Latest Report Criticizes API Representation in Entertainment: Why It’s Completely Absurd

Full disclosure: As an Asian man who grew up in Hawaii, I had never heard the acronym “AAPI” or “API” (Asian American or just Asian-Pacific Islander) in my life before 2020, and I despise using it.

With that being said, that tidbit also especially qualifies me to opine on this topic: According to a new survey from McKinsey and Co., Hollywood is really butchering it with Asian consumers in a number of ways.

The survey was conducted in 2023 and McKinsey claims to have “surveyed 1,000 API consumers in the United States to learn about their perceptions of representation.”

One key discovery about the way that Hollywood is hurting its Asian demographic? A perceived lack of representation.

“Our survey found widespread dissatisfaction among API consumers: less than 30 percent of respondents believe their racial and ethnic identity is authentically represented in film and television,” McKinsey claims.

First of all, 1,000 API consumers isn’t all that much. Hawaii alone has roughly half a million people who claim to be either Asian or Pacific Islander.

Second of all, this is such a weird narrative to peddle.

Try as I might, I could not find anything at McKinsey discussing the representation of white people in Bollywood, which seems like a related issue, no?

Or, if you want a more relevant issue, what about white representation in Japanese manga (comic books) — a medium that has lately been outselling some comic book heavyweights like DC and Marvel — these days?

The answer is obviously that white representation doesn’t matter in Bollywood or manga because representation is grossly overrated, period.

If something is entertaining, I do not care if it features Chinese actors, white Canadian actors, black Swedish actors or neon green actors.

The idea that a viewer or fan can only relate to a character if they share the same skin tone or ethnicity is ridiculously reductionist and demonstrates an astounding lack of imagination.

Want to know a random character I loved as a rambunctious pre-teen? HK-47 from the Star Wars game “Knights of the Old Republic,” and that thing was a droid. But because HK-47 was so well-written, with its dry humor and cold pragmatism, it was a character that resonated with young me, and it had nothing to do with “representation.”

More so, even if you are terminally challenged in the imagination department, you do know that Asian countries have their own film scene, right? You can just as easily indulge in that extensive filmography instead of badgering a stubborn Hollywood.

Another major issue with the report: By the report’s own admission, Asian folks just don’t spend that much on entertainment. The report then presupposes that that’s a deficiency Hollywood has to fix, instead of making any commentary on the stingier nature of most Asian cultures (speaking from experience, here).

“Survey results revealed that half of respondents would be willing to spend more money and time on film and TV if their experiences were represented more authentically,” the report argues further.

This is again where sample size torpedoes the entire argument. Even if all 1,000 people surveyed affirmatively said that they would spend more money “if their experiences were represented more authentically,” that’s not all that much.

It’s certainly not enough to move any industries.

Speaking of that industry, to be clear, Hollywood is not without its extensive, extensive issues. The industry can be as vile and as unscrupulous as any and is riddled with problems.

“Representation” just really isn’t one of them.