Lantern Lit

Let’s face it. No two people have better chemistry than Simu Liu, the first Asian Marvel lead, and Bowen Yang, the first fully Asian cast member on Saturday Night Live. In just three minutes, the two actors hit it off like old bros catching up with each other. They are what Bowen calls “fellow yellow fellows.”

But behind the laughs are less hilarious realities. In this satirical episode, non-Asian cast members repeatedly burst in the room to award either Simu or Bowen with awards honoring them for being the “first Asian to do ___.” This draws attention to the Forever Foreigner Stereotype, in which people of color can ever fully assimilate into American society. Whatever you accomplish, no matter how big, there will always be “Asian” stapled on the front like an oversized tag. 

While being tossed gift baskets and medals and trophies, Simu and Bowen engage in a rivalry Asians know all too well. Competition? Spicy. As Cathy Park Hong writes in Minor Feelings, “When there are only two Asians, instead of uniting, one may try to take the other out so that the meager power meted out to minorities will not be shared; so that one will not be mistaken as like the other” (Hong 30). Indeed, in a world where spotting a yellow face on live TV or Hollywood is rare, Asians are pitted against each other, more isolated than ever. Though Simu and Bowen’s rivalry is entirely fictional, it accurately illustrates the roadblocks Asian actors face. 

Additionally, the two men sardonically embody the “humble Asian” stereotype. When they showcase a trophy, they brush compliments off with a gracious “it’s nothing.” The screen immediately flashbacks to the moment they earned the award: fist in the air, huge beam on their face, confetti showering them as they glow in front of an audience. Yeah, it’s totally “nothing.” We Asians are so successful! We are so humble! I’ll tell you what we are: not your Model Minority.