The Power of Representation | #THINKINGHUES
Why diverse representation is meaningful and important for future generations.
When Squid Game premiered globally on Netflix in September 2021, it was the first time I watched an Internationally acclaimed show with an entirely Asian cast. It’s not that there were never any other TV shows with a fully Asian cast, but it was the first of its kind to reach global acclaim, on a Western platform, as the number-one show on Netflix upon its release. Perhaps it was also a result of timing as well, where limited production of Western shows, made Netflix execs more adventurous in banking on International shows. Who knows?
While Squid Game was dubbed and made available in English, the Netflix original series was groundbreaking, not only for its storyline but also for the fact that its cast and production team were not from Hollywood or Bollywood but entirely South Korean. Squid Game was a show produced, written, and directed by South Koreans. The entire cast was also made up of South Korean actors. You’d think, by this millennium such things aren’t so pioneering, but for 2021, it was.
What Surprised Me Most
What surprised me most about my experience watching the show was how it suddenly hit me how powerful it was to see someone who looked more like me on TV. More than I expected, seeing someone who I can relate to better, by the colour of my skin, glistening on the International stage, resonated more than I have an explanation for. While I was never conscious of feeling any deprivation of the lack of representation, in that single moment, I was unexpectedly made to confront what it feels like to experience being represented.
Yet, the irony is even though those I saw on screen were South Koreans, not Southeast Asians– I found affinity. The famous American comedian, Allie Wong said it best, in one of her hilarious bits, where she explains the distinctions Asians make between a “fancy Asian” and a “jungle Asian.” In this context, South Koreans are fancy Asians, while I was raised as the jungle kind. This reality was not lost on me and yet the experience still introduced new awareness of the idea of representation and why it matters.
Growing up in an English-speaking home in Southeast Asia, I was predominantly exposed to Western media. From Disney to Nickelodeon, to networks like MTV, BBC, and CNN. Even today, I pretty much only read English books by Western authors, not by conscious choice, but by habit. From books like Harry Potter to VOX media or the Financial Times, no matter the genre most of these authors I am reading are Western or are Western raised.
A Westernised Emphasis
It’s no surprise that though I grew up in Southeast Asia, a lot of my values, ideals, and perspectives have been informed with a Westernised emphasis. I am not saying either is good or bad. I am merely presenting the narrow reality I realise I may be biased with. How can I not have a skewed interpretation of reality and the universe if all my sources of information are predominantly Westernised?
Like the uniqueness of an artist’s expression, informed by their histories and stories, wouldn’t the entertainment I am consuming also mirror the subtle and grand viewpoints of the creators who made them? These are the thoughts that have started to linger in my mind. Though I identify as a Southeast Asian and I grew up on Southeast Asian soil, most of the inputs I had, including my education through an International education system, were all through a Western lens.
The fascinating thing about awareness is once you become aware of something you cannot revert to your previous state of unknowing; unless, of course, by some mishap, you experience some kind of severe memory loss or new revelation to replace your previous knowledge. The entire elevation to awareness always presents a new reality. Hopefully, though, it brings you closer to an objective truth, or at the least a more whole understanding of reality.
This is where I found myself after watching several episodes of Squid Game. Completely mesmerised by the Asian actors that were presented in front of me. Admiring the complexities of each character’s story, their values, the depth of narrative, their beauty, inside and out– and the inescapable vanity of finding a lot of comfort in seeing a mirrored resemblance of skin colour, facial features, and some cultural nuances I’ve come to know through my Asian upbringing. I am Chinese by heritage but I am Southeast Asian through my upbringing. Although I was raised as a jungle Asian, my heritage, as Allie Wong says, is Chinese, a fancy Asian.
An Immediate Affinity
There was an immediate affinity I became aware of watching Squid Game, that I had not experienced nor knew I needed before. A kind of surprising kinship, novel to say the least, I somehow found a new sense of myself through discovering my self-identity with the people I saw on that show. I somehow felt closer to the people and the values that were being presented on screen.
Whether by association from watching a show or through real community in real life, at our core, humans are wired to seek belonging. That’s the best way I can explain what I felt watching Squid Game. Put aside the subject matter and the story, as I admit it was sometimes a little too gory for my taste, but the profound experience of having yourself represented is what changed me for the better forever. It ignited a new level of awareness of my limitations– an intuitive spark ignited within, that I didn’t realise was lying dormant before.
This experience was similarly repeated as I watched documentaries like BLACKPINK: Light Up the Sky and shows like the Japanese edition of “Terrace House: Tokyo” and again in the now-rising star on Disney, “Shogun.” Although Shogun is not exclusively written, directed, and played by a cast of Asians– the centre of the show is around Japanese culture and history. There is a natural affinity to experience representation that I had not been aware of before which I am very much attuned to now.
Why I started #HUEVOICES
This is why I started my series #HUEVOICES. My ambition is to feature the real voices of Southeast Asian voices around the world. Those who had their lives shaped and forever touched by the values, experiences, and diversity of a region that spans eleven nations. While I continue to bring you newer editions with my fellow interviewees, I hope everyone can resonate with the inspiring journeys of these incredible individuals I’ve featured so far: Ashley Kusuma and Nindy Noto– and more soon to come!
What I am learning most from these interviews, is how impactful the stories of others are in informing my understanding of the world. Inching myself closer to a greater slice of reality, as told through the words and perspectives of others is the magic that fills my cup. I think, at the end of the day, what all of us, as humans, desire most is to uncover our truths in their purest form.
Our enduring quest through life is about the insatiable lust for objective and subjective truths alike, as long as they bring us closer to understanding the greater universe we occupy. in the universe. What I hope to achieve is to continue to celebrate diverse representation. As though you and I are unique, you and I also share a lot. As humans, we are wired to search for the truths that explain the vast universe we occupy. This search is what informs our thirst for meaning and it is what I believe gives life purpose.
More #HUEVOICES interviews coming your way soon! But, for now, if you’re not subscribed yet, please subscribe to access the archives and full interviews, along with receiving The Happy Hue’s weekly newsletters on life, wellness, and everything in between.