D EAR ASIAN AMERICA:

In 2005, I was in San Gabriel Valley (an Asian ethnic enclave) taping up posters of Saving Face in 100 degree heat, hoping to incite the interest of other Asians who might see our movie poster and buy a ticket to our film. I told Joan about it who laughed at me and said, something like, why are you doing that? I got a little sheepish. Joan is Asian (raised in Asia) and I don’t think she really gets the Asian American identity thing. I’ve also always been a go-getter and felt like I had to walk the walk. And I was really doing everything possible to try and make progress in my industry.

Lynn Chen, Alice Wu, Joan Chen and Michelle Krusiec attend the 2005 NYC premiere of Saving Face.

Thirteen years later, we are still having the same conversation about diversity and representation. Little has changed. It was the same for Joy Luck Club, Harold & Kumar or really any other film/TV project that suggests a lead Asian American cast. Yet here I am. Still passionate about increasing the visibility of my community.

With a film like Crazy Rich Asians, we all have an opportunity here to give our community a little rally of support for our very rarely talked about fight for equal visibility in America. And when we do talk about this publicly, it’s awkward. We’re not a community or culture that likes to shed a light on our own weaknesses or failures, and we’re not a culture that celebrates self promotion. We’re also simply not very good about speaking up in general. I think it’s because most of our parents beat us? (I joke, but not really.)

Given our last presidential election, I believe every community is feeling somewhat invisible right now and the idea that one group’s visibility might make another group feel less visible is just silly. This is just fear of the unknown. Fear of what change looks like in the future. Fear of any kind of change. There really is enough for all of us.

I’m not suggesting that all of us need to have visibility. I am however suggesting that all of us very simply wish to have equal value in society. I believe we’re all entitled to this and it’s part of our national identity and our American cultural values.

Stories shape the way we perceive ourselves and each other. They’re powerful and it’s how we teach, learn, innovate, influence, empower and disempower one another. Social media is the constant exchange of stories. Instagram stories. It’s an app for instant storytelling. We create culture through our stories.

Sujata Day, David Chiu, Michelle Krusiec and Leo Nam attend the press conference for the CA State Tax Film Credit legislation.

I recently attended an API led press conference announcing the newly revised CA Film Tax Credit Program which now includes language for promoting diversity in the industry. This tax revision was led by API state representatives. API Assembly members David Chiu and Rob Bonta. Our API state representatives are leading the charge to fight for us. Actor Leo Nam shared his personal experience of how some of his biggest opportunities were given to him by female producers of color.

I was once told at a NAPABA (National Asian Pacific American Bar Association) convention that president Obama said to a group of Asian American leaders that we are the last to come to the table, why? I was so disheartened at this remark, it has stayed with me for a long time.

Sandra Oh recently said in an interview that her own internalized racism was so deep, she didn’t even see herself in the lead part when the offer was made to her for Killing Eve.

Many years ago, CA state assembly member David Chiu engaged me with the idea that he wanted to help Asian Americans advance in the entertainment industry. His own experience in politics gave him personal insight in our collective racial challenges. A year ago, he enlisted my help to arrange an API caucus with fellow API Assembly members to discuss this upcoming tax revision with as many influential members of our entertainment industry as possible. When I invited many people to attend, I could feel their lackluster response. I sensed that they just didn’t think this caucus would lead anywhere. It’s difficult fighting systemic racism.

But in fact, these API members succeeded in leading the charge for revising this tax credit to include the beginning provisions for diversity. It is the tiniest of steps, and more needs to be done, but we are moving in the right direction. The climate is ripe for holding the potency for change, our voice is getting stronger and we have champions out there fighting for visibility.

We must begin to show up for one another. We cannot do this alone. We must not be the last to come to the table.

If you’re debating on whether or not you want to see a movie like Crazy Rich Asians based on any other other conversation besides this one, I can assure you the conversation Hollywood studios are having is whether or not there’s a viable audience for people with our face shape and color. Asian Americans have real economic power in this country, yet we don’t wield it. If you’re wanting equal representation in a culture you are a part of every day or even any representation at all in a culture that primarily exports culture to the rest of the world, then you may not want to wait another decade or two for the results of the conversation Hollywood is having about our community behind closed doors.

My hope is that we stop saying, how sad this is, that we’re still having this conversation in 2018. Instead, let’s remind one another that we, in fact, desperately need to have an honest conversation with each other and we need to be the leaders in this movement. Pay $15 to support a movie like Crazy Rich Asians (especially opening weekend) or any other film/project featuring a diverse cast just to support the framework of what a film like this might mean for our future.

Our very slow…moving future.

Our community could certainly use the momentum.

Crazy rich Asians? This is us being “crazy.” Not sure who’s rich here. Leo — are you making a ton of money on West World?

(This post was originally featured on my website: michellekrusiec.com)