Asian actors are finally receiving the spotlight in holiday films, and these five movies prove to us that Christmas storytelling is beginning to reflect more cultures.
For many Asian Americans, Christmas movies were always something we never saw ourselves in, but now, Asian actors are finally appearing in holiday movies on some of the biggest streaming platforms.
A big turning point for us was in 2019 with Last Christmas, a romcom that completely disrupted societal expectations. Henry Golding plays Emilia Clarke’s love interest, which is something that rarely happened since Asian men were usually portrayed as side kicks or nerds. Set in London, this movie is a meaningful shift in representation, giving viewers a quiet change through a typical holiday love story.
Another Christmas romcom that centers an Asian lead is Love Hard. This Netflix movie depicts the narrative that is shaped by dating apps and online personas with Nina Dobrev’s character being catfished by Josh, who is played by Jimmy O. Yang. Love Hard spotlighted its Asian lead as confident and desirable on his own terms, pulling away from the framing of Asian actors as punchlines or side characters.
In 2022 Lifetime released A Hollywood Christmas, with Jessika Van as the lead. She plays Jessica, a filmmaker who has become well known for directing Christmas movies, but when she meets a network executive who wants to stop the production of her latest film, we get to see her character put to the test. Workplace conflict evolves into a romantic story and viewers get to watch how she navigates ambition and love, a role that is almost never given to Asian actresses.
A more cultural holiday movie would be Christmas at the Golden Dragon, a film that all generations can relate to. This Hallmark movie follows a neighborhood family-owned Chinese restaurant that announces its closure just before Christmas. Throughout the movie, we get to see the dynamics of Asian American households, which is something that is completely overlooked on the big screens.
And finally, A Big Fat Family Christmas, another Hallmark movie centered around a Vietnamese American family and their cultural expectations during the holiday season. Viewers get a close look at familiar pressures of family tradition and generational beliefs. Having a Vietnamese family star in this film tells Hollywood that Asian American stories are not niche, but rather relatable and deserving of a place in holiday movies.
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