Chan Is Missing: Stereotypes In Hollywood Film

Asian American Identities There are people all over the world who have come to America to seek a greater life. With America having the largest immigrant population compared to other countries, there are always people migrating into the country. People all over the world may be coming here to pursue their own dreams or to escape persecution. The immigrant population has increased so much, that about one-third of U.S. population are now people of color. But with the immigrant population at such a high percentage compared to previous years, there is still a lack of recognition. There is a lack of representation in everything from politics to film. From classic Hollywood films to movies being produced now, there is lack of color. If someone of color were to be casted, they would only play as a character that are based off stereotypes. There are a films that try to move away from stereotypes, but in Hollywood films they usually tend not to. In Chan is Missing, the actors

The only time in films we saw an Asian character was when they were promoting given stereotypes. In Chan is Missing, we view the lives of Chinese residing San Francisco, California, and instead of the characters playing as the stereotypical Asian characters that are usually in Hollywood films, they play as an average resident of San Francisco. The characters were not given roles such as “evil foreigners, China dolls, dragon ladies, desexed sidekicks, criminals, nerds, and mystics” liked described by the author and national scholar Stephani Greco Larson (67), but played characters that had normal jobs either as a taxi driver, or chef. The movie only features Asians, opposite of what Hollywood films, the white character was the outcast. Since the movie was following the lives of Asians, it also portrayed the American side of the Asians lives. They were just like any ordinary U.S citizen and they weren’t portrayed as an exotic