It is always a delight to watch a true and right representation of any ethnicity on American television. History shows that Asian Americans have struggled greatly to achieve true representation in Hollywood for as long as we can remember.
The content was filled with stereotypical notions and jokes that were more on the offensive side than humorous. However, thankfully so, in recent years, Hollywood has started identifying these major mistakes, and to rectify them, it has started releasing some great content with an all-American ensemble or at least one character that is not painted ina stereotypical light.
With that being said, here are the TV shows you should watch for their Asian American representation.
Grey’s Anatomy (2005 – Present)
Grey’s Anatomy is the longest-running scripted primetime show that still airs on ABC. The show is probably one of the first ones the representation Asian Americans. It stars multiple big names but no one can steal the limelight away from Sandra Oh, who steals the show in every episode she appears. Her phenomenal acting and fantastic dialogue delivery, along with her strong character make Grey’s Anatomy one of the best performances.
The show represents the day-to-day routine of surgical interns and doctors in the hospital as they continue to encounter various cases that become part of the stories. Every episode after another brings you a new emotional rollercoaster with heart-touching plotlines and overwhelming cases that help them become one of the best doctors in the country.
You can catch this show on the ABC network, which is available in the lineup of Mediacom canales, where you can find multiple other entertainment-filled and diverse content and that too both in local and international languages.
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Fresh Off the Boat is the show you go to when you want a light-hearted Asian comedy without any jokes that could come across as stereotypical or discriminatory. It perfectly depicts many Asian American families that reside in the United States and struggle every day with their history and heritage. The show paved the path for many great projects like Crazy Rich Asians, and this goes to show how iconic Fresh Off the Boat is.
The show is set between 1995 and 2000 as it follows the Huang family (Taiwanese-American). Consisting of parents – Louis and Jessica – with their children and Louis’s mother. Fresh Off the Boat shows their life as they move from Washington D.C. to Orlando, Florida.
Fresh Off the Boat was aired on ABC, however, it got canceled after six seasons and the two-part series finale summed up the ending of the show.
Master of None (2015 – 2021)
It is not time that you get to see an Indian-American portrayed in the truest colors. Master of None contributes heavily to changingthe complete landscape of Asian representation on television screens by showing the challenges of this ethnicity in the United States. The show highlights the stereotypes that have been created against Asian Americans and the difficulties they have to face, as opposed to the white characters.
The show follows Dev (Aziz Ansari) – a single Indian American, who lives in New York City. Dev has to come across various problems as he cannot seem to find a girlfriend, while he is also trying to pursue his career in acting.
You can watch all three seasons of Master of None on Netflix today!
Kim’s Convenience (2016 – 2021)
Korean-Canadian representation is somewhat difficult to find in Hollywood cinema. But Kim’s Convenience sheds new light on this group while giving you a warm and funny comedy. Each character in the show is well-written and with strong traits. It grabs your attention instantly and makes you want to keep watching it.
Kim’s Convenience follows a Korean-Canadian family living in Toronto, Canada. The family runs a convenience store and while doing that, they not only have to deal with customers but with each other, as they also have to keep up with the rapid changes taking place around them.
The show is available on Netflix for you to watch all 65 episodes.
Never Have I Ever (2020 – 2023)
Created by Mindy Kaling and Lang Fisher, the show depicts Asian Americans in the most realistic way possible. It walks you through the life of Asian American teen life as it also plays its role in breaking the already created notions and ideas around various identities and ethnicities. Moreover, the show continues to bring forth these shows by authentically projecting their lives in America.
The show follows Devi Vishwakumar (Maitreyi Ramakrishnan), who has to deal with the sudden death of her father. This 15-year-old Indian-American has several other things to consider such as her social life, mental health, and other types of problems that make it difficult for her to meet new people in life.
Never Have I Ever can be streamed on Netflix.
Conclusive Thoughts
Finding an honest representation of Asian Americans in Hollywood can turn out to be a bit difficult but the abovementioned shows not only depict these characters with all honesty but also challenge the societal stereotypical notions in the healthiest way possible.
