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Asian Americans Go Missing When It Comes to TV

By Donal Brown, New America Media

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Aug. 29, 2006 -- The paucity of nominations for Asian Americans in last weekend’s Emmy Awards reflects their virtual absence from network televisions according to a study financed by a civil and human rights organization.

Done by UCLA researchers for the Asian American Justice Center (AAJC), the study found there are few quality roles for Asian Pacific Islander Americans (APIAs) on television.

Among the highlights of the report are that while APIAs make up 5 percent of the population in the U.S., regular APIA characters comprise only 2.6 percent of the prime time television regulars.

Even programs set in cities with large populations of APIAs – San Francisco, Los Angeles and New York – feature few if any regular APIA characters.

San Francisco had a nationwide leading 33.8 percent APIA population, but none of the three programs set in San Francisco in 2004 primetime had APIA regulars.

Although APIAs make up 13.2 percent of Los Angeles County, none of the 13 programs set in the county included APIA regulars.

For New York with 10.3 percent APIAs, Law and Order: SVU (NBC) featured one APIA regular. There were no APIAs on King of Queens (CBS) even though Queens, NY is 20.4 percent APIA.

There are programs set in cities with high concentrations of Latinos and African Americans with homogeneous casts but none featuring only APIAs.

There were no sitcoms with APIA actors in 2004-05. There were three sitcoms with APIA actors in 2005-06 – Hot Properties (ABC), That‘70s Show (Fox), and Half and Half (UPN).

The study found that when writers, directors and producers include APIA actors, the results are good. Programs such as Lost and Grey’s Anatomy that include APIA characters are popular with audiences across racial and ethnic groups. Since APIAs spend $397 billion annually, the study authors suggested that networks should consider exploiting this audience by including more APIA characters.

The UCLA researchers said that The APIA characters on Lost and Grey’s Anatomy were complex and portrayed in different types of relationships and able to demonstrate a range of emotions and intellect. Overall though, the researchers were concerned that the APIA characters on television were portrayed in high status occupations perpetuating the “model minority” stereotype of APIAs.

“Despite slight improvements in character prominence and quality, the lack of numerical representation renders APIAs still nearly invisible on prime time television,” said Karen K Narasaki, executive director of AAJC.

Nancy Wang Yuen, the lead UCLA researcher, said that the under representation is a lost opportunity. “The public tends to rely on characterizations from film and television to formulate beliefs about groups with whom they may be less familiar. Representations of APIAs on prime time television will impact the treatment and perceptions of APIAs in real life.”

Related Readings on this Topic at the Village

• “Why There are ‘No’ Asians on Television”
  By Erin May Ling Quill, , Special to IMDiversity
  Noted Broadway performer, director, and former SAG diversity rep explores the truths and falsehoods, reasons and solutions -- in the industry and in ourselves
• Roundtable: Asian Americans in Drama and Film
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  A discussion with the cast of the Steppenwolf Theater production of After the Quake on casting and careers for APA actors
• The Power of the Relic Hunter
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  The pull of real, well-rounded, non-stereotypical, and rare Asian and Asian-American characters on TV
• Where's the Real "Me" in Hollywood?
  By Jeff Ho, AAV Opinion
  Seeking a real Asian man? Don't look in Hollywood.
• Arts, Culture & Media Department and Archives