Barbie actor Simu Liu, known for his starring role in Marvel’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings , recently sparked a viral conversation after taking to social media to call out the film industry's systemic prejudices and "appalling" lack of Asian representation. Liu's comments followed a Threads post (below) lamenting the absence of Asian men in romantic comedies. In his powerful statement, Liu wrote: "Put some Asians in literally anything right now. the amount of ba

Emmy and Golden Globe Award-winning actor and comedian Nora Lum, better known as Awkwafina, is heading to the kitchen, and she’s taking viewers along for the ride. Apple TV recently announced it is developing a new eight-episode unscripted food series titled The Unlikely Cook with Awkwafina , with the star both headlining and executive producing the show. The series is described as a personal, cross-country culinary adventure that will see Awkwafina exploring the dynamic wor

Arden Cho, the voice of Rumi in Netflix’s animated smash hit KPop Demon Hunters , has recently shared a personal struggle that’s probably familiar to many Asian Americans who grew up without seeing themselves reflected in media. In an interview with the BBC World Service’s Global Women series , Cho spoke about her childhood in Texas and the self-reflected racism she battled. “I hated that I looked Asian,” she admitted to the BBC. “That I didn’t have blue eyes and blonde hair

JoySauce, a streaming network and multimedia hub aimed specifically at the AAPI community and its allies, is looking to shift the spotlight toward joy, celebration, and candid storytelling for the "American Asian" audience. The network’s launch and mission were detailed in an exclusive report by The Hollywood Reporter .   Founded by serial entrepreneur and GeekWire chairman Jonathan Sposato, JoySauce was conceived to focus on "more celebratory stories." Sposato has noted that

These actors have truly defined modern television. Whether on network, cable, or streaming, each of them has earned acclaim by finding iconic roles while also achieving a lasting cultural impact. These actors haven't just found fame. They’ve genuinely moved the needle for representation on the small screen. 1. Sandra Oh Golden Globes. Emmy nominations. Sandra Oh has built a career around defining roles, whether as the fierce Dr. Cristina Yang on Grey's Anatomy or the complex

It’s a familiar story, especially if you’ve spent your life navigating two worlds: the pressure to achieve success in the American system, often by subtly downplaying the parts of yourself that make you different. For years, we’ve heard that message loud and clear. Blend in. Fit in. That’s why listening to director Jon M. Chu talk about his career is so fascinating. The guy who gave us Crazy Rich Asians is now bringing Wicked (with the sequel Wicked: For Good coming out on

Nominations for the 68th Grammy Awards were revealed this week, and music fans everywhere were greeted not only by some familiar names but by what could mark a turning point in how the music industry recognizes women in global pop, particularly those from the Asian American and Asian diaspora. As ABC News reported, the 2026 Grammy nominations highlight women from K-pop and K-pop-inspired acts in several major categories. The fictional K-pop girl group from Netflix’s KPop Dem

Did you, like everybody else on the planet, fall head over heels for KPop Demon Hunters ? Then get ready for some good and not so good (bad) news. The good news is that KPop Demon Hunters 2 is happening! Yay! The bad news? You're gonna have to wait a while. SlashFilm , citing a Bloomberg report, says that the animated sequel is going to be released in 2029. That’s four years after the original’s debut, which means we'll be twiddling thumbs until the end of the decade for the

DreamWorks Animation’s upcoming feature Forgotten Island is shaping up to be something pretty special. The film stands out not only for its story rooted in Philippine mythology but also for who’s telling it. Hollywood has made some progress on Asian representation, but full-length animated features drawn from specific Southeast Asian cultures have been almost nonexistent. As Rolling Stone Philippines noted, it’s “the first international film by a major studio to highlight Fil

Before the fame, before Harold & Kumar and Searching , John Cho was just a college student trying to find his place in the world. In a recent interview about that time in his life, he shares that transferring to UC Berkeley was “the first independent, proactive thing that I did for myself,” a decision that marked a turning point for him. Once there, he suddenly felt a freedom he hadn’t known before. Surrounded by students from all walks of life, he realized he could explore

Asian American literature has gone mainstream. Finally. What started as a few trailblazing voices has become a full-on literary movement reshaping how our country understands family, identity, and belonging. Here are ten books that didn’t just tell great stories. They changed the culture. 1. The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan (1989) Amy Tan’s interwoven tales of Chinese immigrant mothers and their American-born daughters gave voice to an experience that millions recognized but had

KPop Demon Hunters has captured streaming records, the zeitgeist, and the hearts of die-hard fans everywhere. What started as a stylish, demon-slaying girl-power fantasy became a global phenomenon, even sneaking onto the Billboard charts this year. But the animated musical also caught Netflix flatfooted, leaving the streamer running to catch up. For years Netflix famously avoided diving into merchandising, but when KPop Demon Hunters exploded into a worldwide obsession, fa

Having influence means more than just counting the number of followers someone has on social media. It’s about shaping culture, building communities, and defining what authenticity looks like in the real world, too. From TikTok stars to business moguls, these Asian American creators have used their platforms to amplify representation, inspire creativity, and redefine what success looks like. Here are ten of the most powerful voices shaping the social media landscape today. 1.

Asian Americans in Hollywood have long been told their stories are too niche, but a new report from The Asian American Foundation (TAAF) proves that that isn’t necessarily true. Their 2025 Business Case for Asian and Asian American Narratives suggests that Asian-led stories aren’t just good for visibility, they’re actually good for business, too. Despite recent progress, Asian Americans remain the most underrepresented group in Hollywood, accounting for only about three to

Walk into any big box Halloween store right now and you’ll see it: chaos, glitter, and a lot of neon. But forget all those tired old vampire, witch, and Michael Myers outfits. This year’s hottest costume has wings, sequins, and serious main-character energy. Oh, yes. The entire world’s talking about K-Pop Demon Hunters (KPDH), and can you blame them? The Netflix animated hit about three K-pop idols moonlighting as demon slayers is everywhere. Anyone who’s anyone around a scr

It’s a trivia question you likely don’t even know the answer to but probably should: who was the first Asian American to win a Grammy award? A new documentary short that's out now has the answer: Larry Ramos, a Filipino American musician from Hawaiʻi who's been overlooked in American music history far too long. Along Comes Larry: The Larry Ramos Story shows his remarkable journey, from a musical prodigy growing up in Waimea, Kauaʻi, to his rise to fame in the 1960s folk scen