17 Asian And Pacific Islander TV And Movie Characters Who Made People Feel Seen
BuzzFeed
·7 min read
We recently asked the BuzzFeed Community to tell us which Asian or Pacific Islander TV and movie characters made them feel seen. Here are some of the best characters they felt represented by:
1.Priya Mangal from Turning Red
2.Nani and Lilo Pelekai from Lilo & Stitch
3.Joy Wang and Evelyn Quan Wang from Everything Everywhere All at Once
4.Shang-Chi from Schang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
5.Devi Vishwakuma and her family from Never Have I Ever
6.Moana from Moana
7.Richard "Data" Wang from The Goonies
8.Grace Choi from Black Lightning
9.Mulan from Mulan (1998)
10.Harold Lee from the Harold & Kumar movies
11.Janet Kim from Kim's Convenience
12.Raya from Raya and the Last Dragon
Disney
"As a Chinese-Tahitian who grew up in the Philippines, Raya made me tear up for sure. I absolutely loved how carefully and lovingly the writers and animators portrayed the cultures, not to mention the characters were strong women I could admire. I really hope I can bring that to my own writing too."
13.Manny Santos from Degrassi: The Next Generation
14.Tori Santamaria from Degrassi: The Next Generation
TeenNick
"I adore Manny as much as anyone, but I hardly ever see Tori talked about. Although I felt the writers didn't give her nearly enough screentime, it was amazing to see another half-Filipina girl who looked just like me navigating her way through the ups and downs of high school. She had so, so much potential. Plus, she's Cassie Steele's (Manny's) real-life sister!"
15.Ned Leeds and his Lola from Spider-Man: No Way Home
Watch the full scene here:
16.Emily Fields from Pretty Little Liars
17.And finally, every character from Crazy Rich Asians
Warner Bros.
"Certain parts of it were filmed in my hometown. Since it was the first all-Asian-cast Hollywood movie I had ever watched, I think it was also the first time that I truly understood the importance of feeling seen. I know some people don’t see the movie as relatable due to it being focused on the Rich, but I 100% related to the culture, food, and mothers/grandmothers disapproving of certain choices in my past love life."
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