Inclusion and diversity: two topics you’ve likely seen a ton of in the media over the past couple years. They’re both very important, but I also feel like studios are finally beginning to understand that minority groups won’t be quiet about being represented onscreen. And it’s absolutely working.

We’re finally seeing a diversity of faces popping up in popular culture that represent different ethnicities, genders, and sexualities. I couldn’t be more proud of what diverse communities have done so far in the fight for a space in the cultural sphere. To be on your television screen. To show up in the movies you’re watching at the theater. To finally be seen. But amidst all the chatter, I feel like there are some misunderstandings of what we’re striving for and why. I don’t speak for every single person who feels underrepresented, as I haven’t experienced — nor could I imagine to experience — the lives they live or how they feel. All I can do is explain why I fight for what I fight for in hopes that others may find common ground in my story.

Thanks to years of tropes and typecasting of Asian men in entertainment, you may make assumptions about me without even knowing me. If you see me walking down the street, I don’t want you to immediately pin me as a martial artist or a nerd without getting to know me. Sure, I may know martial arts and I may have nerd tendencies, but at least buy me a coffee and find those things out before just assuming. You’ll also learn I play guitar, not violin, and I practice capoeira, not Tae Kwon Do. At the same time, there are plenty of Asian-Americans out there who do play the violin or have their black belt, but that doesn’t mean every single one of us does. If Asians were better represented onscreen, perhaps you wouldn’t be as likely to have preconceived notions about me or put me in a box.

BEVERLY HILLS, CA - DECEMBER 09: Ross Butler arrives to at The 16th Annual Unforgettable Gala held at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on December 9, 2017 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Christopher Polk/Getty Images) Christopher Polk

How many times have you seen an Asian-American actor play the romantic lead? A villain that isn’t one-note? What about a character whose function was more nuanced than that? If you’re a white, straight, cisgender person, there are so many different characters and experiences that have been depicted by people who look like you that you can practically choose whatever character you wish to relate to. Blonde and blue-eyed? Take your pick! Every year, Hollywood offers a whole spectrum of movies and TV shows starring white protagonists, and those characters still get the lion’s share of speaking roles.

Yet if you happen to be Asian — or any other racial minority — you’re asked to relate to the white characters as a default. And a big problem is that people want to see themselves reflected both accurately and fairly in the entertainment they watch. They don’t like stereotypes, especially when those lead to judgment as something they are not.

But I’ll say something that you probably haven’t heard so much: Do I think every show and movie should be about minorities going forward? No. I’m not disillusioned. Hollywood will always make movies about white characters; we’re simply asking that we have our share of options, in addition to those stories. I realize that the majority of America identifies as white, and that not every high school clique has a “token” minority friend. But the fact that these inoculated pockets of America still exist is proof that we need diverse storytelling; if left to their own ways, those white groups could just get whiter, and their prejudices could grow deeper.