Youth Takeover: Asian American Youth Push Back on Asian Hate with Art and Activism

For years, Asian Americans have largely been overlooked when it comes to representation in the media. This has begun to change some recently following the success of “Crazy Rich Asians.” There have been more box office hits centering Asian American characters and stories, like “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” “Turning Red” and Marvel’s “Shang-Chi.” Still, a recent survey found that, “Americans struggle to name prominent Asian Americans, despite several being in the news this year.” Some Asian American youth activists are recognizing the power of media images and art to influence change and using it to push back on Asian stereotypes and hate, as anti-Asian hate crimes increased by 339 percent in 2021.  In this student-produced segment, as part of KQED’s Youth Takeover week, we’ll talk with Asian American youth artists and activists about the importance of Asian representation in media and the arts.