The Best Way to End Asian Pacific American Heritage Month

Hello my fellow readers! Happy first day of June! As you may know either from the news or from my previous post, May was the month of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. Netflix came out with Always Be My Maybe, a love story between two childhood Asian American sweethearts who fell out of love and reconnect as adults fifteen years later (spoil ahead warning!) on May 31, the last day of May. I watched it with my big sister and I liked it a lot. Asian American representation in the entertainment industry is an important cause to me that I will always support.

To see Asian Americans in features more and more is one step closer to getting more representation and opportunity to showcase the talent Asian Americans embody. I liked how the film was about an issue that many can relate to. Yes it did feature the Asian American culture, whether in a little bit of the dialogue, action, or visual (props, set, location), but it was not the main focus of the film. The main focus revolved multiple facets including: the relationship of two people, chasing after one's dreams, taking risks, conquering fear, and how one's past reflects one's current stage.

The topics discussed in the film are matters that transcend over all ethnicities. Anyone, and I mean anyone, can relate to these concepts. This is what it is all about. It is not about discussing the Asian culture, even though that is a good thing too. Having Asian American representation is about adding more Asian faces to the screens, whether in theatre, television, or film (and many other mediums in the industry) while telling stories that any person can connect to. Adding a taste of the Asian culture into any of the entertainment mediums is a plus, but it isn't the real reason why so many Asian Americans are battling for Asian American representation. It is about allowing Asian Americans be included to tell stories about universal concepts. Content that many can understand and relate to. Very proud and happy to see Always Be My Maybe be the perfect way to end the month of May. A strong message and empowering opening to continue the Asian American representation.