom. Wong Fu productions, Fung Bros, Anna Akana, and LeendaDProductions to name a few. Even in music, Steve Aoki released his music video, “Waste it on Me” featuring BTS, which had an all Asian American cast.

With the rise of diversity in the Hollywood industry, it is refreshing to see Asian American actors and actresses being included. Mabel Ra (12) believes that “having more Asian Americans in the industry shows that United States is progressing towards inclusivity.” Thus, in the end, it is amazing to see more diversity in american films.