In defense of Asian American art

The new Netflix animated show 'DANG!' got ridiculed by netizens as soon as its trailer dropped, and the author wants to defend it: it's not Asian American art that's bad, it's that the definition is too narrow.

Two bars are squeezing Asian American art to death

For a work to be labeled 'Asian American,' it must meet two conditions at once: made by Asian Americans, and about Asian Americans or their culture.

That box is so tight it strangles the field. A white author writing an Asian American protagonist gets accused of overstepping, so a masterpiece like 'Avatar: The Last Airbender'—which draws heavily on Asian cultures but was created by white guys—doesn't count. Conversely, Asian American writers doing sci-fi or fantasy about other subjects get shut out too.

Asian America is a pretty small pond to fish from

Besides, the source material is limited. Asian Americans (excluding South Asians) are just 5.5% of the U.S. population, and their culture melts fast: two-thirds have close friends of other races, and over 40% of U.S.-born Asian Americans marry non-Asians.

So by the current definition, Asian American art is a shrinking micro-genre—no wonder people see it as repetitive. The author suggests a better definition: any art made by Asian Americans counts, whatever it's about.

A quick list, full of surprises

He then lists great examples: Adrian Tomine's comics, the Monstress graphic novels, BEEF season one, Atlanta, the band Japanese Breakfast, shoegaze artist Wisp, Ninefox Gambit sci-fi novels, Ted Chiang's stories, Jade City fantasy novels, and a short film by a 19-year-old college kid.

None of this looks like 'DANG!.' Before bashing traditional Asian American art, think twice: it was the modest success of those 'clichéd' works that opened the door for these creators.