Editor’s Note: The recent release of Netflix’s “To All The Boys I Loved Before” has set the internet ablaze. It has also given Asian Americans a rare chance to see themselves on-screen. Kwest On interviewed three Asian American women for their thoughts on the film and the current state of Asian American representation in Hollywood.
KWEST ON: Before you saw “To All The Boys,” what did you know about it? What were your expectations?
Lily Wu: I didn’t have any expectations at all and if I did, they were probably very low.
Marian Piansay: To be honest, from the previews, I was under the impression that the movie would be about the main character, Lara Jean, having to deal with five different love interests, and the story revolving around the experiences with those five love interests (stemming from the five unsent letters). When actually watching the movie, I realized that that wasn’t actually the case in the movie.
Sydney Sun: Before I saw the actual movie, I was both intrigued but also nervous. Films with Asian characters aren’t usually done well in American media so I was hopeful and skeptical all at the same time. That said, I had no expectations, either way, I thought it could be great or could be awful, or mediocre.
KO: What were your first impressions after seeing it? What about it stood out to you compared to your run of the mill rom-com?
LW: I laughed, I ugly-cried more than I really should. I was upset. There were so many emotional moments for me. We’ve all had past loves that we never had the courage to tell how we really felt and I think little parts of the movie like the letters unintentionally getting out, resonated with me. The teenage anxiety, avoiding/running away from the situation because you don’t know how to deal with it, the inexperience of love–they all reminded me of moments growing up.
MP: I like that the main character seemed to stay true to herself throughout the movie. She was honest about her expectations with not actively pursuing a relationship, and the reasoning behind it. I also appreciated that while she explained a little later that she chose not to pursue relationships or engage in them, it didn’t mean she couldn’t develop romantic feelings for boys that interested her.
SS: I enjoyed how race was handled in the film. Peter and Lara Jean are an interracial couple and it was refreshing to watch an interracial love story where the person of color did not either have to come to terms with their own identity, come to terms with being in an interracial relationship, or have to explain their identity to their partner. The film treated race like it is, which is a constant in life.
KO: What makes Lara Jean such a good main character? What are some aspects that stood out to you?
LW: I love that the main character was Asian and I loved that she was set in her own ways. She’s quietly confident, fashionable, and lovable and I enjoyed watching her character develop into a confident, fearless woman.
SS: I was scared that Lara Jean was either going to be a manic but charming “eccentric girl” or a wet-blanket. Usually, in movies with characters like Lara Jean, the character must develop a backbone and “discover” their personality. But, with Lara Jean she’s already the girl the main guy likes, she just had to be okay with sharing herself with someone else. Which for me, hit home and rang very true.
KO: It was reported that producers of the film tried to whitewash the main character. In 2015, Hollywood whitewashed the character played by Emma Stone that was originally supposed to be Asian… do you think Hollywood is learning their lesson? Why or why not?
LW: I think what we have going on with “Crazy Rich Asians,” “Searching,” and “To All the Boys I Ever Loved” is great momentum and I hope it catches on. I think the attention these movies are getting will change how Hollywood casts and makes film.
SS: I’m hesitant to say that Hollywood has learned their lesson. After all, Jenny Han (the author) still had to wait for a production company that promised they would not change the race of Lara Jean. Which means, that most of Hollywood is still very much into whitewashing and there are a few companies that are open to more diversity. I do think however, that Hollywood is slowly being influenced by the larger social change that is occurring in the country which has helped create pockets of Hollywood that are becoming amenable to putting leading characters of color on screen.
What I did find surprising was that they cast Lana Condor, who is full Vietnamese, and very much presents as an Asian female instead of casting a mixed race Asian actress. Mixed race actresses are sometimes used as stepping stones between white and color, and the actresses can visually present as looking more like one or the other. So, Hollywood often times use mixed-race actresses as a compromise between them wanting to whitewash but also satisfying the need for diversity. Which is why casting Lana Condor almost felt like Netflix was going a bit above and beyond as a production company. But, all in all, regardless of reasoning, I think Hollywood is moving in the right direction.
KO: With the success of movies like “To All the Boys I Ever Loved” and “Crazy Rich Asians” how does it feel as a consumer of media to be represented in an industry that has long undervalued the Asian community?
LW: I feel really proud to be Asian American. It feels great to watch “myself” on the big screen and can fully relate to every food, every joke that is said that only a person who grew up in that culture can understand.
SS: It feels comforting and validating. Oddly, it feels as if the country has finally decided to view the Asian community as part of the nation. I live by the motto, “Your acceptance is neither required nor desired, but it would be nice to have it all the same,” so, I must admit, that it is nice. Asian faces are finally being seen as worth seeing and Asians can be used as a representation of universal human experiences and emotions. The Asian community can often times feel very isolated from the larger national community particularly when the nation is very much racialized as “Black” or “White,” that polarization leaves very little space and representation for people who do not neatly fall within those two categories. So, yes, seeing these films and then seeing how successful these films are is emotional because it feels as if the Asian community is finally coming out of isolation and into the larger national landscape.
KO: Do you think Hollywood’s current love affair with the Asian community is a flash in the pan or something that will stick around? Why?
LW: Hopefully, it is not a flash in the pan. I think it will stick around. The last few years, we are seeing more Asian representation (i.e. Fresh off the Boat, Ali Wong, etc.) and it just means we are slowly chipping away at the glass. It will soon break.
SS: I do not think that Hollywood’s current attention on the Asian community is a flash in the pan, but whether this attention will blossom into a loving and respectful relationship with the Asian Community is yet to be determined. As of now, I think Hollywood and the Asian Community are in the early dating stages. There will be a lot of factors that will influence whether a long-lasting relationship will take hold, whether it’s Asian creators pushing and creating quality content or production companies either being persuaded by the monetary value or artistic value in telling diverse stories, the factors are endless.
