From Grey’s Anatomy to Harold and Kumar, Asian Americans are rewatching old shows and movies that “shaped their self-image.” Amid the 2000s nostalgia craze, Millennials in the AAPI community are reminiscing on characters like London Tipton (played by Brenda Song) in Disney Channel’s The Suite Life of Zack and Cody—with many citing that the “the rich, fashionable airhead” was a refreshing break from the stereotypes they were used to. Several lauded Sandra Oh’s nuanced portrayal of Dr. Christina Yang in Grey’s Anatomy for being outspoken, tough, and emotional, while others praised John Cho and Kal Penn’s lead characters in the Harold and Kumar movies, who were allowed to just “be silly.” Meanwhile, AAPI viewers have also criticized some past portrayals: Though they cherished Avatar: The Last Airbender, a lot have pointed out how the Asian characters were voiced by White actors, and as J.K. Rowling faces a reckoning, characters like Cho Chang and the Patil sisters in the Harry Potter series are being called out for only being “background characters.” (NBC News)
