Imagine a vibrant mosaic, each tile representing a different culture and story. Now, picture that mosaic reduced to just a few colors -- this is the current state of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) representation in Hollywood. It's true that, in recent years, we have seen a rise of AAPI representation in the media, like Simu Liu as the first Asian Marvel superhero in "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings," "Shōgun," a Japanese historical drama dominating at the Emmys and "Squid Game," a South Korean dystopian thriller, becoming one of the most watched shows on Netflix in 2021. As a Japanese American, I feel proud to see part of my culture on the screen and in mainstream media. However, I strongly believe that this new wave of "Asian representation" only shines light on a fraction of the diverse ethnicities that make up the Asian community.

In recent years, the landscape of Asian American representation has improved. At a young age, I remember seeing stereotypical representations of Asian Americans in the media, like Lane Kim from "Gilmore Girls" and her conventional Korean, God-loving, tiger mom mother. Likewise, in the sitcom "Community," Dr. Ken Jeong embodied the typical model minority storyline lacking social skills - the overused persona Asians have been classified as. While I am thrilled that Asian Americans are now characterized as more than these same, tiring stereotypes, I can't help but notice that this new wave of media representation primarily focuses on East Asian groups, leaving other culturally rich communities like South and Southeast Asian and Pacific Islanders out of this mix.

As the media primarily focuses on certain Asian ethnicities, it perpetuates an illusion that all Asians are the same. Monolithic representation is not true representation as it makes the audience believe that all Asians come from the same story. This generalization of the AAPI community as a whole takes away from the rich cultural roots and traditions of each individual Asian community.

When society claims that we "finally have Asian representation," it overlooks the heritage, customs and history of underrepresented communities. Coming from an Asian background, I've always cherished the memories I've made through Japanese traditions like Oshogatsu, the Cherry Blossom Festival and Hinamatsuri. When I interact with friends of different Asian ethnicities, I learn more about the sacred traditions that illustrate their cultural heritage. I was excited to learn of my friend's fond memories of Noche Buena, a special Filipino celebration of Christmas Eve, along with the week-long preparations for their feast. I've grown frustrated that our media has failed to honor and celebrate the cultural differences within the Asian community on the screen.

I suggest that we support more diverse media projects that highlight the lived narratives of different ethnic groups written by creators who intimately understand the struggle of being typecast or misrepresented. I also encourage people to attend different cultural events that highlight the unique differences among AAPI communities and expand their knowledge of cultural history.

Remember to celebrate the successes. We should uplift movies and shows that accurately depict the stories of these Asian communities to encourage production companies to continue to honor the untold stories of all backgrounds and communities. Ultimately, this helps normalize and diversify narratives and stories that have been dominated by predominantly white people. This is essential as characters often shine light into different cultures through the character's dynamics and personalities.

Amanda Nolan thinks that there must be diversity within representation that celebrates all ethnicities within the AAPI community.