Lana Condor and Ross Butler deliver the message to vaccinate against COVID-19

INSTAGRAM

From left, Lana Condor, Vice President Kamala Harris and Ross Butler urge their followers on Instagram to get their coronavirus vaccines.

The White House is amping up its outreach to Gen Z by using the media favored by that young group. A day after teen pop star Olivia Rodrigo. 18, visited President Biden to tape messages to her fans, urging them to get the coronavirus vaccine, Vice President Harris interviewed two young bright and popular AAPI stars. 

Lana Condor and Ross Butler, costars in the Netflix movies in the To All The Boys I Ever Loved trilogy, to reach out to the same youthful audience.

Butler recounted his experience being diagnosed with coronavirus in March 2020. “I had it really bad,” he said. “I had all of the symptoms before we knew what the symptoms were.” He got vaccinated to protect himself from having a repeat experience. Condor wanted to protect her loved ones, too. “My mom has an autoimmune disease,” she explained. “I (needed) to get this vaccine because I love her more than anything in this world and I want to be around her safely.”

Both Condor and Butler posted the interview on their Instagram accounts. Below, is Rodrigo's first message on Instagram:

The emphasis on Gen Z marks a switch in messaging that may be more effective with social media users. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's most recent data, just 2.6% of 12-to-15-year-olds and 7.8% of 18-to-24-year-olds are fully vaccinated. By comparison, nearly triple the number of 25-to-39-year-olds are fully vaccinated and 14% of 40-to-49-year-olds. 

A recent study  from the University of California, San Francisco found that about 25%  unvaccinated people ages 18 to 25 said they "probably will not" or "definitely will not" get the vaccine.

The vaccine is now available in every state for people 12 and older, but Gen Z and  millennials remain hesitant for various reasons, from not feeling any urgency to believing disinformation — messages that are sometimes spread by elected officials, who young people traditionally do not listen to.

Also, at the pandemic's beginning, the emphasis was on the elderly, the most vulnerable to the coronavirus, leading many people to believe that the virus didn't have an effect on younger people. That belief persists even though it has been shown that COVID-19 does not discriminate by age. Healthy young people may be more resistant to the virus but they are not immune.

So the White House changed strategy to get their message to Gen Z.  Instead of depending the traditional outreach tools such as PSAs, press releases and official announcements, they have decided to switch to youthful celebrities and social media influencers to deliver the vaccination message -- short and snappy -- in the media they are most familiar to their millions  of followers such as Tik Tok, Instagram, Twitter or Snapchat.

Experts say the more people share urge their friends or fans to get vaccinated on social media, the more it helps motivate others in their circles to also get theirs. Whether it’s an individual with a circle of friends, a micro-influencer with a few thousand followers, or someone with millions of followers across multiple platforms (like Rodrigo, Condor and Butler), there is a relationship of trust between the influencer and the influenced that is less and less present with traditional (old) media and their readers or viewers.

An example of the short and the on-point message from Butler that Gen Z and Millennials can clearly understand: “I had COVID, and I’m young and healthy and it sucked.” 

MTV awards Asian American shows: 'Bretman Rock' and 'To All the Boys'

It has been a busy week for AAPI news but we can't let the week go by without mentioning the MTV Movie & TV Awards held May 16 where two Asian American projects won in their respective categories, Breakthrough Social Star and Best Movie.

Hawaii's own Bretman Rock, AKA Bretman Sacayanan, was voted Breakthrough Social Star for his immense global popularity on social media.

As a beauty influencer, a web series star, and more, the Filipino American teen  understands what it takes to break through and make his presence known. The sight of his 16 million Instagram followers and 8.4 million YouTuber subscribers speak for itself. But at the Unscripted special, he was the one in front of the microphone holding the Golden Popcorn, which he accepted as Breakthrough Social Star. A

"Hey guys, I've never prepared a speech before," he began, "so what I'm about to say is... unscripted, or whatever."

"I would like to thank everyone that watched me grow up on the internet. It's probably the most traumatizing (thing) I've ever done in my entire life," Rock said, right after Olivia Rodrigo's "Deja Vu" played him onstage. "But it's all worth it because I'm here onstage accepting this award."

"This award is for all the Asian Americans who (believe) in me, all the Pacific Islanders, and most importantly, this is for all the LGBTQ community," Rock concluded.

MTV

"To All the Boys: Always and Forever" won MTV's Best Movie Award. From left, producer
Matt Kaplan, star Lana Condor and author Jenny Han.

The voters for the MTV Movie & TV Awards have decided the Netflix original film has earned its spot among other classic Hollywood trilogies. They proved it by crowning the third installment, To All the Boys: Always and Forever, as Best Movie during the awards ceremony on Sunday (May 16). 

The film's star, Lana Condor, along with "To All the Boys I've Loved Before" author Jenny Han and producer Matt Kaplan, came out onto the stage to accept the Golden Popcorn.

"Thank you for all the fans who voted. Thank you, Netflix. Jenny, thank you for trusting us with your books. Without that, we wouldn't be here," said Kaplan during his short speech, before handing it over to Han.

"You've shown so much love for Lara Jean. Thank you so much for that — and I ask that you keep showing that love for the Asian-American community at large," Han said, referring to Condor's character from the series.

The third and final installment in the To All the Boys franchise was up against heavyweight Oscar nominees Borat Subsequent Moviefilm, Judas and the Black Messiah, Promising Young Woman, and Soul for Best Movie. For MTV's audience, however, To All the Boys: Always and Forever walked away with the Golden Popcorn.

Hollywood creatives behind energetic video rebranding AAPI activism

HAPA MAGAZINE

Represent Us Now brought together some of the biggest AAPI names in Hollywood.

The names are familiar to Hollywood fans -- Taika Waititi, Lulu Wang, Chloe Bennet, Steven Yeun, John Cho and Lana Condor, among others. The image of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders is new.

The small but increasingly vocal Hollywood community of AAPI artists working in front and behind the camera are teaming up with political activists to promote AAPI pride and present the AAPI community in a more contemporary image that encourages  political activism.  

After Donald Trump beat Hillary Clinton in 2016, Agents of SHIELD actress Chloe Bennet teamed up with Brad Jenkins who served as associate director in the office of public engagement for the White House during President Obama’s administration.

Not long after the 2016 election, Agents of SHIELD actress Chloe Bennet Brad Jenkins, a Korean American who served as associate director in the office of public engagement for the White House during President Obama’s administration. They launched RUN AAPI (Represent Us Now) in 2017 as a way to help encourage more civic engagement from their peers.

For Bennet, a Chinese American, the campaign goes beyond politics. “We need to rebrand what it means to be Asian-American. We need to make sure we instill pride in our community,” she tells The Hollywood Reporter. “You might not be represented yet but look at what we’re doing so far. Let’s bring it all together to bring pride in our community.”

Because this is an election year, RUN launched #TheNew to draw in younger AAPI into the political world.

"Far too often, politicians and the media overlook young Asian American power and influence," said fellow RUN co-founder Brad Jenkins. "We are the fastest growing demographic in the country and yet, we are rarely given the room to share the realities we face in our day-to-day lives. Media, culture, advertising and television all go hand-in-hand with politics, and it's time we harness our collective power to get out the vote in our communities and make sure the issues facing young Asian Americans are addressed."

SCREEN CAPTURE / VIMEO

Chloe Bennet spoke at a gathering of Recognize Us Now (RUN).

#TheNew's political strategy and mobilization efforts are focused on Texas and Georgia; two new battleground states given the rising AAPI electorate. The following AAPI organizations supported the launch of #TheNew in solidarity: AAPI Victory Fund, AAPI Progressive Action, Asian Americans Rising, APALA, the Asian American Engagement Fund, the Asian American Action Fund, We Are Sikhs, National Sikh Campaign, and local community organizers and activists on the ground.

The campaign launched with a star-studded video, which was shared by #TheNew supporters Taika Waititi, Lulu Wang, Cory Booker, Ted Lieu, Nathan Chen, Ross Butler, Ai-Jen Poo, Alexander Wang, Jenna Ushkowitz, Harry Shum Jr, Joel Kim, Ella Jay Basco, Steven Yeun, Joe Zee, Prabal Gurung, Tamlyn Tomita, Lou Diamond Phillips, Brenda Song and more.

The video (below) is youthful and energetic, a far cry from the quiet and reticent community stereotype often conveyed in popular and mainstream media.

"We are your next-door neighbors. We are your heartthrobs. We are your doctors," Bennet told Clio on The Muse when describing the video's message. "We are American, all of us. We might not look it to you, but this is what the new normal in America is going to look like. I'm speaking for the Hollywood side, but I think it's also relevant on the D.C. side. We're just not represented on screen, and in an age when we're all stuck inside watching Netflix till our eyes bleed, seeing ourselves represented on screen shows you what's possible. It moves into a very tactical, winnable opportunity. You just have to tell people they matter."

As part of the campaign, (RUN) partnered with the National AAPI Power Fund and the National Education Association to commission the first-ever political opinion poll focused exclusively on young Asian Americans, 18-34 years old.

Some of the report's findings:

• 43% of registered voters are still uncertain on whether they will vote in November
• The most important issue for voter turnout is responding to COVID
• 83% prioritize containing COVID spread over reopening the economy now
• 1 in 3 report being accused of spreading coronavirus
• Young AAPI voters strongly support The Green New Deal, Black Lives Matter, and Medicare For All

“For us, Chloe and I believe a fundamental thing we want to change is we want to be a lot more out front with why our community is so important and why you need to pay attention to us," Jenkins tells The Hollywood Reporter. "You have to make the case for politicians to pay attention to our story and why we matter.”

"Celebrities are one thing," Jenkins tells Clio. "Thought leaders, influencers in their fields—whether it's journalism or advocacy or politics—they all share this feeling of being on the outside looking in at the American experience. We want to change that."

Dwayne Johnson rocks MTV Awards

SCREEN CAPTURE / BET

Lana Condor and Noah Centineo accept their MTV award.

Superstar Dwayne Johnson paid tribute to his mixed-race heritage with a bevy of breakdancers and Samoans performing the siva tua, the Samoan version of the Maori haka to the Queen classic song "We Will Rock You" at the MTV Movie & TV Awards.

The glitzy entrance was surpassed by his passionate acceptance speech for receiving the Icon Generation Award.

“I thank you, all of you at home. You are the reason I’m getting this…I want to share a really quick lesson with you guys, I’ve learned the most powerful thing we can be is ourselves,” he said.

SCREEN CAPTURE / BET
Dwayne Johnson accepts MTV's Icon Generation award.

“We are still that little kid just aspiring to be something better, aspiring to be important. When I first got to Hollywood, Hollywood they didn’t know what the hell to do with me. I mean I was half black, half Samoan, six-foot-four, 275-pound pro wrestler…I was told at that time you’ve got to be a certain way, you’ve got to drop some weight, you’ve got to be somebody different, you’ve got to stop working out, stop doing the things that I love, you’ve got to stop calling yourself ‘The Rock.’ For years I bought into it because you think, ‘Oh, that’s what I’m supposed to do and I was miserable doing that. I made a choice that I wasn’t going to conform to Hollywood, Hollywood was going to conform to me,” he continued.

"So, yes it’s important that you are your most authentic self.”

According to MTV, "the Generation Award celebrates actors whose diverse contributions to film and television have turned them into household names in the industry." Past winners have included Reese Witherspoon, Chris Pratt, Will Smith, Sandra Bullock, and Tom Cruise.

The former pro wrestler closed his speech with this sage advice: “When I was 15, I heard a quote and I’ll never forget it, 'It’s nice to be important but it’s more important to be nice.'”

MTV, which still caters to a youthful audience, also gave The Best Kiss award to Lana Condor and Noah Centineo for their kiss in the Netflix romantic comedy To All The Boys I Ever Loved.

______________________________________________________________________

Asians sparkle in the glamor and camp at the Met Gala

Gemma Chan and Awkwafina (above) were among the Asians and AAPI celebrities who attended the star-studded 2019 Met Gala held in New York Monday night. 

Other models and stars who glimmered and glowed at the annual fundraiser for the Metropolitan Museum of Art included Constance Wu, Henry Golding, Mindy Kaling, Lana Condor, Eva Chen, Darren Criss and more.

Click to "E" online for more photos.

Asian American men join cast of sequel of 'To All The Boys I Ever Loved Before'

PINTEREST

Real life pals Noah Centineo and Ross Butler will play best friends.

Two recent additions to the surprise hit of last year, To All the Boys I Ever Loved Before, will help bring a little balance to the cast.

In an EW exclusive, it was revealed that Asian American Ross Butler, best known for his work on Riverdale and 13 Reasons Why, is playing the best friend of Noah Centineo's character, Peter Kavinsky in the Netflix movie's sequel.

In All the Boys, Peter was the main love interest for the lead character, Lara Jean, played by Lana Condor, whose mother in the movie is Korean American. It was the chemistry between Lara Jean and Peter that attracted the large audience and gave Netflix its rom-com hit, especially among the Y.A. demographic.
“We’re thrilled to announce that the endlessly charming Ross Butler has joined the cast of the To All the Boys sequel as Trevor Pike,” producer Matt Kaplan says. “His real-life friendship with Noah brings a natural chemistry and great rapport to the set and we can’t wait for fans to see this friendship play out onscreen.” 

Last week, it was announced that Jordan Fisher would play John Ambrose McClaren, another of Lara Jean's suitors. Fisher recently played Mark Cohen in the Fox Network's Rent: Live.

Lara Condor and Jordan Fisher will star in the sequel of 'To All the Boys I Ever Loved Before.'

“We couldn’t be more excited to have Jordan Fisher join the To All the Boys family as John Ambrose McClaren,” producer Matt Kaplan says. “Jordan’s charisma practically leaps off the screen with anything he does, whether it’s acting, singing, or dancing. There isn’t a more perfect guy who could believably shake things up in Lara Jean and Peter’s world.”

Perhaps with Fisher, who has Cambodian blood in his multi-racial heritage, and Butler, whose mother is Indonesian, the producers hope to deflect some of the early criticism from the AAPI communities because none of Lara Jean's love interests were Asian, reinforcing the stereotype that Asian males are not boyfriend material for many American girls.. 

“I understand the frustration and I share that frustration of wanting to see more Asian American men in media,”responded author Jenny Han in an interview with IndieWire. “For this, all I can say is this is the story that I wrote.”

Filming on this project is already underway and will air on Netflix later this year or in 2020.

______________________________________________________________________

Lana Condor reveals her eating disorder phase

Lana Condor on the cover of "Elle Canada."

ASAM NEWS

Lana Condor reveals for the first time that she battled an 
eating disorder and mental disorder

“I know what it’s like to have an eating disorder and Body Dysmorphia—and also what it’s like to be a friend to someone who has that.”

Body Dysmorphia is a mental disorder in which you can't stop thinking about one or more perceived defects or flaws in your appearance — a flaw that, to others, is either minor or not observable. But you may feel so ashamed and anxious that you may avoid many social situations.

The star of To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before told ELLE Canada. “I think it’s time to give people comfort. You have to eat. You have to stop thinking that a certain body shape is ideal, because it’s not.”

Condor said that’s the reason she posts photos of herself eating on Instagram.

“I think it’s time to give people comfort. You have to eat. You have to stop thinking that a certain body shape is ideal, because it’s not,” she said.

The actress who is now starring in Deadly Class on the Syfy network also spoke candidly about representation of Asian Americans in the media. She could not hide her frustration.

“Part of me is like ‘We should already be past this.’ One of the reasons I took To All the Boys was because it’s just a story about a girl who falls in love for the first time. She’s the girl next door who happens to be Asian. Like, that’s not the focus of it because we’re normal fucking human beings.”

________________________________________

TGIF Feature: Sneak peek of 'Deadly Class' starring Lana Condor

SYFY

Lana Condor as Sya Kuroki in 'Deadly Class.;

LANA CONDOR's first television series, 'Deadly Class' is set to officially kick off on Jan. 16 on the SyFy channel but you can get a sneak peek at the first episode.

Condor's role as Saya Kuroki, a katana-wielding badass, is about as far from Lara Jean Covey of To All The Boys I Ever Loved, tNetflix's romantic comedy that made her a teen favorite.

Set in 1986 San Francisco, Deadly Class is based on a dark comic novel. Although it's a Marvel product, it's not in the same universe as Marvel's other superheroes so don't expect Iron Man to pop up.

King's Dominion is the school where the world's killers send their kids (including th eCIA and FBI).The rest of the student body come from crime families. The big men on campus are from the drug cartels. Condor's character comes from a Yakuza crime family. I doubt the school has a marching band.

The official description reads:

Deadly Class follows Marcus, a disillusioned teen recruited into an elite private academy where the world’s top crime families send their successors. Maintaining his moral code while navigating a ruthless curriculum, vicious social cliques, and his own adolescent uncertainties may prove fatal. Set against the backdrop of late 80s counter culture, Deadly Class is a coming of age story unlike anything you’ve ever seen. Based on the smash hit comic series of the same name by Rick Remender.

The show also stars Benedict Wong (Marco Polo, Dr. Strange) as head instructor in the deadly arts.

You can watch the first episode of Deadly Class here, or do a search on your DVR.

The concept sounds interesting. I'll give it a shot for a few episodes. 

____________________________________________________________________________

TGIF Feature: Sequel announced for 'To All the Boys I Ever Loved'

NETFLIX

Peter (Noah Centineo) and Lara Jean (Lara Covey) in Netflix's surprise hit.

IT'S ALL RIGHT to get excited. Netflix announced that a sequel to the network's most popular original movie, To All The Boys I Ever Loved, is in the works.

While Crazy Rich Asians was making history and busting stereotypes on the big screen, To All the Boys I Ever Loved was doing the same thing on the small screen. The two movies, along with John Cho in Searching, made up what has become known as Asian August. Three movies showing Asian Americans like they are rarely depicted.

The sequel the romantic comedy was announced via social media with its star, Lana Condor, lying on her bed talking on her cell phone with costar Noah Centineo. The chemistry between the two as Lara Jean and Peter, was one of the big reasons the movie attracted a lot of young fans.

In the teaser, after speaking with Noah, Lana answers another call and says, “You’re gonna make the perfect John Ambrose McClaren,” to an unidentified person on a phone call. Does that mean actor Jordan Burtchett won't reprise his role as John?

In the original movie, based on the novel by Jenny Han, it ended with John Ambrose making an appearance at Lara Jean's door, a perfect lead-in to the next book in the trilogy, P.S. I Still Love You.

“The whole reason why I wrote a second book was for the character of John Ambrose McClaren, who is a fan favorite, and he’s a favorite of mine too,” Han told Indiewire.

The only criticism of All the Boys was that none of Lara Jean's love interests were of Asan descent. Han seemed sincere when she said “I understand the frustration and I share that frustration of wanting to see more Asian-American men in media,”

Is it too much to ask that John Ambrose McClaren be recast with an Asian American actor?

Spoiler Alert!

A word of caution: Fans of Lara Jean and Peter may find the second book a bit disconcerting. 

Condor told Indiewire: “I did read the second book because I was desperate to know what was going on, and it wrecked my world. It wrecked my world.” I was so pissed. I texted Jenny. I was like, ‘How could you do this to me?’”
_______________________________________________________________________________

Lana Condor rebukes those who wanted an AsAm love interest in 'All the Boys I Ever Loved'

LANA CONDOR

ACTRESS LANA CONDOR, star of All The Boys I Ever Loved, spoke up about her views on the criticism that there should have been at least one Asian American among the boys her character Lara Jean Covey crushes on.

All the Boys I Ever Loved, a romantic comedy film based on the best-selling young adult novel by Korean American author Jenny Han features three sisters whose Korean American mother died a year earlier and are being raised by their white father.

"We tried to stay really close to the book and they weren’t written that way. If Jenny was telling a different story, we would tell it," Condor told The Cut. "But I will say this: My boyfriend in real life is Cuban but he is very light-skinned. There are times when people online will say, 'Of course she’s with a white guy.' Oh, so Asian people can only love Asian people? I can only be with my race?"

"You are being racist unknowingly and continuing to put us in a box that we don’t need to be in. It’s really unfair. People should be able to love who they want to love. It’s offensive to me — you’re continuing to promote tribalism. So I can’t be with who I want to be with? These are probably the same people who have an issue with the LGBT community. It’s the same thing — you telling me who I can love is unfair," she said.

"In my experience, I’ve loved all races. It’s not like I can only be with my people. I don’t think we should be stuck to only loving people based on what they look like," said the 21-year old Vietnamese American actress. 

Condor might be missing the point of the criticism. There was an opportunity to cast an Asian American actor but the thought never crossed the mind of the director and casting director. It only seems natural that an Asian American girl would at least know one Asian American boy. It is that way in the real world. The character wouldn't necessarily had to "win" the girl's heart, but at least have him in the game.

Author Han acknowledges that Asian males need better representation beyond the old stereotypes, but not in this movie.

There is one scene in which Lara Jean, her little sister and Peter, one of the love interests, are watching Sixteen Candles and they point out the racist nature of Long Luk Dong. That's the only presence of an Asian male in the movie.

The movie, available now on Netflix, has been widely praised and Asian American girls are reportedly streaming the film over and over. Having Lara Jean and her two sister play key roles in a popular movie is a step forward and it apparently is having a positive impact on young Asian American girls.

"For the most part, the fans are really excited and happy.  ... That’s who we are trying to please at the end of the day," says Condor.

Condor hopes the success of Crazy Rich Asians and All the Boys I've Ever Loved will open up the doors not only for Asian American actors but storylines about Asian Americans.

"Hollywood screwed up in the past. They made Asians the other — a separate group that could only hang out with each other. Of course, there’s a demand for Asian male romantic leads. And Jenny (Han) says it too. There are so many stories to tell and we are just scratching the surface. We’re proud of our story and the movie we made. All of us feel like we’re a part of something really special. I’m not going to let anyone ruin that. It’s baby steps."

_________________________________________________________________________________

Author Jenny Han addresses criticism about lack of Asian boyfriends in her book/movie

Author Jenny Han is happy for opening the door a bit for more Asian American representation in the movies.

TWO DAYS after the theatrical release of Crazy Rich Asians, the romantic comedy with an all-Asian cast, Netflix released its own romantic comedy with an Asian American actress in the lead role.

All the Boys I've Loved Before is being hailed in some circles as the best teen rom-com in a decade. Author Jenny Han fought to keep Lara Jean Song Covey, the main character in the YA novel, Asian American despite some studios desire to whitewash the character.

However, with the opportunity to cast an Asian American boy as one of Lara Jean's romantic interests, she chose to go along with the studio's casting decisions after making  (and winning) her point for the teenage heroine.

Even tough All the Boys is receiving high praise as perhaps the best teen rom-com in a decade, the Netflix product is being questioned for rendering the Asian male invisible as a potential romantic interest, reinforcing the stereotype of the unattractive, unsexy, unromantic Asian man. Not a single one of the heroine's "boys" are Asian.

“I understand the frustration and I share that frustration of wanting to see more Asian-American men in media,” said author Jenny Han in an interview with IndieWire. “For this, all I can say is this is the story that I wrote.”

Han's protagonist is Korean American Lara Jean Song Covey played by Vietnamese American actress Lana Condor. The bashful high school junior writes love letters to her crushes. High school gets even more complicated when letters she wrote to five crushes become accidentally mailed off.

In Han's book trilogy, the races or ethncities of Lara Jean's crushes are never spelled out which -- you would think -- gave the Netflix production the creative freedom to be daring and include at least one Asian among Lara's boys.

Instead, the film appears to have forgotten that their lead character's identity is Asian American and (very possibly) might have met some Asian boys in her high school class. 

Despite the cultural breakthrough and apparent financial success of the movie, Crazy Rich Asians, where Asian men finally are presented as complicated -- and attractive -- people, it is still the outlier. While we enjoy the depiction of Asian men in CRA, their unstereotypical roles doesn't even begin to counter the centuries of Western society's emasculation of Asian males.

So when All the Boys presents the rare opportunity to strike another blow against the Asian male stereotype, it hurts that it is not eagerly taken. It hurts doubly because the author is Asian American.

Han, who was raised in Virginia, was stronger in defense of the main character of the book when questioned whether or not the heroine (and her two sisters) needed to be Korean. When producers were wooing her for the movie rights to her book, almost all of them wanted to whitewash Lara Jean.

"What would it have meant for me back then to see a girl who looked like me star in a movie? Not as the sidekick or romantic interest, but as the lead? Not just once, but again and again? Everything," said Han in an interview. 

"There is power in seeing a face that looks like yours do something, be someone. There is power in moving from the sidelines to the center."

Although Han acknowledges her novel's and Netflix's movie's shortcomings, but like many people who don't want to rock the boat, she is grateful for the small steps taken by a movie like All the Boys in overcoming Hollywood's historic neglect of Asian American men and women.

The Netflix product brings us three AsianAm sisters portrayed by Janelle Parish (Pretty LIttle Liars), Lana Condor (X-Men Apocalypse) and Anna Cathcart (Descendants 2).

“There are so many people that want to tell stories. I think that the issue is how hard it is to get your foot in the door to tell your stories,” she told IndieWire. “For me, I just want to support people in telling the stories that they want to tell, and I would hope that with this movie and Crazy Rich Asians, that if it does well, then we’ll get more.

“More means more representation, more viewpoints, more stories, and I want to see that. I think also, as I continue on and get more clout, I’m committed to that as well. So I do understand the animus behind [the criticism], and I do want to see that happen for people. I think it’s important to just keep pushing for more and to get the doors to open wider.”

For now, we have to be satisfied with the small steps taken by the male characters of Crazy Rich Asians, Vincent Rodriguez of Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, Hayden Szeto of Edge of Seventeen, Ross Butler in 13 Reasons Why and Aziz Ansari of Master of None. John Cho's role in Selfie was promising but short-lived. Cho, however, gave us a complicated, 3-dimensional character in Columbus but no romance was part of the storyline.

The fact I can rattle off examples of Asian American men as romantic leads speaks volumes to the fact that there are too few examples to pick from.

Maybe next time -- and the critical success of All the Boys and Crazy Rich Asians makes it almost certain there will be a next time -- Han can try a little harder to convince casting directors that there is a romantic side to Asian males.
________________________________________________________________________________