'Everything Everywhere All At Once' Stars Discuss Why The Film's Story Is Important For Asian Representation
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Short filmTranscript
00:00 I was the daughter of an immigrant.
00:01 I am the daughter of an immigrant.
00:03 I never thought that I could even be in this industry.
00:07 I never saw myself on the screen,
00:09 maybe a little in the goonies, you know?
00:13 And I just think this,
00:17 so many people in our community really relate to this story
00:22 and it is something that they've never seen before, right?
00:25 And especially with everything that's going on
00:28 in the world right now and specifically in our country,
00:31 in America, with the violence against Asians,
00:35 like people just need to know that we are so full
00:40 of history and messy and love,
00:46 and it's not a stereotype, it's just life and chaos.
00:51 And I just think that this is kind of like
00:56 an every man's story or every woman's story in so many ways.
00:59 It's, you know, Michelle Yeoh as the owner of a laundromat,
01:03 you know, and we never get to hear that in a way
01:06 that is not a stereotype or just honest.
01:11 I think this is maybe one of the most honest portrayals
01:13 of an Asian family that I've ever seen.
01:16 And I'm just excited and honored to be a part of it.
01:20 - Over the years, we have seen this story told
01:23 in some shape or form, but it's never been told
01:27 with a Chinese American family.
01:29 And what has happened in the last few years, you know,
01:33 with Asian representation, you know,
01:35 with "Crazy Rich Asians" and Shang-Chi and the farewell,
01:38 I mean, here we are.
01:39 I mean, I know, you know, things haven't moved
01:43 as fast as we want, but with all sustainable improvements,
01:47 you know, they happen gradually.
01:48 And I'm just so hopeful that Hollywood is allowing us
01:53 to tell stories like this.
01:57 And that's why it's so important.
01:59 And it's a testament to how, you know, why not just Asians,
02:02 but all groups of people to be represented
02:04 in entertainment.
02:05 - What these two people said is very, very important
02:10 in the sense that in my 70 years, you know,
02:13 I've gone from, when I started,
02:16 it was not long after that the exclusion act
02:20 was still active.
02:21 So I come from that era and now there's that feeling,
02:26 and we transcend into more of the part
02:30 of the American society, you know,
02:32 as being artists and accepted.
02:35 And all of a sudden, right now,
02:36 we're back into the other side when I started.
02:40 And there's that, this kind of discrimination, you know,
02:44 and I hate to see that because here we are,
02:48 Americans, citizens doing our best to contribute
02:52 to the industry and entertain you.
02:55 I've given my whole life to do films and TV,
02:58 500 or more of them.
03:00 And, you know, and you've accepted me
03:02 as a part of your family.
03:05 And these people, you know, they show you in this film,
03:08 especially what their expression can mean to the community
03:13 and to society and to the world that watch this film.
03:17 They'll know that the Asian Americans are people
03:21 that suffer and celebrate the same things
03:24 as you people out there do every day.
03:27 So scrap this hatred stuff.
03:29 It doesn't mean a thing, you know.
03:31 I love you, and I'm sure all these people love
03:34 all of you out there.
03:35 We don't have any discrimination toward you,
03:38 so I hope it doesn't reflect back onto us.
03:41 [BLANK_AUDIO]