Asian Americans have been fighting for representation in Hollywood for decades now, despite some of the earliest Hollywood stars, like Anna May Wong and Sessue Hayakawa, rising to prominence in the silent film era. With the implementation of the Hays Code in the 1930s, all non-white actors were effectively shut out of leading roles due to the rule that interracial love and couples could not exist on the screen — a bane for an industry that thrives on love stories. Behind the scenes, few Asian Americans were also able to make and write shows and movies, making the content that was made about them inaccurate and relying on stereotypes.
Hollywood still has a long way to go before it can say it is truly equitable, but in recent years the fight for representation has become more successful and visible on mainstream platforms. Some of the many examples of this include how the world now has its first Asian-descent Marvel lead, Shang-chi, and the recent success of the movie Everything Everywhere All At Once. No longer will audiences tolerate Asian-American culture as a commodity; these characters and stories are beginning to exist as they truly are. While there will be many more to come, these are the best shows featuring Asian Americans so far.
12 All-American Girl
Touchstone Television
Back in 1994, Margaret Cho starred in All-American Girl, a show about a Korean-American girl, also named Margaret, trying to navigate her identity. The daughter of Korean immigrants, all three generations of her family live in the same house and Margaret, who was fully raised in the United States, must learn to navigate the traditional expectations of her parents and grandparents in tandem with the American culture she is more familiar with. The show was canceled early due to clashes between the star, the content, and production, and while it did have its problems when it came to depicting the culture, it was a start. Few television shows represented Asian-American families even after the initial release of All-American Girl.
11 Andi Mack
Go Dog Go
Disney Channel’s 2017 series Andi Mack stars Asian-American actress Peyton Elizabeth Lee in the titular role. Andi Mack is 13 years old, a seventh grader in middle school, and she just discovered a major secret. Her sister is her real mother. Forced to confront this knowledge along with the everyday experiences of being a teenager, Andi Mack tackles the real issues that kids today are living through. It ran through three seasons and showed an incredible level of depth throughout each of them. The show was also the first Disney show to feature an openly gay character, as one of Andi’s friends, Cyrus, comes out during the series.
10 Bling Empire
Jeff Jenkins Productions
9 The Mindy Project
Universal Television
Mindy Kaling’s The Mindy Project ran from 2012 to 2017, creating an impressive six seasons throughout its run. The show was inspired by Kaling’s deceased mother, who was an OB/GYN. In the show, Kaling portrays Mindy Lahiri, a New York-based OB/GYN trying to navigate through her personal and professional life. Sharing a small space with her coworkers, The Mindy Project is a humorous look at young adult life in the city. As she falls in love with her coworker, she must also learn to navigate the romantic waters of what it means to date someone one works with. The Mindy Project shows Kaling at her best, although it begins to drag toward the final seasons.
8 Awkwafina is Nora from Queens
ViacomCBS Domestic Media Networks
Awkwafina, who was born in Queens, returned to her roots in Awkwafina is Nora from Queens. The series is still ongoing, as in May 2022 it was renewed for a third season. Awkwafina portrays Nora, a young adult from Queens, New York City, who wants to be something more than she is right now. It is a comedy television show, so there are plenty of humorous moments as she tries to discover what is out there for her in life. Set largely in Flushing, those from New York City will find the series highly endearing and accurate to life in Queens.
7 Nikita
Photo Credit - Wonderland Sound and Vision, Sesfonstein Productions, Warner Bros. Television, Nikita Films
Nikita, starring actress Maggie Q, is an action thriller where her character, Nikita, has escaped from a shady organization backed by the government. After spending three years in the shadows and hiding from her previous captors, she decides to bring down the organization in a search for justice. The organization, known as Division, trains troubled individuals from a young age to make them become assassins and spies, so this task won’t be easy for Nikita. Along the way, there is an abundance of problems, issues, and even love as Nikita tries to enact her vengeance against those who wronged her in the past.
6 Wu Assassins
Flame Ventures
Wu Assassins came out in 2019 and only consists of one season, although a film version, Fistful of Vengeance, made its way out into the world in 2022. In Wu Assassins, a mixed Chinese and Indonesian chef in San Francisco accidentally gets tangled up in a plot to uncover ancient mythical powers called the Wu Xing. After learning he is the last of the Wu Assassins, bestowed with enhanced strength and speed, it is now his mission to take down the Wu Warlords before it is too late. Although there are only ten episodes in the series, there is plenty of action to go around, making it a fairly compelling show.
5 Master of None
Netflix
Netflix’s Master of None was created by comedians Aziz Ansari and Alan Yang. Set in New York City, this comedy follows the life of Dev, portrayed by Ansari, as he tries to be an actor. A single Indian-American, quite a bit of his time is dedicated to dating and trying to find a girlfriend and attempts to get more work. Throughout three seasons, there are twists and turns in his stories, making him a likable, well-rounded character. When the show came out, many considered it to be one of the best shows released that year.
4 The Mystery Files of Shelby Woo
Nickelodeon Pictures
The Mystery Files of Shelby Woo aired originally in 1996, lasting for three years up until 1999. Irene Ng starred in the Nickelodeon series as Shelby Woo, a girl from Cocoa Beach, Florida, that likes to solve mysteries. She is noted as a Chinese American in the series and likes to show up at the local police department as the unofficial intern to solve mysteries. However, the adults there, and her grandfather, disapprove of her actions and want her to stay out of the cases they get.
3 The Chair
Sandra Oh spearheads the television show The Chair, which casts a critical gaze on academia and colleges. Set at a fictional college named Pembroke, Oh’s character, Ji-yoon Kim, has become the first female chair of the English department. New on the job, she now must navigate what it means to be an Asian American and a woman in such a position, as well as the politics of universities. Oh is the standout in the series, anchoring the comedic and drama elements together even when they shouldn’t, in theory, work.
2 Never Have I Ever
Created by Mindy Kaling and Lang Fisher, the 2020 series Never Have I Ever finds its protagonist in an Indian-American high school student in the face of a tragedy of her life. Her father passed away unexpectedly when she was fifteen, and soon after, she lost the ability to walk for three months due to the trauma. She also struggles with her social life at school, as her mental health and situation make it harder for her to make new friends despite her wanting to elevate her status on the social food chain. The series follows her journey through grief and school, refreshingly balancing drama and comedy.
1 Fresh Off the Boat
20th Century Fox Television
Years after the release of All-American Girl, ABC tried again with a new show about an Asian-American family: Fresh Off the Boat. It is based on the autobiography of the chef Eddie Huang, and features a Taiwanese American family living in Florida during the nineties. Set over five years, the family has just moved to Orlando in the first season from Washington, D.C. to open a new restaurant. Fresh Off the Boat subverts the expectations of what an Asian-American family sitcom could be, demonstrating why exactly the world needs more stories like this on television. It was the first series to have over one hundred episodes with a main cast that consisted only of Asian Americans.
