May is Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month! To celebrate this global history, and also my personal identity and history, I wanted to compile a list of five of my favorite films that prominently feature Asian Americans and/or Pacific Islanders. However, I wasn’t only looking for representation in front of the camera, but representation behind the camera as well. Each of these films has an Asian American or Pacific Islander director and other crew members that worked on making these movies.
- Mississippi Masala (1991) – Director: Mira Nair
I wanted to start off with what I think is the most underrated movie on this list. This film focuses on the romance between a young woman whose family has just immigrated to the United States from Uganda, and a young black man from their new home, Mississippi. They both must navigate their love for each other and both of their families’ protests against it.
Not only does it have prominent South Asian representation with Mina, the female lead, and her family dynamics, but I think it’s a beautiful interracial romance film. It’s rare to find an interracial romance where both characters aren’t white, and I think this film has great representation all around.
- Crazy Rich Asians (2018) – Director: Jon M. Chu
This romantic comedy follows a woman named Rachel Chu who learns that her boyfriend’s family is insanely rich after traveling with him to Singapore for his best friend’s wedding. She has to deal with this intense culture shock and meet his family all at once. Most importantly, she wants to win over her boyfriend’s mother, who disapproves of their relationship and her middle-class standing. I think this movie is funny, heartfelt, and extravagant, and it has a great star-studded cast.
- Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022) – Directors: Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert
I felt this list would not be complete without this film, especially considering the history it made at the 2022 Academy Awards. Not only did it win seven Oscars, but this film also made history with Michelle Yeoh being the first Asian woman to win in the “Best Actress” category.
This movie has so much going on, but at its core, it’s about family, identity, and love. It follows a Chinese family who owns a laundromat and goes on a life-changing journey through the multiverse. This movie made me feel every emotion possible, and seeing it in a theater was an out-of-body experience for me. It’s beautiful Asian American and queer representation. But first-generation daughters of immigrants, be warned!
- Boy (2010) – Director: Taika Waititi
Boy is another underrated gem that is directed by Taika Waititi, who is well-known for his voice and representation for Pacific Islanders and Polynesians (as he grew up in New Zealand and his father is Maori). And this film is a great reflection of that. It takes place on the east coast of New Zealand in 1984 and tells the story of a young boy on the island who meets his father that has just been released from jail. What he hopes will be normal father-son bonding time turns into a hunt to find a bag of buried money on the island. And like many others of Waititi’s films, Boy has an off-beat and awkward humor with a lot of heart as its center, making it a must-watch.
- Turning Red (2022) – Director: Domee Shi
I wanted to end on a cute animated film. It takes place in the 2000s and follows a middle school girl as she navigates her 13-year-old life of friends, family, and crushes. There’s one hitch — a family curse causes her to turn into a giant red panda every time she gets too excited or emotional.
I love the animation style of this movie and how quirky it is. It doesn’t shy away from creating second-hand embarrassment, but, really, who hasn’t been there at 13 years old? And despite being a children’s movie, it still focuses on the important theme of generational trauma. First generation daughters of immigrants be warned — again!
Representation is so important, and with this upcoming month, I think it’s especially crucial to pay attention to Asian American and Pacific Islander voices. Obviously, there are countless more films I could include in this list to celebrate the richness of cultures included in this demographic, but these are just five of my most noteworthy favorites, all of which delve into identity and what it means to be Asian America or Pacific Islander in the context of self, family, environment, and love.
Supporting film and art is one way to celebrate this month, but there are so many more options. Try new food, support a small business, and go to a local festival!