INTERVIEW oF 50 YEAR oLD ASIAN AMERICAN

Interview of 50 year old Asian American

[Name of the Writer]

[Name of the Institution]

Interview of 24 year old Vietnamese Asian Woman

QUESTIoN: How much does race matter, and are there a lot of non-stereotypical opportunities for Asian Americans and minorities in generalo

Answer: I feel like I'm not qualified to answer this question because I'm not that experienced. I'm just starting to walk and take baby steps. I'm now just starting to have some of these bigger doors open, and more opportunities to read for these bigger shows. I'm really blessed because I get to audition for some of these shows when the breakdown asks for “twenties, blond, beautiful girl.” I'll be sitting in the room with twenty beautiful blond girls, and I still get a shot. Granted, I haven't booked many of those, but I have tested for a pilot written for a beautiful blond Caucasian girl, and I've had opportunities and I've been given chances. If I didn't book it, I don't know if it was because I'm a vietnamese Asian, or because I wasn't good enough, or because I wasn't ready, or if I just wasn't right for the part. I definitely do believe though that Hollywood and the entertainment industry has become more open-minded to those things, and they're definitely a lot more aware of stereotypes, and they do try to be more sensitive.

QUESTIoN: You are very successful in Asia, tell us about your opportunity to sign with agents and producers and why you refused.

Answer: I was 17 or 18, and it was easy because I was young, confident, and really comfortable with who I was. I was doing gymnastics at the time, so I was very fit and muscular, and Korea considered that to be fat at that time. They didn't like that, even though I was very fit and healthy. To me, I was just like, “Psh… you all don't know what you're talking about.” When I went to Korea for Miss Korea, I gained 15 pounds because to this teenage girl, Korea meant vacation! I know winning the pageant was a big deal, but to me it was just something that I got lucky with and that I was doing for fun. I ate a lot of food and I enjoyed my time there. But I gained so much weight - you couldn't even recognize me because my face was so chubby! I will say when I got back to the States, a lot of people told me, “You messed up. That was such a good opportunity!” I felt that being beautiful wasn't the same as being confident and comfortable with who you are, and I still believed those things, but after a year or two, it started to weigh in on me and a lot of the criticism got to me. I really struggled with my image for a good two to three years through college.

QUESTIoN: You grew up wanting to do and be ...