Quiet. Overachieving. Meek. Successful. The inoffensive supporting character. Over the years, there’s been no shortage of media that portray Asians as the “model minority” stereotype. At the same time, is it possible to center Asian characters without invoking the spinning wheel of oppression as the driving force behind the story? Oppression and racism are part of many of the community’s stories, but it doesn’t need to be part of every one we see on-screen. In fact, it does a disservice to the stories that are yet to be told, which is why the movies and TV shows that don’t highlight their Asian character’s oppression, but let them operate as complex, nuanced leads feel so vital and exciting.
Seeing a multidimensional Asian character as an integral part of a story today still feels like an exception, but they are out there. From blockbuster entries like Marvel’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and Fast & Furious 9 to small screen gems like Never Have I Ever and Kim’s Convenience, there are different fantastical, joyous, comedic, thrilling narratives to entertain us.
Dig a bit deeper into the past, and there are even some forgotten (but always in my heart!) series that come to light. Before the days of Nick Jonas, Priyanka Chopra starred in Quantico — the first South Asian actor to headline a primetime drama. It was a ridiculously plotted show, but she was a first, which means there can be a second, and then it’s become normalized and no one cares. The same goes for Maggie Q’s high-profile casting in the CW’s Nikita (2010-2013), now starring in this year’s action-thriller feature The Protégé. Seeing Asians in prominent roles with romantic entanglements and messy lives — without erasing their culture in the process — is such an important step forward in the stories we need and deserve to see.
Read on for our selection of movies and TV shows that explore worlds where Asians are front and center, with dimension and entertainment value to match.
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‘Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings’
Where to start, but with a literal superhero? Marvel’s first Asian-led movie is an origin story of Shang-Chi (Simu Liu) from the comic series and involves: mysteriously sexy pasts, martial arts, and yes mystical rings of no less than ten in quantity. If Simu Liu seems familiar, you’ve probably seen him in the stellar sitcom Kim’s Convenience, or come across his sweetly genuine tweets and viral TikToks in your timeline.
‘Fast & Furious 9’
It’s about more than fast cars and precision driving, it’s about la familia. Fast and Furious is one of the most diverse (and commercially strong) franchises of our time and with fan favorite and smooth talker Han Lue (Sung Kang) returning from the dead in the latest installment, his story finally gets the justice it deserves. Even if it’s your first franchise viewing and you have no interest in cars, you can and will appreciate the absurdity of the stunts, just trust me.
‘The Chair’ (or Choose Your Own Adventure with Sandra Oh)
Sandra Oh’s career gets better and better. As Dr. Cristina Yang on Grey’s Anatomy, she was withering brilliance. As spy bureaucrat Eve Polastri on Killing Eve, international espionage felt fresh again. And now on Netflix’s The Chair, as a professor (and department chair), she’s back with permed ferocity. So this one’s up to you — doctor, assassin, or professor?
‘The Mindy Project’
Mindy Kaling’s first big post-Office vehicle debuted in 2012, and throughout its six seasons you get to follow the romantic and professional hijinks of the singular OB/GYN Mindy Lahiri. Come for the rom-com vibes, stay for the endearing relationships between the quirky co-stars.
‘Never Have I Ever’
Another one from Mindy Kaling and this time co-creator Lang Fisher, fully embrace the life and death, teenage stakes of being Devi Vishwakumar, an Indian-American surviving (sometimes thriving?) through high school, as the Netflix series explores themes around identity, parental loss, and the deep emotional abyss that is adolescent love.
‘Raya and the Last Dragon’
A full-on fantasy adventure featuring Disney’s first Southeast Asian protagonist, Raya (Kelly Marie Tran of Star Wars) is a warrior in the land of Kumandra, searching for the last remaining dragon, Sisu (Awkwafina). You can’t help but fall in love as they fight, bond, and generally save the world as an unlikely duo.
‘Quantico’
Priyanka Chopra (before she was a Jonas) stars as Alex Parrish, an FBI recruit at Quantico, who manages to do a lot in the first season. She’s accused of treason, uncovers a massive conspiracy, and is surrounded by lots of beautiful fellow spy people—a guaranteed recipe for a perfect weekend binge.
‘Nikita’
Category is: underrated spy dramas with strong Asian leads and government agencies with vaguely menacing names like “Division.” This early 2010s CW series gem shows off Maggie Q’s depth and stunt skills as she plays a rogue government assassin attempting to destroy the organization that made her. Delightful!
‘Spa Night’
An immigrant story that hits a little differently, Spa Night is a coming of age drama with David, a closeted Korean-American teen who starts working at a Korean spa to help his family. It’s moody, observant and will stay with you.
‘Bling Empire’; House of Ho’
Two streaming reality shows following extremely rich (and rich-adjacent) Asians in one year?! While you’re not going to find deep, multidimensional characters in either series (this is reality television), it is refreshing to see them break from the traditional Asian immigrant stereotype. “But what’s the difference between the two?” you ask. Bling Empire follows a loose social group in LA (this is where the rich-adjacent come in). House of Ho centers on a Vietnamese-American family in Houston and their power struggles. Best to watch both and count yourself lucky by the reality riches.
‘Kim’s Convenience’
A Canadian sitcom treasure, Kim’s Convenience revolves around a Korean-Canadian family that owns a neighborhood convenience store. It’s notable for subtly presenting Korean culture and food without shouting it at the audience. The heartwarming comedy just aired its fifth and final season, but if you’re in need of more Simu Liu (Jung on the show) you can catch him in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.
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