Currently living in the USA, and doing reports on entertainment is such a buzz, and what makes it even more fun, worthwhile and interesting is to see all the Asian Aussies making it in Hollywood and working within the hustle and bustle of Los Angeles.
I recently attended the “Unforgettable Gala” which has been happening for 19 years and organised by Character Media (formerly Kore Asian Media). Character Media reports on the latest in Asian American culture, entertainment and news, and has supported Asian Americans and the diaspora in the US for a very long time.
The “Unforgettable Gala” recognises the Asian and Pacific Islander leaders who have fought for API presence in the arts, entertainment and culture. This year their theme was “Rise” , which according to their website:
Speaks to the ascension of our communities in the face of the hardships we’ve endured over the past two years. Despite the spread of anti-Asian hate crimes during a global pandemic, we have not only survived, but fought back—speaking out against racism, protecting our loved ones and honoring our shared cultural heritage. This year, we recognize and commemorate these efforts.
This is something Australia needs, and it is high time we celebrate our Asian Australian contributions to the arts, entertainment and culture. Any interests in collaborating for such an event – let me know!
Anyways, I wanted to showcase some photos of Asian Australians who were present, with a few of the Asian Aussies presenting awards.
Actors Alexander Hodge (Insecure), Chris Pang (Crazy Rich Asians, Palm Springs) and Desmond Chiam ( The Falcon and the Winter Soldier) are among the presenters of awards for the event. Also in attendance is actor Leonardo Nam (Westworld) and actress and influencer Shuang Hu (The Family Law, International Student).
I got the opportunity to get a few words from both Pang and Chiam on their reflections on how 2020/2021 have been for them and their career. Chiam spoke about how his career wouldn’t be possible without the help and support from the Asian American community and how uplifting and empowering the community is what needs to continue to happen.
I am proud of this community because again someone asked me earlier because earlier someone asked me what is a moment which made you “unforgettable”. I said, well really nothing that makes me “unforgettable” but its the things everyone else does which gives me a platform to stand on and I stand on big shoulders.
None of this is my moment and it is all shared with everyone here, and this is something I am proud of as well as being apart of this community. It is important that we uplift each other and not just pay lip service to the ideal and really taking those everyday actions to lift everyone up.
Pang reflected on the last few years and what milestones contributed to the greater push for representation and visibility in Hollywood for Asians:
It is great to get questions which I really need to think about. And if I had to reflect on some of them it would be Crazy Rich Asians, and how it did what it did and how important it was to push along the movement for better Asian representation and visibility in arts, culture and entertainment.
Anyways, let’s see if we can get something up like “Unforgettable” in Oz and continue to support our people who are working hard all over the world.
Images via Alicia Ricafrente Facebook and video via FLIp (Chescafe) Youtube Channel