To ask if people of asian descent feel underrepresented?

[josil]

Please keep this thread polite I don't want it deleted! It's a sensitive question to ask which I'm aware of hence why I'm starting with the disclaimer to please keep the tone non-inflammatory this isn't intended to create any arguments just genuinely want to explore an issue.

I'm asking the question because particularly since BLM a lot of media corporations and people in general are much more aware and inclusive for black people (whilst it's not always perfect I think a lot of people are making the effort to be more inclusive for black people) you see us much more on tv ads and on clothing websites etc.

I just wandered how Asian people feel because I think there is a lack of representation - but also no one really campaigning for it?

I'm interested to hear your perspective on if it bothers you or not? Do you think there's an imbalanced focus on BLM and not on other races?

I appreciate each race has their own unique struggles but I do feel non white people have a unique understanding of each other in many ways when it comes to inclusivity.

And thank you. Brilliant post

I've wondered about the OP's question. Advertising seems to have a particular "diversity formula" where the "diverse advertising family" is black dad, white mum, 2 kids. It feels like a not very diverse group of people feel like they've ticked a box and are probably sitting back and congratulating themselves.

Other way round. Everyone with ancestry from the continent of Asia is Asian as far as the Americans are concerned.

In the UK, when people talk about Asians, they are not talking about Chinese people. Winds me up no end. They use Asian as a synonym for Indian, Bangladeshi or Pakistani.

We only get a look in under BAME. As other minority ethnicity. Other.

Americans do use Americans to mean East Asian.

There's no 'other' in BAME.

The other is implied by the description of minority ethnic.

We're not the B or the A, so we're the other one.

There are 18 main recognised ethnic groupings in the UK. The 'other' ethnic group does not include anyone of Asian descent other than people from West Asia who identify as Arab. Chinese is one of the 18 groups and is classed under Asian.

DH is of Chinese heritage. He's not even represented on the ethnicity forms. Its 'other' and 'mixed other' for him and the DC. He can't even put Asian as that represents the South Asian countries. There is definitely racism targeted at East Asian people and they are under represented in the media. I do wonder if this is a cultural thing though. Education is extremely important in many East Asian countries. On average East Asian children often out perform white children at school in 'the west'. There is a possibility they pursue careers perceived as more academic or are more highly valued than acting or media jobs.

Can I ask, are you of an East Asian ethnicity? Because I don't know any other Chinese people who are happy to tick the Asian box in this country.

I have mixed Asian heritage and am apparently quite ethnically ambiguous in appearance. People find it hard to guess at my background and sometimes tie themselves in knots trying not to guess aloud. DD and I were discussing earlier the sudden upswing in what we privately call “beige” (ethnically ambiguous) advertising casting. If this is a trend, it means we and other hardly-shown groups will be better represented in media, but it doesn’t represent our Asian relatives.

Inexplicably, these things seem to go in waves.

Thanks for trying to discuss it @josil , despite the inevitability of pushback.

Well being of Pakistani for example is very different to Korean!

Yes definitely feel underrepresented especially in media. On TV adverts and shows, you see black people but hardly ever South Asians. Even on flipping Jo Jo and Gran Gran - cBeebees show- you see black and white characters but not Asian- so disappointing.
In politics you may see ministers on the front bench who are Asian but look in the civil service to try and find senior directors who are not white.

I think this actually sums up the frustrations a lot of east asians have - the fact that Asia and Asian issues are just all bundled into one when someone of Chinese decent and someone of Bangladesh descent (to pick two examples) - share nothing in common in terms of culture , race , stereotypes etc.

As someone who appears fully ESEAN (one white parent but you probably wouldn't guess unless you're used to seeing eurasians) - yes, I feel underrepresented and I hadn't realised I felt that way until I watched Disney's Raya. I went in prepared to hate it for its pick & choose SEAsian style... but just cried seeing characters that looked like me, like friends and family.

I HATE that in most forms or surveys I have to tick 'Other' because the options are Asian (Indian), Asian (Pakistani) and nothing else. Or that Chinese (I'm 1/4) is separate to Asian. I appreciate a form that either does Asian for all, or specific East/Central/Southeast/Whatever Asian.

P.S. I follow a group that some here may be interested in:

www.besean.co.uk

Thank you! I hadn't heard of them before. :)

I’m white but married into an East Asian family! as another poster said about her Chinese experience my Hong Kongese family aren’t usually found in the ethnicity section of most forms and are very rarely found in any UK based media/TV , it has come up in conversation and they don’t really mind but they do always chuckle when they are classed as “other” on every form that requires them to tick a box.

Looking at it from my point of view and my experience of my family I do believe East Asians should have more representation in the UK but I suppose we are so multicultural here in the UK that trying to fit everyone in to adverts or tv shows for example would be impossible! If your in charge of recruiting for a 15 second advert for a family based item, who the hell would you have to represent mum, dad and the kids, one black, one white, one south Asian and one East Asian! So what happens to rest of the ethic background I’ve not mentioned, how do they get represented? I genuinely don’t have the answer but I’m glad I’m not in charge of doing any type of media work, it’s an absolute minefield and it can’t be easy, some groups will always be underrepresented but in today’s mixed society they shouldn’t be!

I’m mixed race (Asian and white) and would have previously thought I didn’t feel under represented if really asked.

But I recently watched ‘Hullraisers’ and don’t think I really realised how nice it was to see an Asian family featured where none of their defining characteristics/storylines were based around them being asian. Lead to a really good conversation with my husband about how representation really does matter and it’s important to see people of colour in roles that don’t just revolve around their colour/stereotypical background.

What point exactly are you both trying to make about East Asian people, pray, tell?

Because it sounds a lot like you're saying we aren't as discriminated against, so we don't get to have an opinion on people being racist towards us. People are racist towards us. We just don't generally talk about it, because we're invisible.

I won’t go into too much detail as the OP isn’t asking about racism she’s specifically asking about being represented in the media but yes I totally agree with you, when I’m out with my family or they are alone it’s a daily occurrence whether it’s just staring , finger pointing and whispers, snide comments (whether that’s job hunting, professional environments or the street) or full blown aggressive verbal and physical attacks, they get it all and it’s absolutely heartbreaking and shocking! So I’m sorry you experience it too and in fact to any race that that experiences the above
it happens to all ethnic groups not just one or two and no one deserves it.

Sorry to jump on your thread OP but I think race is an interesting topic. I know I've suffered some very rude comments and judgments and I'm supposedly just white!

My family are from Spain and Greece. I have darker skin than my mixed race friends of various backgrounds so black and white.

I have definitely felt prejudice because of my skin colour yet technically I am white so it doesn't really make sense

I’m white but married into an East Asian family! as another poster said about her Chinese experience my Hong Kongese family aren’t usually found in the ethnicity section of most forms and are very rarely found in any UK based media/TV , it has come up in conversation and they don’t really mind but they do always chuckle when they are classed as “other” on every form that requires them to tick a box.

These things do grate over time, though. Maybe the census classifications will be revisited soon thanks to the current situation?

I think representation in the media and racism are inherently linked though, because if you don't see people of all races depicted in positive ways, you start to see them differently on a subconscious level. Racism is the reason why people should care that there isn't enough representation.

I totally agree, no one deserves it. There should be more reporting of the fact that it does happen to all ethnic groups, not just the ones prepared to campaign about it.