It is a rarity that we are able to see Asian Australians presenting in mainstream TV news shows such as “The Today Show“, but low and behold, this year we will be seeing Vietnamese Australian presenter Tracy Vo step into the newsreader role for the show. This is a major feat and movement in the right direction to see more representation. Here is a clip of her delivering the news earlier this month.
Generally, racial diversity in news presenters are usually seen on SBS or ABC, but on the mainstream TV networks seeing racial diversity is like watching a tumble weed roll by. Hence, it is awesome to see Vo take this role. If you watch news coming from North America it is very common to see Asian American representation on many TV networks, and it is astonishing that Oz is really just picking up on it now.
But this is what I hope Tracy’s appointment and, fingers crossed, the many more Asian-Australians to step into mainstream media roles after her (because we still have a long way to go with representation in general) will stop.
It will stop the little girls who look like me from thinking they can’t make it on TV news. I know having such an expectation thrust upon you can be daunting – and sometimes unwanted – but I hope Tracy knows how many little Asian girls across Australia will see her on the Today show and know one day, that could be them.
For me personally, seeing Vo in this role shows that anything is possible in 2020. Of course this is a small step, but it is one which is heading in the right direction. Why Australia has taken so long to get to this point is a mystery, but this can be attributed to the ruling white privilege/supremacy which runs the entire Australian mainstream. Like Cheer, I grew up not really seeing much of myself reflected on Australian TV. Yes, there were the Lee Lin Chin’s and the Elizabeth Chong’s but they were too few, and seeing how little my face was reflected really messed things up for me, identity wise. This is why Vo’s new role is important and that is why we must all stand together and support her journey!
Images via YouTube and Yahoo
To read the original Huff Post article, please click on: Today Show 2020 Lineup: Tracy Vo Joins Karl Stefanvoic, Allison Langdon And Brooke Boney and to read the Yahoo Lifestyle piece in full, please click on: Why Tracy Vo’s new Today role means so much to me