We shouldn’t be a voice for all Asians. We are such a varied group that there’s no one show that can be like, “This is what Asian America looks like!” But we’re given that burden because we’re so rarely represented. If you see Tina Fey on television, you’re not like, “All white women are like Tina Fey.” Yet people are like, “Oh, Jessica Huang’s not like my mother, but this show is supposed to be about Asians, so shouldn’t she be like my mother?”
I understand the burden, because the history of our representation on TV is very sparse. But we’d be doing a disservice to the people who are worried about that by watering it down instead of trying to be specific. Specificity is what makes good storytelling, and good storytelling is what makes money, and making money is then what encourages new producers to invest in different stories about Asians.
Constance Wu, Fresh Off the Boat Star: I Don’t Have to Represent Every Asian Mom Ever. (via tubooks)
You can’t fuck with New York Chinatown. Its China reach is strong and rooted deep. Gentrification has politely knocked at the outermost edge, but for the most part, New York Chinatown is nothing to fuck with. Guessing those are crocodile legs, but who knows.