Yang expresses a deep connection with the narrative: "I really felt like [the novel] spoke to me as an Asian American, as an actor, as an artist ... who felt like I was always in the background of my life and I always have to find a way to sneak in." His reflection highlights universal feelings of being an outsider, resonating across cultures. The book mirrored his journey as an artist, fostering a deeper understanding of identity and representation in the arts.
His experience in the industry reflects a common struggle: "I was 'Chinese teenager No. 2,' I was 'person in line.'" Yang's candid depiction of these roles reveals how actors of Asian descent often find themselves relegated to stereotypical parts, underscoring the lack of meaningful representation in Hollywood.
Describing his evolution, Yang says, "It's breaking out of the role that society expects you of. It's breaking out of a role that your family expects you of ... like my family expecting me to be an engineer, a good student, definitely not a comedian and an actor." This highlights the pressures from both societal norms and familial expectations that many individuals face.
#asian-american-representation #jimmy-o-yang #interior-chinatown #hollywood-stereotypes #cultural-identity
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