AANHPI nominees for Golden Globe awards and the Big Snub

Golden Globe nominee Dwayne Johnson is nearly unrecognizable in "The Smashing Machine."

OPINION

Well, here we are again. Another awards season kicks off, another round of Golden Globe nominations announced, and yet again we're left asking: Where's the AANHPI love?

It seems the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (or whatever they call themselves these days) is sticking to their old script. We get a token nod here, a "snub" that screams louder than a Mariah Carey high note there. It's the same story, different year. The "edge" of inclusion is apparently still a cliff they are afraid to jump off.

Let's break down the hits and, more importantly, the misses.

Who Got In?

Lee Byung-hun managed to break through the white noise, snagging a well-deserved nomination for Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy for his work in

No Other Choice. A win is a win, and we'll take it. But does one man make a movement?

Dwayne Johnson is a surprise nominee, but maybe this is Hollywood's way of showing an appreciation for his box office hits and popular appeal. He  foregoes his usual cinematic wisecfracking persona and gets serious as martial artist Mark Kerr in The Smashing Machine, a gritty biopic that sidesteps cliché earning him a nomination as Best Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama.

We saw a couple of mentions in the animation and music categories:

KPop Demon Hunters earned a couple of nods: Best Animated Feature, and a song from that film, "Golden," the song from 

Wicked: For Good

, got a Best Original Song nomination. Good for them, but these categories often feel like the "kids' table" of the awards circuit when we're talking major industry recognition.

Perhaps animated AANHPI characters are easier to accept for the Hollywood denizens than live actors.

The Snubs Heard 'Round Hollywood

Here's where the real story is. The one that makes you shake your head and wonder if these voters even watch the same movies as the rest of us. Jon M. Chu, the man behind the camera for the mega-hit Wicked: For Good, was left out of the Best Director race. 

A massive blockbuster with critical buzz and strong performances from its leads (Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, who did get nominations) is apparently not "directing" enough for the Globes. The film itself was also shut out of the Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy category. 

It's a snub that is, frankly, hard to defend and typical of the industry's blind spot for AANHPI creative talent at the highest level.

In addition, Hailee Steinfeld was left out of the supporting actress nominations for her role in Sinners, a film that received seven nominations.

AANHPI representation this year is better than last year when there were no AANHPI actors nominees. There's definitely room for improvement.

Hollywood's systemic bias

As awards season rolls into high gear, Asian and Asian American actors and projects are comparatively few and far between, according to interviews with some of Hollywood's AANHPI creatives. Despite the box office and creative success of films like Crazy Rich Asians, Everything, Everywhere All At Once, and Minari on the big screen and Shogun and Beef for TV, Hollywood's apparent commitment to diversity appears to waning.

Simu Liu has been an outspoken voice regarding diversity and inclusion in the film and TV industries, using his platform as Marvel's first Asian superhero to advocate for change.

In social media posts in November this year, Liu described the current state of Asian representation as "f***ing appalling". He noted that while Asian-led films like Everything Everywhere All at Once, Crazy Rich Asians, and Shang-Chi have been financially successful, studios still seem to view Asian actors as a risk.

Liu points to a "deeply prejudiced system" where white male actors can star in multiple box-office flops and still land leading roles in tentpole films, whereas Asian actors face much higher scrutiny and fewer chances.

Director Chloe Zhao could be a multi-ward winner for the Golden Globes.

Following are the AANHPI projects and actors nominated for the Golden Globes:     

Best Motion Picture – Drama

    HAMNET (directed by Chloé Zhao)

Best Motion Picture – Musical Or Comedy

    NO OTHER CHOICE 

Best Performance By A Male Actor In A Motion Picture – Drama

    Dwayne Johnson, The Smashing Machine

Best Performance By A Male Actor In A Motion Picture – Musical Or Comedy

    Lee Byung-Hun, No Other Choice

Best Director – Motion Picture

    Chloé Zhao, Hamnet

Best Screenplay - Motion Picture

    Chloé Zhao, Hamnet

 Best Motion Picture – Animated

    KPop Demon Hunters  

Best Motion Picture – Non-English Language

    No Other Choice

Best Song – Motion Picture

    “Golden,” KPop Demon Hunters

Best Performance in Stand-Up Comedy or Television

    Kumail Nanjiani, Kumail Nanjiani: Night Thoughts

The 2026 Golden Globes ceremony will air live on CBS on Sunday, January 11, at 5 p.m. PT / 8 p.m. ET, and will also stream on Paramount+ in the US. The show returns to the Beverly Hilton and will once again be hosted by comedian and actress Nikki Glaser.

        FYI: For a complete list of Golden Globenominees.

The bottom line? The 2026 Golden Globes are, once again, a mixed bag. We're seeing slow, glacial progress in some areas, but the key power-player categories like directing and non-stereotypical roles remain elusive. It just goes to show, we still have a long way to go before the "edge" becomes the mainstream.

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news, views and chismis from an AANHPI perspective, follow me on Threads, on X, BlueSky or at the blog Views From the Edge. 

Golden Globes: 'Beef' Ali Wong, Steven Yeun win

From left, Beef's Steven Yeun, Lee Sung Jin and Ali Wong after winning their Golden Globes.

Win some. Lose some. The diversity of Asian America was on full display Sunday at the Golden Globes Awards, from the triumphs of Beef to the struggles of comedian Jo Koy, the show's last-minute host.

Beef was awarded Best Television Limited Series, Anthology Series, or Motion Picture Made for Television.

In addition, Beef’s lead factors Ali Wong and Steven Yeun took home awards for best performance by an actress and an actor, respectively.

The Netflix movie’s director and writer Lee Sung Jin, made sure to thank his counterpart in the real-life road rage incident that inspired the show. “I’d be remiss not to thank that driver,” he said. “Sir, I hope you honk and yell and inspire others for years to come.

Beef’s lead factors Ali Wong and Steven Yeun took home awards for best performance by an actress and an actor, respectively.

        FYI: Complete list of winners and nominees.

It was the first time an Asian American production won in these respective categories in Golden Globe history and Wong made history as the first Asian Amereican actress to win in that category.

The awards show also made history with its first Filipino American host Jo Koy. Unfortunately, the standup comedian’s opening monologue wasn’t his best performance. Many of his jokes fell flat in front of the show biz audience.

SCREEN CAPTURE / BBC

Jo Koy's jokes failed to hit with the show business audience. 

At one point during his monologue, Koy was met with boos prompting him to ask for the audience's understanding since he took the job only 10 days ago after several other potential emcees turned down the gig.

The morning after his hosting disaster, Koy was a gust on GMA3. Co-hosts Eva Pilgrim and DeMarco Morgan noted that Koy seemed a bit down deflated during an interview.

“I’d be lying if it doesn’t hurt,” said Koy of the reviews. “I hit a little moment there [during the monologue] where I was just like, ‘Ah.’ Hosting is a tough gig. Yes, I am a stand-up comic, but that hosting position is a different style. It’s not the same style.”

“That’s a tough gig! I’m not gonna lie,” he told the Hollywood Reporter this morning. “I really love the art of stand-up and it was cool that the opportunity came to me. Hosting is just a beast… and the crash course was really hard, too. … I literally got the call and haven’t slept since, just trying to write something, just trying to to write what we had to write. And the guys were great. Everyone was great. It’s just… that was that night. I had an off night!”

He added, “I wanted to give a little bit more of me, and I just fell a little short and that’s all.”

“It’s hard to blame the guy though given that it was not only his first time hosting an awards show but he had very little time to get his act together,” read commentary from Rolling Stone‘s Marlow Stern.

Koy tried to look at the bright side his below par performance. “That’s one thing I want to be proud about,” he said. "It was a long journey, and the opportunity came, and no one knew where the Golden Globes was gonna be, and then last second CBS picked up the show and everyone was kind of turning down the offer because of the time, and I jumped on it. I was like, ‘You know what? Let’s try it. Let’s go for it.’”

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news and views from an AANHPI perspective, follow me at Threads.net/eduardodiok, @DioknoEd on Twitter or at the blog Views From the Edge.

'Beef" and 'Past Lives' garner Golden Globe nominations

Steven Yeun and Ali Wong (Beef) and Greta Lee (Past Lives) got Golden Globe nominations.

Two films with Asian American leads were among the nominees for the 2024 Golden Globes. The movies Beef and Past Lives expand Asian American characterizations beyond the typical stereotypes.

Past Lives, which is on most critics' lists of 2023's best movies, has two chances to win a Golden Globe for Best Drama Motion Picture and Best Foreign Language Motion Picture.

The romantic movie's lead actress, Greta Lee, earned a nod in the Best Actress in a Dramatic Motion Picture category.

In addition, the film won nominations for Celine Song for Best Director and her screenplay.

Unlike the Oscars which give awards to motion pictures only, and the Emmy's which award television projects, the Golden Globes hand out trophies to both mediums.

Netflix's dark comedy Beef was nominated Best Television Limited Series, Anthology Series, or Motion Picture Made for Television.

 It also won nominations for its leads Steven Yeun and Ali Wong, both of whom played against type. They both played heavily flawed characters who can show anger, be angry, obsessed, unpredictable and, at times, unlikeable. 

The pair are the first Asian actors to be nominated in the limited series category.

Charles Melton (Riverdale) received a supporting actor nomination for his role  in the romance film, May December, also a breakthrough for an Asian American actor.

Joe Hisaishi won a nomination as a composer for The Boy and the Heron, an animated film from Japan. The film also won a nomination in the Best Animated Feature category.

The Hollywood Foreign Journalists Association which came under fire for its lack of diversity, used to give out the awards. That body dissolved last summer amid the criticism and a boycott by actors. The awards was taken over by DCP and Eldridge DCP is owned by Penske Media Eldridge, a joint venture between Penske Media Corporation and Eldridge that also owns The Hollywood Reporter.

The Globes' commitment to diversity has led to this year where 72 of the 90 performance nomination slots went to non-Hispanic white people. However, it yet to be seen if those nominations turn into awards recogntion.

The films receiving the most nominations were blindingly White. Barbie, which garnered nine nominations. Oppenheimer has eight nominations. In the television categories, Succession has the most with nine.

“This has been a year of exciting change for the Golden Globes,” said Helen Hoehne, the Globes new president. “Not only are we starting a new partnership with CBS network, but our voting body has grown to 300 members from 75 countries, making the Golden Globes the most culturally diverse major awards body.”

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news and views from an AANHPI perspective, follow me at Threads.net/eduardodiok, @DioknoEd on Twitter or at the blog Views From the Edge.

Michelle Yeoh, Ke Huy Quan make history as they win Golden Globes

SCREEN CAPTURE / ABC

Michelle Yeoh wins a Golden Globe in the best actress in a comedy category.

Michelle Yeoh and Ke Huy Quan basked in their historic moments as they won best actress and best supporting actor awards, respectively, for their roles in the Everything Everywhere All At Once motion picture.

Quan is the first Asian artist to win a Golden Globe in his supporting role category. Yeoh is only the second Asian artist to win a Golden Globe for best actress in a musical or comedy. The first winner in the same category was Awkwafina for The Farewell.

As she accepted her award, Malaysian-born Yeoh said "I'm just going to stand here and take this all in." Looking over the audience and clucthing her trophy  tightly in both hands. "Forty years, not letting go of this," referring to her 40-year career which began in Malaysia and Hong Kong.

"I remember when I first came to Hollywood, it was a dream come true until I got here," she continued. "I came here and was told, 'You're a minority.' And I'm like, 'No, that's not possible.' And then someone said to me, 'You speak English.' And then I said, 'Yeah, the flight here was about 13 hours long, so I learned on the way.'"

When she was given a musical cue to end her speech, Yeoh, known for her martial arts movies, told the pianist, "Shut up. I can beat you up." She continued to thank her castmates and Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, who jointly wrote the script and directed the movie.

"I turned 60 last year, and I think all of you women understand this: As the days, the years and the numbers get bigger, it seems like opportunities start to get smaller as well," she said, noting that she had even told herself she'd "had a really, really good run" and so "it's all good" -- until Everything Everywhere All at Once, which she called "the best gift," came along. In the film, Yeoh plays an immigrant mother involved in an epic adventure through a multitude of universes.

SCREEN CAPTURE

Ke Huy Quan kissed his Golden Globe trophy as he was named Best Supporting Actor
in a musical or comedy.

Quan, who played Yeoh's beleaguered husband in the movie, gave an acceptance speech that was perhaps the most sincerest speech of the night.

There wasn’t a dry eye in the house when he accepted his award. “I was raised to never forget where I came from and to always remember who gave me my first opportunity. I am so happy to see Steven Spielberg here tonight. Steven, thank you,” Quan said, acknowledging the role that gave him his start as a child actor in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, directed by Spielberg.

“As I grew older, I started to wonder if that was it, if that was just luck,” he added. “For so many years, I was afraid I had nothing more to offer. No matter what I did, I would never surpass what I achieved as a kid.” Clearly, that didn’t turn out to be true, and Quan went onto thank Kwan and Daniel, the directors of the science fiction hit, for casting him as Waymond. 

“More than 30 years later, two guys thought of me. They remembered that kid and they gave me an opportunity to try again,” he said, choking with emotion. “Everything that has happened since has been unbelievable.”

Finally, Quan thanked “the most important person in (his) life,” his wife, "who never lost faith in me."

RRR, the 3-hour film from India, won a Globe for Best Song but failed to win Best Foreign Film, which was given to 1985 Argentina.

Dolly de Leon, the actress from the Philippines, did not win in Best Supporting Actress in a Drama, was considered a dark horse for her role in Triangle of Sadness and drew the attention of Hollywood studios as her role as a cleaning lady on a luxury yacht. 

Maybe one day we can write about a Hollywood awards show and not use the word "historic." Maybe, one day. But not today.

CORRECTION: 10 a.m., Jan. 11. Earlier versions incorrectly identified Michelle Yeoh as the first Asian actress to win best actress in a musical or comedy.

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news and views from an AANHPI perspective, follow @DioknoEd on Twitter.

'Everything Everywhere All at Once" earns six Golden Globe nominations

Golden Globe Acting nominations went to Michelle Yeoh, Jamie Lee Curtis Ke Huy Quan
for their roles in Everything Everywhere All At Once.

Hollywood may finally be realizing that there's a wealth of untapped talent in the AANHPI community.

The film Everything Everywhere All at Once earned six Golden Globe nominations, which were announced this morning (Dec. 12).

Topping the nominations is Michelle Yeoh for Best Actress in a Comedy or Musical for her portrayal of the lead character, Evelyn quan Wang, a struggling Asian immigrant shifting through a variety of roles in different universes.

Nominated in the Supporting Actor category is Yeoh's co-star Ke Huy Quan as Waymond Wang, Evelyn's gentle and patient husband who is transformed into a super-cool, brooding, kung-fu expert.

The movie with a largely Asian cast also earned a nomination for veteran actress Jamie Lee Curtis as an IRS agent.

Daniel Kwan and Daniel Sheinert, above, were nominated for Golden Globes in two categories:
directing a comedy/musical and original screenpplay.

The directors and writers, Dan Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, who were nominated for Best Director of a Comedy/Musical and for original screenplay.

After all that, it was no surprise that the film also was nominated for Best Comedy/Musical Motion Picture.

The six awards for EEAOw as the second most for a movie. The Banshees of Inisherin, garnered eight nominations.

The Golden Globes Awards Ceremony will take place on Jan. 10, 2023. It will be returning to NBC after the network dropped the show last year for the lack of diversity among the members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) which gives out the awards. 

FYI: Click here for the complete list of nominees.

The Golden Globes in the past had been seen as launching pads for actors and movies being pushed for the Academy Awards. Yeoh and Quan have been mentioned frequently as possible Oscar nominees.

ASIANS AMONG NOMINEES

Other Asian and Asian American Golden Globe nominees include:

• Filipino actress Dolly De Leon has been nominated in the Best Supporting Actress category for her role in Triangle of Sadness, where she plays a toilet cleaner on a luxury yacht. When the passengers are stranded, de Leon's character's social status rises to the top because of her survival skills.

• Pixar's Turning Red, the Disney film about an Asian American girl's reaching puberty received a nomination in Best Animated Film category.

• Also receiving Golden Globe nominations in the foreign language category are Decision to Leave (South Korea) and RRR (India).

Filipino actress Dolly De Leon nominated for supporting role in Triangle of Sadness.

DIVERSITY CONTROVERSY 

HFPA President Helen Hoehne stresses the journalists' organization has made changes to increase the diversity of its membership. It boosted the racial and ethnic diversity of their membership to over 51% by adding 21 US-based journalists, including four journalists of Asian descent, who work for overseas outlets and more than 100 new international voters.

“The depth, diversity and size of the voting body now is historic and includes voters from 62 countries,” she said. “It is also a majority of women and those who self-identify as minorities and LGBTQIA+.”

The HFPA also discontinued the practice of accepting gifts by voting members.

Despite the reforms, it is still too early to see how Hollywood has accepted the changes. The motion picture industry appears divided. A number of actors have already stated they will not attend and a whole host responded as "maybe's."

After last year's debacle which was not televised because of the controversy, and the gathering restrictions because of COVID-19, Hollywood appears ready to party.  Others appear willing to forgive the HFPA for its questionable practices. One unnamed publicist told Deadline: “I think they deserve a chance to come back. I really do. They’re more inclusive. They’re not gonna be exclusionary."

Where and how to watch the 80th Golden Globes: 8 p.m. EST/ 5 PST Tuesday on NBC and Peacock. The pre-show streams at 6:30 p.m. EST at goldenglobes.com.

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news and views from an AANHPI perspective, follow @DioknoEd on Twitter.

Minari snubbed in Golden Globe nominations

AAPI watchers of the entertainment industry were up in arms early this morning when the Golden Globes announced its nominations for the awards because the Hollywood Foreign Press Association passed over Asian American film 'Minari in the acting,  directing and writing categories.

There was already a controversy when the film, which walked away with a best picture in the Sundance Film Festival, about an Korean American immigrant family was classified as a Foreign Language film. Since the movie is predominantly in Korean, the language spoken at home of first-generation immigrants from Korea, HFPA rules made it ineligible for Best Picture.

When HPFA announced their decision about Minari last December, writer Lulu Wang tweeted her disappointment about the news that the film would be excluded from the Best Picture category. “I have not seen a more American film than #Minari this year,” Wang wrote. “It's a story about an immigrant family, IN America, pursuing the American dream. We really need to change these antiquated rules that characterize American as only English-speaking.”

Adding insult to injury, when Minari's lead actor, Steven Yeun (Walking Dead)  and presumed frontrunner Youn Yuh-Jung were passed over for best actor and best supporting actress, respectively, the criticism exploded on social media.

Minari director Lee Isaac Chung, who also wrote the screenplay partially based on his real-life experiences, also missed out when he wasn't among the nominees for best director, either.

Some of the sting of having Chung overlooked was eased by Chloe Zhao's nomination in the Best Director's category. She is the first woman of Asian descent to be included in that classification. She was nominated for her work for Nomadland, a moody piece of contemporary Americana starring Frances McDormand, who was also nominated for Best Actress in a Drama.

Nomadland is in the running for Best Motion Picture Drama. Zhao also nabbed a nomination for her screenplay.

The Best Actor in a Motion Picture Drama includes Riz Ahmed for his performance in The Sound of Metal, in which he plays a metal band drummer who is losing his hearing.

(For the curious, Tahar Rahim who received a Best Actor nomination for The Mauritanian, although Muslim, is from Algeria and so we could not list him as an Asian.)

Joining Ahmed is Dev Patel, who in a case of color-blind casting, was nominated in the category of Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy, for  playing the lead role in The Personal History of David Copperfield.

Filipino American H.E.R. (Gabriella Sarmiento Wilson) was nominated in the Best Song category for "Fight For You" (cowritten by Dernst “D’Mile” Emile II and Tiara Thomas) for Judas and the Black Messiah, the story of Black Panther Fred Hampton who was killed in the infamous shootout with Chicago police.

Over the Moon, the animated feature of an Asian American girl and her friends seeking the moon goddess, based on a Chinese fable, was nominated for Best Animated Movie. It featured AAPI actors giving voice to the characters.

The HFPA, made up of about 90 members who are based in Southern California and write for a wide-ranging list of foreign media, are the voters of the Golden Globes. The group are not exclusively movie critics but also include feature writers or gossip writers, have been criticized for their subjectivity and for their susceptibility to celebrity glamor and influence. In other words, if an actor or studio caters to the HFPA, he or she would likely be better received by the HFPA than someone who doesn't cater to them.

It's no small comfort to know that a lot of really outstanding products got overlooked  by the Golden Globes, and perhaps its just coincidence that the majority of the snubs were films that featured POC. I mean, Emily in Paris? Really? Certainly  Netflix's Da Five Bloods, HBO's groundbreaking Insecure, the actors of Lovecraft Country and PEN15, the Good Place deserved some mention.

The 78th Golden Globe Awards will take place 8 p.m. ET, on Feb. 28 on NBC. Comedians Tina Fey and Amy Poehler will split co-hosting duties for the ceremony, (or should I say "ceremonies?) being held simultaneously in New York City and Los Angeles.

EDITOR'S NOTE: This is my opinion. Readers are urged to read several sources to form your own opinion.

The movie, 'Minari,' tells a uniquely quintessential American story but the Golden Globes call it 'foreign'

Minari director Lee Isaac Chung, left, and the cast of his Asian American film.

OPINION

The Golden Globes stirred up a hornets' nest when it decided the movie Minari should be placed in a foreign-language film category instead of the more prestigious "Best Picture" category.

Critics of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, which awards the Golden Globe Awards every year, blast the decision to judge what is essentially an American story in the foreign category.

Minari is written and directed by an American, stars mostly an American cast, with a story located in rural Arkansas and tells the uniquely American story of immigrants adjusting to America. Although Minari is about a Korean family, it could just well have been about an Italian family, or an Irish family, or an Ethiopian family or a Central American family. The universal appeal of the story speaks volumns about America, a nation built by immigrants, 

However, because the Korean American immigrants spoke Korean throughout the majority of the movie, the HFPA placed Minari in the foreign language category.

The HFPA made a similar decision last year with The Farewell, the story of a Chinese American's visit with her grandmother who lived in China. 

With Minari being mentioned as possible contenders for film industry awards, for directing (Lee Isaac Chung), screenplay (Chung), best picture and acting (Steven Yeun for Best Actor and Youn Yuh-jung, who plays the grandmother, for best supporting actress).

Asian American celebrities strongly objected to the HPFA decision that minimizes the film's accomplishments. About the categorization of Minari, "The film equivalent of being told to go back to your country when that country is America," actor Daniel Dae Kim wrote in a tweet. 

Maybe because they are the "foreign" press, the HFPA members don't know America as I know it even though most of them have lived in Southern California for years.

I certainly don't want to tell them to "Go back where you came from," (heavens no) but I also don't want them defining to the rest of the world what is American.

What began as a controversy within movie industry bubble has grown to ask the larger existential question, "What is American?"

 One of the racist barbs I've had to endure in my life is, "You speak really good English." 

Exc-u-use me? I was raised in this country and -- in fact, and rather regretfully -- English is the only language I speak fluently (most of the time.) 

In fact, I even have a picture of myself remarkably similar to the publicity photo (below) of Dale Kim as David in the movie, wearing a cowboy hat, a Roy Rogers vest and toy pistols in my holster.

Alan Kim as David in 'Minari.'

Over 70 years in the U.S. and people still view me as a foreigner.

Being seen as a foreigner, -- an outsider, an "other" -- because of the color of our skin and hair and the slant of our eyes is one of the racist slights Asian Americans have endured since the first Filipinos set foot on the continent's western shore in 1587.

Mass media and a stilted education system are big parts of why people have that perception. In the culture we grew up in -- by school textbooks and pop culture, the dolls favored by children, the beauty we seek to attain, the heroes we are supposed to emulate and even the Christian images we see in or churches -- being American meant being white, Anglo-Saxon and being blond and blue-eyed was an extra added bonus.

Minari is not a Korean story. Its the story of all immigrants who come to our country having to learn the customs, the laws and the way of American life. Yes, that includes learning the language too -- no matter how long. 

For those fearful of the balkanization of the U.S. and want to make a law mandating that English the official language of the U.S., recent studies have shown that by the third-generation of an immigrant family, English becomes the language most spoken in the home.

What the Hollywood foreign press doesn't realize and the recently outspoken celebrities are saying, is something that poets, creators, sociologists and mental health experts have known all along: 

Being American is not the color of your skin or the slant of your eyes, or even, the language you speak. Being American is not the singular act of raising your right hand reciting a pledge. Being American -- like the country itself -- is always seeking a better way, a better idea, a better life and a better self. An American is not just "being" an American, but a shared process; a continuous state of evolving not only as individuals (which is only part of the American mythology) but also as a family, a community and as a society. 

The questions surrounding Minari comes as the definition of "American" is being debated today, when immigration from Asia is higher than from any other part of the world; Asian Americans impacted the choosing of Joe Biden; and an Asian American is the Vice President-elect.

It is no coincidence that the debate is occurring today, when immigration from Asia is higher than from any other part of the world; Asian Americans impactin the Presidential election, an Asian American is the Vice President-elect, hate acts against Asian Americans are spiking and the country ever-so slowly is realizing that its future lies in the nations of Asia; a revolutionary 180-degree shift from the Eurocentric mindset that has ruled the economy and culture of this country for centuries. 

The debate over Minari is just one step in the evolution of our country. It requires a cultural shift in the minds of the 80-plus HFPA members -- not an easy task, but one that should start with the HFPA members working for Asian publications and networks.

Minari is in limited release now but will have a general release in February, 2021,

EDITOR'S NOTE: A word of caution, this is news sprinkled with opinion. Readers are encouraged to seek multiple news sources to formulate their own positions.

Awkwafina's Golden Globe win is a first for an Asian American actress

TWITTER

Awkwafina backstage acknowledges the historic recognition.

It was an historic moment in Asian American history when Awkwafina won the Golden Globe for an Actress in A Musical or Comedy for her role in American production, The Farewell.

She became the first actress of Asian descent to win that award. Last year, Constance Wu was nominated in the same category for her role in Crazy Rich Asians but didn't win.

Sandra Oh also won a Golden Globe last year for "Killing Eve" in the Best Actress in a TV Dramatic Series.

Awkwafina, better known for her comedic roles, challenged herself with the dramatic role of Billi, an Asian American who visits her family in China and her grandmother who doesn't know that she is dying from cancer.

Clasping her award, she joked, "If I fall upon hard times I can sell this, so that’s good.”

SCREEN CAPTURE

Awkwafina publicly thanked 'The Farewell's' director Lulu Wang, left, and costar Zhao Shuzhen.

She thanked the movie's director Lulu Wang, who also wrote the script based on her own real-life experience. She told Wang, "You gave me this chance -- the chance of a lifetime."

Backstage, Awkwafina when told about the historic nature of her award, she said, “I just heard that fact and it was pretty mind blowing,” she began. “There’s also this other feeling that you want there to be more, and I hope this is just the beginning.”

“Immigrants in this country who were raised to feel very American ... and when we go back where, you know, we’re told that you don’t belong here and you go back to where you belong,” she continued.

”You feel like a stranger there and this constant feeling of being lost in translation. And I think that’s what really resonated with me in The Farewell.”

Awkwafna's recognition was celebrated by a host of fellow Asian Americans in the entertainment industry.

The Farewell was also nominated in the Best Foreign Language Movie category but lost out to the South Korean thriller Parasite. It was the first time a South Korean film won a Golden Globe.

Accepting the award was Bong Joon-ho, who was also nominated for Best Director. speaking through an interpreter, Bong Joon-ho said, "Once you overcome the one-inch tall barrier of subtitles, you will be introduced to so many more amazing films,"  

"Just being nominated along with fellow, amazing international filmmakers was a huge honor."

The filmmaker then added in English, "I think we use only one language: the cinema."

Earlier in the day, Parasite, which opened in October to ecstatic review, also was named the year’s best film by the National Society of Film Critics. With the Golden Globe Award, it has increased its chances of being nominated for an Academy Award, either in Best Movie or Best Foreign Movie categories. 

Awkwafina's name has already been bruited about as a nominee in the Best Actress award for an Oscar, but competition is stiff. Unlike the Golden Globes, the Academy Awards doesn't separate comedic roles from dramatic roles and competition is very stiff.

With the exception for awards for Awkwafina and Parasite, the Golden Globe awardees were almost colorless. No African American or Latino actors or projects won in the major categories. That raises the question of the diversity of the 90 members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, who vote for the Golden Globes.

'The Farewell' & Awkwafina receive Golden Globe nominations

Awkwafina, center, in the Golden Globe nominee 'The Farewell.'

ASAM NEWS

The Farewell received two major nominations from the Golden Globes in the categories of Best Actress in a Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy and "Best Motion Picture in A Foregin Language.

The Hollywood Foreign Press Association this morning announced that Awkwafina has received a nomination for best actress in a motion picture, musical or comedy for her performance in The Farewell.

It will be going up against Jojo Rabbit, directed by Taika Waittit, was nominated in the same category.

Awkwafina is the second Asian American in two years to receive a best actress nomination from the Golden Globes. Constance Wu garnered one last year for Crazy Rich Asians, but did not win.

Others to be nominated in this category are Ana de Armas for Knives Out,
Cate Blanchett for Where’d You Go, Bernadette, Beanie Feldstein for Booksmart and Emma Thompson in Late Night.

The Farewell also received a Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture in a foreign language even though it is an American movie. Crazy Rich Asians received a Best picture nomination last year, but again, did not win.

It will go up against the Korean movie Parasite along with Les Misérables, Pain and Glory and Portrait of a Lady on Fire.

Parasite, the Korean thriller, received a nomination in the Best Screenplay Motion Picture. The movie's director, Bong Joon Ho, was nominated as Best Director - Motion Picture. 

Also receiving a Golden Globe nomination was the husband and wife team of Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez for their song "Into the Unknown" from Frozen 2. Lopez is Filipino American and a frequent winner on award shows. He is one of only 15 people to have won an Emmy, Oscar, Grammy and Tony Award. He composed the music for Broadway’s The Book of Mormon and Avenue Q. He is also behind the music of Frozen and Coco.

Noticeably absent was any nomination for Sandra Oh for her work in Killing Eve. Oh was named best Actress in a Drama Series last year. Instead, her costar, Jodie Comer received a nomination for Best Actress in a Drama Series. The BBC-produced series also was included in the Best Television Series-Drama category.

Also missing is Mindy Kaling, who wrote and produced Late Night for Netflix.

Today’s announcement will only increase speculation that Awkwafina could also get a nod for an Oscar nomination, becoming the first Asian American women ever to be given the honor. Academy Award nominations are scheduled to be announced January 13.

The Farewell is an American production follows Chinese American Billi (Awkwafina) returning to China under the guise of a family wedding to say goodbye to her grandmother recently diagnosed with cancer (though she doesn’t know it), has both English and Mandarin dialogue.

Gold Derby last month placed the odds of Awkwafina winning an Oscar nomination at 15/2. This weekend, the IndieWire wrote “Awkwafina is poised to become the first Asian American woman ever nominated for a Best Actress Academy Award.”

The last Asian to be nominated in the category was Merle Oberon in 1935 for The Dark Angel. Oberon was born in what was then called British India.

A Golden Globe nomination is not a guarantee of an Oscar nomination. Last year, the Academy Awards snubbed Crazy Rich Asians despite its Golden Globe nomination.

The Golden Globes will be telecast live on NBC on January 5.

Views From the Edge contributed to this report.

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