I am not afraid of stereotypes.

Oh, I acknowledge there are stereotypes that are detrimental to any group, but I’m not afraid of those, either. Stereotypes generally come from true origins, so any stereotype is likely to have roots with a deeper meaning in fact and history than the stereotype exemplifies. I’ve seen stereotypes of all sorts portrayed in media with respect and sensitivity, and I’ve seen them portrayed as ridiculous, superficial traits that could be considered offensive.

What is important is context

I just watched Doctor Strange for the first time since the theater. And while Tilda Swinton did a good job in the role of The Ancient One, she essentially was doing her best Asian Monk impression. From her first line to her last, I could see and hear Chinese actress Michelle Yeoh play that role.

Defending Swinton’s casting by stating it was a way to avoid Asian stereotypes is completely off the mark. The role could have been filled by an Asian actor – man or woman – and played with respect and sensitivity.

Writer C. Robert Cargill’s comment regarding the relationship between China and Tibet, “If you are telling me it’s a good idea to cast a Chinese actress as a Tibetan character, you are out of your damn fool mind,” is a narrow-minded comment. If the producers had enough concern about that political issue, they could have hired another Asian actor besides a Chinese one. People got over the “controversy” of hiring Zhang Ziyi in Memoirs Of A Geisha. Not to mention the fact that an actor’s job is to play the part they’re hired for. If, say, Michelle Yeoh doesn’t want the part because she’d be playing a Tibetan monk, she can decline. If she accepts, she’ll do the job she’s hired for. Afraid of losing the Chinese market by acknowledging Tibet at all? Then make the character Nepalese. Doctor Strange travels to Kathmandu, after all. Easy fix. Or, the producers could focus on making a good film using as much of the comic’s lore as possible, then worry about the market later. Is it necessary to allow politics to affect one’s creative decisions? Apparently, in Hollywood, where money rules, it is.

Director Scott Derrickson, who has since owned up to his whitewashing – which he said was the lesser evil – made the assessment during scriptwriting that when he “envisioned that character being played by an Asian actress, it was a straight-up Dragon Lady.” This shows that he isn’t just afraid of perpetuating stereotypes. I posit that has no idea how to use Asian actors or how to see Asian people in different roles, stereotypical or not. He made sure to “reinvent” the character of Wong so that the character wasn’t the stereotypical Asian manservant. But he couldn’t do the same with The Ancient One? Nor could he trust an Asian actor to play an Asian role with the respect and sensitivity that type of character deserves? I state again: with every line recited by Tilda Swinton, I could see and hear Michelle Yeoh playing the part.

Let’s not forget the fact that there are plenty of Asian guru characters in both American AND Asian contemporary television and film that are portrayed as rich characters. Perhaps the producers at Marvel should watch Netflix’s Marco Polo and take special note of the character One Hundred Eyes – the martial arts master; the Daoist monk; the calm, wise teacher of Marco Polo. That’s an Asian guru character, but it’s played beautifully by Tom Wu. I pose this question: in owning up to his whitewashing of The Ancient One, has Derrickson learned that it’s his limited vision of Asian people that is also the problem?

In trying to avoid stereotypes, did the filmmakers think they were doing Asians a favor making one of the most important Asian comic characters in Doctor Strange’s story a White person?

People – including creative people – shouldn’t be afraid of stereotypes. Many people embody stereotypes because stereotypes come from truth. There are actual, living people that embody the Asian guru stereotype. There are tons of Asians that are super good students. There are plenty of “Tiger moms”. There are a lot of Asian doctors and computer nerds. Asians are often associated with these these traits and roles because there are millions of Asians that are these things. But these real, live people are much more than the stereotypes they embody. They aren’t JUST the stereotypes. They have hobbies. They have particular tastes in entertainment. They like certain foods. They have a particular perspective on life. They have opinions about the world they live in.

Yes, we want characters that are less, or not at all, stereotypical in our stories. But, we can also have rich characters that embody stereotypes in our stories, too. I see plenty of them on television.

Agent Melinda May from Agents of SHIELD is the silent martial arts warrior type that uses Tai Chi to center herself. She’s loyal to her friends. Cunning, intelligent, and resilient. She’s the silent type because she’s guarded herself from the outside world due to a past tragic incident. She’s a rich character.

Sunny from Into The Badlands is the tough martial arts warrior whose fighting skills are better than everyone else’s in the land. But he grows tired of his station in life. He knows there’s more to him than the psychologically abusive way he was raised. Finding inspiration in a young boy, he seeks to find his true home. He is a rich character.

The main characters in Fresh Off The Boat exemplify several Asian stereotypes. Jessica is the control freak Chinese mom that wants her kids to focus on school and looks for the cheapest deals. Louis, the father, is perhaps, arguably, the least stereotypical character because of his aloofness and his attentiveness to his kids. But, he does focus a lot on his work as immigrants tend to do. And the fact that he’s an immigrant who owns a restaurant is fairly stereotypical. Eddie, the oldest son, embodies the Asian adoption of hip-hop culture and is the rebellious son of immigrants who tries to be more “American” than old-world Chinese. His character isn’t necessarily ashamed of his heritage, but he longs to fit in, and this touches on the very common theme of Asian children of immigrants or first generation parents that aren’t sure of their place in America. The middle son, Emery, is slightly effeminate, for lack of a better term. He’s more in touch with his feelings than the rest of his family and this trait is exhibited in his behavior. As such, he embodies the stereotypical “unmanly Asian man”. The youngest son, Evan, is a mama’s boy and school nerd. For any stereotypes these characters embody, they are still rich characters.

(In fact, the there are plenty of White stereotypes in Fresh Off The Boat as well: the neighborhood blonde women who are snooty, catty, clique-ish, and gossipy exemplify the suburbanite woman stereotype. These are largely superficial characters, used to propel plots and as butts of jokes)

We can conclude from this that people are more than the obvious traits they exhibit. No two stereotypical people are alike because they think, feel, and behave differently. Why? Because they’re different people. This is why directors and casting directors go through the casting process in the first place: to get the actor that best portrays what they want. No two actors will portray the same role exactly the same way.

Can they not do the same for Asian roles?

I return to the lesson I hope Scott Derrickson learns at some point. It is, in fact, a lesson I think everyone can learn. It isn’t enough to be afraid to portray a stereotype in our entertainment. Instead, we shouldn’t fear stereotypes. What we should be afraid of is portraying stereotypes disrespectfully and without sensitivity to their origins.

As for Asians in film, filmmakers need to know how to handle Asian characters. They have to know to trust an Asian actor. And they have to see Asians as people, not traits.

This article has been edited for clarity. 6-29-2018