JOHN BOYEGA, the African/American storm trooper who debuted in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, has confirmed to Dark Side of the Force that the first Asian to play a major Star Wars character has been picked out of a very competitive audition -- Kelly Marie Tran. Who? Tran is not a household name now but all that might change dramatically when she debuts in Star Wars, Episode VIII. Details of the role is shrouded in mystery so very little about her role has been revealed. The relatively unknown actress co-starred in a few Internet shorts including The Rising Cost of Cosmetics, (2011) and Untouchable (2011)
“I love her. I love her,” said Boyega, who took part in the auditions for the character Tran was picked for. “I think she’s fantastic. It’s a friendship thing in the sense of you meet someone and you’re just like, I vibe with you. I feel like I’ve known you for years.' And that’s a very, very good thing.” Editors Note: From Nerds of Color: Some of the BIG names who reportedly auditioned for the part included names like Tatiana Maslany, Olivia Cooke, Anna Kendrick and Gina Rodriguez so Tran's selection is no small feat. According to Entertainment Weekly, Tran is a graduate of UCLA, got her start in local theater and trained with several improv groups including Second City. Tran is not your typical Hollywood ingenue or starlet and that's what #OscarsSoWhite is all about, right? We want to break that institutional and inbred bias that has prevented actors of color from getting the big roles. Here she is in a funny YouTube skit from College Humor: Are You Asian Enough?
HOW IN THE WORLD does one combine the Jedi Knights from Star Wars, the ongoing presidential campaign, combating apathy with an Asian/American angle? Thanks to Darren Criss, we can introduce the U.S. Rebel Alliance, which targets that demographic least likely to vote but also the group with the most influence. Young adults voted overwhelmingly for President Obama in 208 and 2012 and some say, was key to his election. Criss, a Filipino/American actor with a role in the popular Glee TV show and numerous Broadway credits to his name, is a superfan of the Star Wars franchise. He joined in the video urging people to join the Rebel Alliance. Criss is currently working on his debut album after a stint on American Horror Story: Hotel. The U.S. Rebel Alliance was formed by Paul Adler, a lecturer of History & Literature at Harvard and Andrew Slack, creator of The Harry Potter Alliance and a Fellow at Civic Hall.
If you're unfamiliar with Star Wars saga and this post doesn't make any sense, well ... please, move on to the next post. If you are familiar with the Star Wars universe, which happened a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, if you have the Rebel Alliance, then you must have the counterpart, the evil Empire. Who is the "Empire?" Who is Darth Vader? Who represents the forces of evil?
To Slack and Adler, the bad guys make up the Empire of Big Money, the special interests who have become the king-makers because of the large sums of money they put into the campaigns and who, in turn, have the power to influence polices that may, in the end, benefit the benefactors. In more crass terms: They buy the elections and the politicians. Sad, but that is what our election process has devolved into. From their website:
If there’s a message for our times from the Star Wars franchise, it is this — we need to strengthen democracy now in order to prevent an Empire later. If more people had supported the cause of democracy and not become inured to the Republic’s slow decline then the challenges that Feinstein and Bunch identify would never have become issues in the first place. No Empire, no Death Star.
This story of democracy undermined by the power of a few may sound all too familiar to Americans living in the era of Citizens United. Let’s hope that we can take the right inspiration from the Star Wars saga, and ensure our Republic is one where all voices count. And so, let’s not contain this discussion to a mere article! Let us use it as nerd-fueled inspiration to light up a Republic who so many have lived for, who so many have died for, and may the force be with US!
If politics is too boring for you, or if you feel that none of the candidates represent your views so what can you do? and you feel like the dark forces are too powerful and want to help preserve our Republic, consider joining the Jedi Order of the U.S. Rebel Alliance. May the Force be with you.
### For more news about Asian Americans & Pacific Islanders, read AsAm News.
British actor John Boyega will have a key role in Star Wars Vii.
IN A GALAXY, far, far away, racism doesn't exist.
But in the far reaches of the Milky Way in the edge of one of the spatial arms, that tiny blue and white planet orbiting a medium star, racism is alive and well and threatening to destroy all of humankind.
The release of the trailer promoting the seventh and latest rendition of the Star Wars franchise, Star Wars: The Force Awakens has awaken another kind of evil force in a group of so-called Star War fans calling for a boycott of the new movie because it features people of color in leading roles.
While reading this post, we have to remind ourselves that the objectors represent a tiny fraction of the Euro/Americans and their actions do not reflect the beliefs of the vast majority of the good Euro/Americans, many of whom I count as friends. Having said that - damn - I am constantly amazed how ignorant some people are! The trolls have launched a Twitter hashtag #BoycottStarWarsVII." Their action is so preposterous that it has to be a huge practical joke, right? Nevertheless, they've found others who think like them and the hashtag has gone viral. Here are examples of their extreme paranoia:
Apparently, they're angry that a black stormtrooper is shown in the trailer and is one of the main protagonists, that a black woman has a major role and a Latino is one of the daring fighter pilots. I'm surprised that they aren't bothered because a woman appears to be the central character instead of a white male.
During a panel in San Diego's ComicCon earlier this year, the director JJ Abrams was asked if there were any Asians in the movie. Abrams cleverly answered that he wished that if he could, he'd cast the whole movie with Asians, which elicited audience laughter.
"We wanted the movie to look the way the world looks," he continued. "And I think it is important that people see themselves represented in film. I think it is not a small thing. So I completely understand and think your question is hugely important. And it was a big consideration."
Thus far, though, only one Asian, British actress Christina Chong, is confirmed to have been cast in a minor role. We'll just have to wait and see. I hope I'm wrong but Abrams - like so many who should know better - might be among those who view the world primarily in black in white.
Christina Chong
Star Wars: Episode VII stars Adam Driver, John Boyega, Daisy Ridley, Lupita Nyong'o, as well as familiar faces like Mark Hammil, Harrison Ford, and Carrie Fisher; the latter three whiter than white but their roles aren't the leads that they were when they were younger.
The angry whites (sorry, we have to assume they are white) must have forgotten that the color line has already been broken in the Star Wars universe:
Cloud City administrator Lando Calrissian, played by Billy Dee Williams in The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi.
Jango Fett, a bounty hunter who became the genetic template for the Grand Army of the Republic, played by Temuera Morrison in in Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones.
The young bounty hunter Boba Fett was played by Daniel Logan in Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones.
And lest we forget, the great James Earl Jones provided the ominous voice for the infamous Darth Vader.
Despite Abrams efforts and the above-mentioned actors to diversify the Star Wars franchise, they comprise only a tiny fraction of the casts reflecting the general lack of diversity in Hollywood features.
One saving grace that has come out of this boycott nonsense is the reaction of Star Wars fans mocking the boycotters.
But why does this silliness matter? The haters that are spurring the boycott are just the top of the iceberg of pent-up fear that white males may be losing their position of power and privilege that they've had since this country was founded. We have candidates for president saying racist things about immigrants and we have a faux news network fomenting the ignorant into action, i.e. the recent rash of arson attacks on Planned Parenthood clinics and houses of worship.
The entitlement and privilege enjoyed by white males for so long and carved into every institution in this country is teetering because of the changing demographics of America. There will be those cretins who will do anything to maintain the status quo.
Citizens United, the GOP presidential candidates, the Koch Bros. and #BoycottStarWarsVII are all symptoms of one of the greatest threats facing the future of America - the white backlash.
There is more to the racist reaction to the new Stars Wars cast than pop culture puffery, behind it is something darker and more sinister - it's the Evil Empire's last gasp.
