When You Wake Up Asian by Jimmy O. Yang

Representation obviously matters. But it can be a huge burden. What often goes amiss in conversations about representation is the pressure that is posed on being seen. Namely, that as the only Asian or minority in the room, all expectations of what people may think of you and by extension, your culture, falls on you.

Jimmy O. Yang eloquently narrates this through comedy. He speaks to the general anxiety that minorities often feel when given a platform that they have historically been deprived of. Because what happens if a mistake is made? Or things don’t turn out as planned? Can Crazy Rich Asians flop, but still pave the way for Asian representation? It’s unfair that the stakes constantly feel so high for Asians when it comes to representation in the West, but what choice do we have when the gatekeepers are institutionally white?

Excellence should be demanded, but not at the expense of having a seat at the table. I believe that the more we take active steps to consume and demand representation, the less the onus falls on minorities to prove that we’re worthy of taking up space.

Isabella