I believe that the dearth of accurate representations of Asian Americans in the media and in the arts has led to misrepresentation of Asian Americans. Very often Asian Americans are perceived as highly competent, hardworking, and non-belligerent—that being the “positive” image—or they are represented as devious, inscrutable, and megalomaniacal. Whichever way it is done, these images do not fully represent Asian Americans I know. If an Asian American, or anyone for that matter, is not given a voice and language with clear expression and evidence of feeling, his humanity is denied.
– Min Jin Lee
