Asian-Americans in Hollywood: 1970s-2010s Moving Towards More Representation

The Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 meant that hundreds of thousands of Asian immigrants were allowed to enter the United States for the first time. Prior to its passing, the government maintained national origin quotas limiting the number of immigrants allowed in the United States each year. The Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 abolished the quotas and were replaced with a preference based system meant to reunite immigrant families, attract skilled workers, and house refugees. Since then, the Asian American demographics shifted rapidly with the influx of people coming from all over Asia.

As a reflection of the growing diversity in American society, Hollywood began to diversify its portfolio of stories to better represent the country’s population. From 1970s to 2010s was a step in the right direction towards equal and positive representation. Read more HERE to Charissa's article.